Kangaroo Self Storage

Glasgow Storage expert gives you 5 more easy ways to save money on the cost of self storage. Use these tips and you could dramatically cut the costs of your storage.

1.     Check The Cost Of The Deposit

All self storage companies usually charge a deposit. Some companies reduce this cost if you pay by direct debit or credit card.

Recommendation. Check the deposit amount and period. Do they reduce the deposit for direct debit or credit card payments?

2.     Check The Payment Terms

All storage companies usually charge for self storage in advance. Most companies will refund any unused days when you move out providing you comply with their notice period. Some don’t.

Recommendation. Check what the notice period is and whether any unused storage days are refunded.

3.     Is Access Free Or Are You Charged To Visit?

Some storage companies operate from custom built facilities. Many operate from a converted building which may not be easy to access.

• There’s nothing worse than having to move your belongings to a storage unit at the back of a building with poor lighting and no lift.
• Some self storage companies charge to access your belongings. For example some Glasgow storage companies charge £50 to access your belongings.
• Not all companies are open 7 days a week, so find out if you need regular access. Some companies offer 24 hour access. Expect to pay a premium for this service

Recommendation. If you can, always visit the building in advance. Check if access to your belongings is free.

4.     Self Storage Companies Charge For The Floor Space You Use

The more floor space you take the more you pay. The secrets to saving money are:

• Use the full height of the room. Usually the rooms are 7-8 feet high, so make sure you use this space.
• Use boxes so you can stack them easily. Many people make the mistake of using bin bags – they don’t stack well and the items inside get squashed.
• Completely fill the room. If you don’t need to get at your belongings don’t leave any wasted space. Store any items you might need last so they are by the door
• Prepare a list of your large items. The staff will help you to book the right sized room – make their job easier by having a list of the larger items you need to store. Check you can change to a smaller or larger room if you need more or less space.

Recommendation. Check the height of the room and use boxes to make the most of your space

5.     Is It Safe and Secure?

Always check whether the company offers storage units inside a secure building. Some companies offer old shipping containers that are stored outside.

• Storage containers may be cheaper, but they can be damp and prone to condensation. Containers are much less secure. Being outside with no extra protection they can be broken into quite easily by thieves. Your belongings may not be covered by insurance policies if stored in a container.                              

Recommendation. Store your belongings in units inside a secure self storage building. Only store low value items that will not rot, rust or be damaged in damp conditions, in a container.

About Kangaroo Self Storage:
Kangaroo Self Storage provides Glasgow storage and Dundee storage, and is currently the fastest growing company in Scotland. They provide space for businesses, householders and students.

Glasgow Storage Expert gives you 5 easy ways to save money on the cost of storage units. Use these tips and you could dramatically cut the costs of your storage.

 1.     Get The Best Price

The price of storage rooms varies by quite a lot.

Recommendation. Get a few quotes. Some companies quote high prices and then reduce their price if they know you’re shopping around. This can be a ploy to get you to move in. So don’t say you’re shopping around and see what prices you’re offered.

2.     Special Offers Will Save You Money

Self storage has become more competitive. For example nearly all Glasgow storage companies have special offers. Here are some:

• FREE Storage periods depending on how long you stay. If you intend to store for at least 8 weeks you can expect to get 2 to 4 weeks FREE.
• Half Price Storage periods, or a £1 for the first month                                
• Pre-Payment Discounts. Most companies give a discount of 5% if you pre-pay for 26 weeks. This rises to 10% for 52 weeks. Some offer even higher discounts.
• Student Discounts. Students can expect a 10% discount.
• Military Discounts. Armed Forces personnel should get a 10% discount.

Recommendation. Ask about special offers, especially if you intend to stay for more than 4 weeks.

3.     Customer Service: Trained Staff Can Save You Money

Good, trained staff will advise you on the size of room you need and how to make the best use of your space. They will also suggest offers and savings to save you money.

Recommendation. Consider customer service as part of your decision making process.

4.     How To Save Money When You Move In

Self storage companies just store your belongings. It is your responsibility to both move in and out. Hiring a van or arranging your own removals can be expensive. Always check if your self storage company will help you to move in – this could save you a lot of money. Here’s how they can help:

• Some will collect your belongings as part of their service. This usually involves a large trailer that can be parked outside your house. You are responsible for loading the trailer which is then driven by the storage staff to the storage centre. You then unload your belongings into your own room.
• “Free Van Hire” This saves you the cost of hiring your own van. Always carefully check the charges you will pay for – fuel and insurance. The insurance excess can be £250 to £500, so don’t have an accident!
• Local Removal Companies. All storage companies deal with local removal companies. They know the good ones, so get them to recommend a remover if you need one.

Recommendation. Check if the mini-storage company will help you to move in. If they will, you may save a lot of money on moving expenses.

5.     Save Money On Insurance

Your belongings will need to be insured when they are in storage. If you have a home insurance policy check with your insurer if your belongings are covered by their policy when in storage. If not, the storage company can provide insurance for you. Check the cost of this insurance.

Recommendation. Check if your home insurance covers your belongings in storage. If not check the storage company’s insurance costs and cover.

About Kangaroo Self Storage:
Kangaroo Self Storage provides Glasgow storage and Dundee storage, and is currently the fastest growing company in Scotland. They provide space for businesses, householders and students.

Now that the Scotland credit crunch is forcing many young adults back into their parents’ homes, they are hiring Kangaroo Self Storage Glasgow to store their belongings.

Glasgow, Scotland (IPRWIRE) Thursday, March 26th, 2009 – Many victims of the current Scotland credit crunch are now finding they have no choice but to move back in with their parents. Kangaroo Self Storage Glasgow reports a surge in storage demand from 20-30 year olds who are returning to live with their parents. These customers intend to store their belongings until the economy recovers.

Faced with unmanageable debts, redundancies, and the collapsing housing market, many young adults simply cannot afford their own homes. They find the only solution is to return to live in their parent’s house until their situation improves. Chris Stevens, the managing director of Kangaroo Self Storage Glasgow states “6 to 8 customers a week tell us they are storing their belongings and moving back in with their parents. Demand for our smaller sized rooms has never been so high”.

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Kangaroo Self Storage is the fastest growing Glasgow storage company, providing safe and secure storage for businesses, householders, students, and now museums. The Dunblane Museum has recently enlisted them to provide storage for their many artifacts during a major refurbishment of their building.

Glasgow, Scotland (IPRWIRE) Monday, March 09, 2009 – Dunblane Museum is undergoing a major refurbishment, which means they needed a safe and secure place to store their precious artifacts. A team from the museum found that Kangaroo Self Storage offered the perfect service due to their high quality, temperature controlled units. The units were thoroughly tested beforehand, especially the fire and security systems. When it was agreed to have the museum artifacts stored in this location, the Kangaroo team helped out with the moving.

Chris Stevens, the managing director of the Glasgow storage company was even a bit surprised when the company was chartered to provide this service for the museum. “We knew our Glasgow storage units were ideal for storing archives, furniture and customers’ belongings, but we didn’t know if they would be of museum quality. I was delighted to be told by the Dunblane team that our storage space provided the perfect conditions for their delicate artifacts.”

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Kangaroo Self Storage Glasgow now offers one of the better deals for storage which is important in these times of economic uncertainty. People who cannot afford to move into larger houses are using storage to help clear their homes of extra things.

Dundee, Scotland (IPRWIRE) Fri. Nov. 21st, 2008 — Due to the fact that homeowners are finding it exceedingly difficult to move into a larger home due to the current housing market, they are making use of storage units in order to store their things which are taking up space in the home. As a result, www.kangarooselfstorage.co.uk has quickly become the fastest growing company for storage Glasgow.

Part of the company’s largest customer base are new parents. After a couple has had a child, it is usual for them to move into a larger home. This is now difficult to do thanks to the housing market. As an alternative, these new parents are finding it less expensive to put the possessions that are taking up space in their homes into storage.

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Kangaroo Self Storage has reported that their business inquiries have increased by 37% in the last quarter. They attribute that rise to unstable commercial property values and concern about the economy.

Dundee, Scotland (IPRWIRE) Fri. Sep. 5th, 2008 — Kangaroo Self Storage (www.kangarooselfstorage.co.uk) states that there are many reasons why businesses are turning to the self storage company to help them during the current economic crisis. Unlike warehouses and commercial property, the company is able to offer businesses the ability to put their inventory somewhere without signing a long-term commitment or paying for space that they are not using.

Businesses are turning to companies such as Kangaroo Self Storage out of fear of decreased consumer spending, along with falling property values. They feel more comfortable paying for a unit on a month to month basis. Then, if they are not able to maintain their payments, they can cancel their unit without paying any penalties.

Businesses also like the fact that they can use this type of service without hiring any additional staff or paying for utilities. With the current economic slow down, most businesses are trying to reduce their monthly expenditures, and they find that this is a viable option for housing their goods and materials. They are able to take advantage of the additional space without adding much in costs.

Steven Crystal of Crystal Decorations stated, “I did consider buying my own premises to store my stock, but falling property prices put me off that idea. I decided to use self storage instead. I just pay for the space I need and like that I can take less space if my sales drop.”

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Home storage solutions for common household goods are available in a variety of price ranges and other particulars. When it becomes impossible to simply hang another shelf or to buy another piece of storage furniture, it is time to look into a personal storage option at a storage rental facility. Renting space at such a facility is wonderful for keeping seldom used items out of site and out of mind. They don’t clutter your home, office or flat space, irritate your spouse or your flat mates or force you to deal with shifting items around in a constant attempt to organize your space.

People have been storing things out of site and away from their living spaces for years. Storage units have become much more sophisticated than they used to be, and as a possible home storage solution, they remain a good one. In the UK, the amount of home storage units has increased over the years and they offer a lot of benefits for anyone strapped for extra space. Many storage units feature (sophisticated climate control – remove), closed circuit video security, coded gates and advanced fire safety controls. Some, like Kangaroo Self Storage, also offer free unlimited access and extended trade hours along with item pick up, delivery plans and removals. Additional features are also available like professional assistance with archival document storage. Off site storages now present many different features that make the benefits of storing household items in a professionally run facility quite obvious.

If you are considering renting some home storage space, you should first think how much space you will need and how much you are willing to spend. Of course, the more space you will need, the more you will feel a slight constriction of your pocketbook, but at whatever your budget and comfort level, there are ways of making the most of your rental unit. Here are a few tips for good utilization of your home storage unit:

• Label everything before you lose track of it to ensure speedy storing as needed.
• Store large items like furniture in the back of the unit and utilize empty cupboards and drawers to hold small items.
• Choose a location close to your work, home or flat for quick trips. You’ll make these more often than you think you will, especially at first.
• Create a pathway through you storage space so you can access everything easily.
• Place frequently needed items at the front of the unit.

Self-storage is an inexpensive way to meet your increased storage needs. Over time, you will find many things that are best stored in your storage unit rather than clutter up your home. Seasonal things like garden furniture or tools are perfect candidates along with unused sports equipment or excess odds and ends from the garage or work shed.

Because of its bulk, furniture is often the first in the large item category to require additional storage away from the home. Furniture in a storage can be quite involved, requiring the storage climate to be within favorable tolerances for the cloth, wood, finish and metal that comprise the makeup of most furniture.

Before considering a furniture storage option for your furniture, ask yourself a few questions. The following are meant to be guidelines for safe  storage of furniture:

Most UK storage centers do not offer climate controlled rooms – we do not have the US extremes of temperature. Therefore these bullets are not appropriate. We do have a local museum storing some of their exhibits with us and they monitored humidity and temperature levels for 2 months before moving in. They reported stable conditions ideally suited to storing their artifacts.

• Will you need the room where your furniture is stored to be kept at a certain temperature and away from moisture? If the answer is yes, you will need to search for storage facilities that offer climate controlled units to ensure consistent temperature and humidity levels.

• Excessive moisture can lead having issues with mold and mildew in fabrics. However, wood generally needs to be a bit more breathable in terms of moisture, especially in hot conditions. In any event, try not to store unfinished wood for long periods of time. It is best to cover all exposed wooden surfaces with the appropriate oil, varnish, wax or other sealing agent.

• If you need secure, safe furniture storage but are unconcerned about special climate controls, a suitable storage unit of sufficient capacity is all you need to consider.

Determine how much storage space will need to store your furniture. A small amount of measurement and rough sketch is all you need to ascertain the amount of furniture storage area you need. The sketch will help you stack and organize your space to fit the most furniture into the available area. You will save money in the end by not overestimating and renting a larger unit than necessary and wasting money.

Should you choose (not – remove) to rent a unit (with a controlled environment – remove), consider the following suggestions for safe furniture storage:

• Place a pallet or plastic sheet or some other suitable covering on the floor to raise your furniture away from potentially damp areas.

• Disassemble beds, tables and whatever else you can to save space and to make your furniture storage area more space efficient. Be certain to retain all nuts, bolts, screws and other hardware; a good option is to store them in plastic bags and tape them directly to the appropriate pieces. This makes reassembly easy and keeps the bits out of harms way.

• To protect the finish, wrap all areas that are exposed surfaces when assembled. This includes table tops and legs, decorative cabinet surfaces, glass areas and so on. Heavy paper or sturdy cloth works well for most things; glass is best protected with packaging materials or blankets.

• Upholstered items should be kept off the floor.

• Be certain to add extra padding (bits of cloth, old linens or pieces of carpet work well) between pieces as needed to eliminate possible jostling and subsequent scratches or breakage.

• Finally, cover everything with a dust cover or old bed sheets.

Use large armories and cupboards as convenient extra storage for smaller items. They are also excellent for storing old linens, clothes and fabrics. Because of their size and shape, they also make ideal platforms to stack smaller boxes on.

Kangaroo Self Storage presents the ideal way to store your items in your own personal or business storage unit. Self storage is excellent for a variety of reasons. Having your own storage unit means not having to contend with limited space, unloading unwanted possessions or dealing with seasonal or other fluctuations in your storage needs. Kangaroo takes the worry and most of the work out of securing your possessions, allowing you to free up more room at work, home, dorm room, office or other business.

When considering a self storage option, security is what is usually on everyone’s mind. Your storage unit should be protected against the elements and also against human incursion. All of your stored items will be safe at Kangaroo Self Storage and securely protected in a private storage unit under lock and key. Our facilities are also protected by secure entry and exit systems and video surveillance.

Convenient access to your unit is another factor to consider when determining how to store your possessions. Kangaroo Self Storage allows access to your belongings whenever you need them – seven days a week. In addition, our self storage facilities are clean, secure, well-maintained and efficiently operated to ensure your complete peace of mind. Kangaroo staff are available to help you with anything you might need.

Kangaroo Self Storage has facilities in several locations, making us ideally situated within easy driving distance for your convenience. Your unit is accessible in convenient locations in Dundee and Glasgow, making it easy for you to access your items at any time, seven days a week. Generous trade hours mean extreme convenience for you whenever you need access to your belongings.

Kangaroo self storage has units that are available in over 25 sizes, and we proudly offer a variety of warehousing and bulk item packages in addition to general storage for personal use. Kangaroo Self Storage utilizes modern storage techniques to guarantee just the right storage options for various needs. If you are moving a business or a household, storing things short term because of remodeling or other building issues, or for any other reason, an appropriate storage unit can save you lots of headache.

The Kangaroo staff play important roles in keeping our customers happy. You can rest assured that your storage items are in good hands with Kangaroo Self Storage. We cultivate an environment of courteous helpfulness and encourage our staff to lend a hand wherever needed. Friendly, helpful staff are usually a good sign that all is well and we encourage that caring attitude as much as possible.

Whether you need short term or long term storage, you will feel much better about housing your belongings in a facility that is well maintained and run efficiently. Kangaroo Self Storage takes pride in maintaining the most stringent levels of excellence in these areas.

Storage is probably one of those things you never think about until you need it. All it takes to make a move into or out of storage a pleasant experience is a bit of ingenuity, a dash of common sense and the right attitude. Of course, a good supply of marking pens, labels, packing tape and protective wrap doesn’t hurt either. The following is a brief guide to packing, storing and moving your things painlessly.

Packing

Make certain to give yourself plenty of time to organize and pack your belongings prior to going into storage. Somehow, it always seems to take more time to pack up than we usually anticipate. Making sure you have the time allocated to do a good job will make the process that much smoother in the end.

Disassemble any furniture, equipment or devices into basic components. Use clear plastic bags to hold parts and tape them to the area where they originated. This will make things much easier to assemble later.

Take extra care to pack up particularly fragile items in suitable packing materials, cloth or blanket wraps or bubble wrap.

Labeling

Efficient storage comes down to clear labeling. Label everything. Group similar items together and label the boxes appropriately. One tired and true method of labeling is by room or function. For example, small kitchen appliances might go in a box clearly labeled ‘kitchen appliances’. Room labeling ensures that everything ends up in the right place when taking your items out of storage and moving them into a new place. It is then easy to place the appropriate boxes where they belong. If your labeling is precise enough, you can instantly know which boxes you wish to unpack immediately and which ones can be saved for later.

Don’t be afraid to make your labels detailed and descriptive. Mark any boxes with particularly fragile contest as ‘Fragile’ and don’t be afraid to apply similar designations to other boxes as needed.

Moving

When you finally move your belongings into storage, try to plan ahead as to where the bulky items go, the heavy ones, the fragile ones and so on. Again, give yourself plenty of time and, if you are moving your things to storage by yourself, allow your back and muscles to adjust to the extra strain of lifting and toting. Many facilities offer the use of hand-trucks and elevators to help save your aching back.

Supplies

Consider bringing along a bag filled with packing supplies and extra markers and leave the supplies in the unit itself. If you are like most people, you will use them sooner or later as you pack and repack items you need to bring out of storage.