Tag: self storage

There is a reason why “a place for everything and everything in its place” is such a common saying. Clutter can affect your life in many ways, from negatively impacting your health to keeping you from finding items you need.How Clutter Affects Your Life Why You Should Tame the Mess

In this blog post, we will discuss 10 specific reasons how clutter affects our lives – and what you can do about it!

Clutter can damage your health and lead to:-

Stress

Clutter is thought to cause feelings of stress and uncertainty. When you are surrounded by clutter, it can be difficult to know where to start since there is so much stuff everywhere. It’s hard for your brain to process what needs attention first when everything seems like a priority!

In addition, the more cluttered an environment becomes the higher levels of cortisol we produce. Cortisol is the hormone that our body releases when we are stressed and anxious, which can lead to feelings of depression or anxiety.

If you notice that your clutter levels have been steadily increasing over time, it might be worth taking some steps to declutter and reduce stress in your life!

Overeating

It has been known that people overeat to compensate for the feeling of being overwhelmed by clutter. If this becomes a constant habit, it can lead to obesity and other health risks.

If you are constantly overloaded with clutter or spend a lot of time organising your home, consider taking up some hobbies which include exercises such as yoga or long walks.

Respiratory problems

A cluttered home can also lead to respiratory problems. The dust and allergens that are created in the process of being surrounded by clutter cannot escape if you do not clean your house often, which in turn increases the number of pollutants inhaled. This leads to a worsening of many different allergies or asthma symptoms.

Clutter Can Harm Your Personal Life

Clutter prevents people from seeing the changes that are needed to build and strengthen their relationships with others. If you aren’t living together, it is difficult to notice when things are getting out of hand.

Studies have also shown that people with cluttered homes tend to be more stressed and depression can arise because they cannot find a way out of the mess. It becomes overwhelming and causes many issues in one’s life.

Children who live in a cluttered home are less happy and less likely to have friends over to play.

Adults also isolate themselves more due to the embarrassment of their surroundings.

Hire a Professional to Help Deal with the Clutter

As we mentioned before, clutter has a negative impact on your life. It affects both how you feel and what you do in your day-to-day routine.

The best way to get rid of this clutter is by hiring professional storage providers like our self storage units in Nuneaton!

We have the perfect solutions for anyone looking for secure self storage or commercial property space. Give our team a call today or contact them online if you’re ready to find out more about getting started with us as soon as possible!

The UK is a nation of entrepreneurs; with 99.9 % of businesses classed as Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SME) and 76% single person businesses. For many SME’s the running costs of the business can be challenging, which is why more and more are utilising the benefits of self-storage in order for their business to grow.

The main benefits of using a self-storage unit are:-

  • Additional space for less cost
  • Flexibility
  • Safety and security

A self-storage unit offers businesses additional space for less cost, it allows these businesses the opportunity to buy, create, or store more stock. Low-cost storage space, also allows companies to save money as they are able to buy products in bulk. This is a great way to prevent stock shortages which can quickly damage the reputation of a small or medium sized business.

With storage spaces, businesses have the option to free up office space to accommodate a growing workforce without the hassle of upgrading offices.

The flexibility of a self-storage unit is particularly useful for seasonal businesses that can benefit greatly from a more flexible arrangement. A great benefit of self-storage is it can expand or downsize to fit your business, which is a vital factor for business owners of small or medium businesses. Self-storage units come in a variety of different sizes, meaning business owners are only paying for the space they need.

Self-storage offers businesses safety and security. Self-storage units have a wide range of great security features, to keep business stock safe and secure within the unit. This is also very beneficial for businesses who store important paperwork or documents.

If you have any questions about Business Storage, or you are ready to maximise the benefits of self-storage get in touch with your local Spaces and Places site today!

Moving house is always a difficult and stressful time but is even more demanding if you have children.

The key to moving successfully with children is to get them on board with the planning and preparation.

Here are our top tips

    • Talk to the children about the move and include them in discussions about moving day so they are prepared for the event
    • Visit the new house and in particular show them their bedroom and discuss how their things will be arranged in the room
    • Visit the local area to make everywhere more familiar
    • Go through their current bedroom with them and get rid of toys, books and games they no longer use and give to a charity shop.
    • Encourage the children, with your help, to pack up their own things, selecting just a few items to go in a special essentials box that can be kept handy to give them on removal day when you arrive at the new house.
    • Pack up an essentials kit for all the family to have easy access to on moving day. The essentials box should contain- snacks, drinks, spare clothes and toiletries.
    • On the day, arrange for the children to be looked after for at least part of the day so you can get on with the move more swiftly and efficiently.
    • To encourage the children to settle in their new home let them arrange and unpack their things in their bedroom. It maybe things are moved round at a later stage but it is important that the children feel safe and are surrounded by the things they treasure that first night.
    • When you introduce yourselves to the neighbours, take the children with you so they can meet other children.
    • Once you are settled, invite a few of the neighbour’s children round to play.

Of course, if you have the time and somewhere to stay temporarily, you could consider putting your belongings into storage for a few days following completion: this would give you time to clean, child-proof and even decorate your new home before moving in properly.

If you require storage during a move, get in touch with you nearest Spaces and Places today

The self-storage market in the UK is booming, as it is increasingly becoming more popular for British residents to rent self-storage space.

A recent survey indicated that UK residents rent four times more self-storage space than the French, and nine times more than people in Germany.

In fact Britain is now home to almost half of all of Europe’s self-storage units, but demand is continuing to outstrip supply. During 2016 alone, 24 new sites opened in the UK.

Two thirds of self-storage customers are aged between 40 and 65 years old, and divorced or separated people are also more than twice as likely to use self-storage as a single person.

So why is self-storage becoming more popular in the UK? There are a number of reasons:-

  • A change in lifestyle- sometimes divorce or bereavement can lead to people moving into temporary or smaller accommodation. Self-store can provide a space to store these items until a later date.
  • Preventing household clutter building up- a modern trend is to keep the home clutter free as it is more relaxing and restful, as well as it being easier to keep clean. Storing seasonal items and clothing is particularly popular.
  • Requiring more space – through our lives we accumulate a lot of ‘stuff’, but where to store it can be a problem particularly in modern homes. A recent study by the Office for National Statistics shows the average house size of properties sold in England and Wales last year was 90 m2 . This is smaller than in many other European countries and considerable smaller than new homes in the United States.
  • Storing precious items of sentimental value – we all have things we wish to keep but do not necessarily have a place or space for them in our homes. E.g. family heirlooms. A storage unit is prefect for keeping these items safe and secure without being in the way

Are you ready to see the benefits of self-storage?

Get in touch with the friendly team at Spaces and Places to find out more.

As the temperature drops and winter approaches many people are preparing to store items that go unused during the colder months of the year.  However if your home or garage is already full, storing these things can be a problem. Using a self-storage unit is an easy way to save on space in your home.

Here are a few seasonal belongings commonly stored in units during the winter.

  • Summer clothing – In a small living space, it can make a big difference to put out-of-season clothing in a storage unit.
  • Garden furniture – more and more people are using their garden as another room with dining tables, sofas, heaters, parasols and soft furnishing, but all this furniture need to be stored in a dry place over the winter.
  • Lawn equipment – once the lawn has had its final cut of the season the lawn mower, grass clippers and other garden tools require storing in a dry place.
  • Recreational gear – Put away sporting equipment, such as skateboards, hiking boots, wet suits and life jackets, until the warm weather returns.
  • Small engine vehicles – if you only ride your motorcycle during the summer months, put it away in storage to gain more space at home.
  • Holiday home – if you have a static caravan which can’t be used during the winter month there may be many items like TV’s, bedding, soft furnishing, beach gear that you want to store safely until you start using your caravan again
  • Camping Gear – while camping is great in the summer, all the gear can take up a lot of storage space over the winter.

 

To protect items that you are not using during the winter, store them with Spaces and Places. It makes the ideal solution to save you space at home while keeping all your possessions safe and secure.

Self-storage with Spaces and Places is easy to use. They offer flexible, short term contracts that are affordable. You have access to your unit 24/7 and your belongings are protected by top of the range security, get in touch with your local storage site today.

More and more people are using self-storage units to keep items that are seasonal or only used occasionally safe and their homes free of clutter. However using a self-storage unit should be simple and hassle-free.

The following helpful tips should take the stress out of packing your self-storage unit so you can enjoy a clutter free home and know your belongings are safe.

Do:

  1. 1. Make a list of everything you need to store and collect together all the packing materials you require e.g. boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap, tape and marker pens.
  2. 2. Pack each box according to its contents; wrap fragile items individually in bubble wrap, pack books flat and clothes, bedding or curtains are best protected in vacuum bags. Photos and pictures should be placed between two pieces of card and then taped together to stop them curling.
  3. 3. Label all the boxes with a list of their contents, to make it easy to find items when you need them.
  4. 4. Place boxes on pallets to allow air to pass around and under items.
  5. 5. Larger items can be packed individually but to maximise the space in the unit remove legs from furniture and place tables and chests of drawers top-to-top. To protect and keep these items clean, cover with packing paper or dust sheets.
  6. 6. Clean and dry appliances like BBQ’s, lawn mowers and garden tools. Before storing wipe metal surfaces with a few drops of oil to prevent rust.
  7. 7. In the unit, position items you will use frequently at the front of the unit, and make a central aisle between all items for easy access to the rest.

Don’t:

  1. 1. Make boxes too heavy. No box should weigh more than 30 lbs.
  2. 2. Use plastic or newspaper to cover items. Plastic will encourage mildew and newsprint can mark and permanently damage items.
  3. 3. Store toxic or flammable substances like paint, oil or petrol as they are a fire hazard. Also ensure that petrol is drained from all small appliances like lawn mowers.

If you have any questions about using a storage unit, get in touch with your local Spaces and Places, where our friendly team will answer all your enquiries!

Whether you are a large or a small business sometimes your premises just don’t have enough space. However moving into larger premises may not be practical or cost-effective, but renting a self-storage unit can be very beneficial to a business.

The benefits of businesses using self-storage are:-

Flexibility – it is possible that a business only needs extra space for a short period of time e.g. while relocating, or decorating their current premises. Or to store seasonal products and furniture. Restaurants/bars may have furniture they use outside during the summer but do not require in the winter, shops may have extra stock ordered in the late summer months for the Christmas period that needs to be stored. Most self-storage companies offer short term contracts. At Spaces and Places, we make renting our units as simple and straightforward as possible.

Cost effective- for home-based businesses and those in small business premises, renting a self-storage unit is much cheaper than relocating to bigger premises.

Improved productivity – trying to work in cluttered surroundings is very demotivating and can be dangerous too.

Security –if your business involves having to archive and store confidential documents, self-storage units offer dry, clean secure storage. Many of the best storage facilities invest thousands of pounds in alarms, CCTV, boundary fencing and lighting, meaning that your stored items are often far safer in a self-storage unit. At Spaces and Places, we have 24 hour CCTV surveillance plus other high tech security systems in place.

When you need that extra space to store documents or products securely Spaces and Places has the perfect solution for long or short-term storage space.

We offer low cost, high-security self – storage units in 3 superb locations – Manchester, Winsford and Nuneaton. We have high security steel containers and traditional brick built premises that have easy-assess roller shutters, power and light, enabling them to be used for a wide variety of purposes.

Get in touch with Spaces and Places to discuss the best options of storage unit for your business.

Over the years, you will have gathered a lot of items, some of these may be memorable or have a sentimental meaning attached to them, and others you have stored because you do not want to throw away/ have not had time to throw away.

If you, or somebody you know has a clutter problem, here’s why…

  1. Busy

When you lead an active life, you cherish the few moments you are allowed to relax. Very rarely you will spend your free time sorting out your wardrobe or cleaning your room and it will instead continue to be put on a ‘to-do list’ that never gets done.

  1. Comfortable

If you are used to always having a cluttered area, it will feel familiar, safe and normal to you as it is something you have lived with for a long time. In a sense, you feel at home with this clutter and you become in no rush to change your ways.

Impulse Purchases

Something may pop up that you have an interest in at that moment in time. Whether it is buying a DVD, gathering recipes or purchasing a board game, you feel the need to buy these items, yet you are in no rush to use them. Similarly, you may watch the movie or play a board game once and then place it back in a pile to never watch/play again.

  1. Health

You may have suffered an illness or a bereavement which means you have put your life on hold. It can be hard to come to terms with these changes, however life does not stop. The post continues to come, dust continues to gather and plants keep growing.

  1. Depression or illness

When caring for someone or helping somebody tackle ill-health, your energy levels can decrease, meaning your surroundings are not a priority on your list. Understandably, you will put off your cleaning to-do list until you feel ready.

For many of the reasons listed above, self-storage becomes a necessity for many homes. You avoid making tough decisions on whether to throw items away, while allowing your home to become clutter free. A win-win situation.

Avoid putting off decluttering your home and get in touch today.

 

Many people use storage units as a place to store items they don’t use very often or don’t have space or a use for in their own home. However after a few years the unit may become disorganised or cluttered.

Here are some tips on how to organise a storage unit and make the most of the space available.

  • Firstly, start with a good search through all the boxes and stuff you have and decide if there are things you no longer want to keep. This will take time but be determined to have a proper clear out. Remove the unwanted items from the unit and take to the skip or charity shop straight away. If there are items you now want to sell get them on to eBay sooner rather than later to free up space in the unit.
  • Now all the surplus items are removed you can organise your storage unit correctly to protect your possessions from damage, and maximise space.
  • Protect large items from dirt and damage with a plastic sheet, leaving a small gap in-between items to allow air to circulate
  • Store smaller items in boxes. Use plastic boxes that are the same size so you can stack the boxes safely, and save space .Wrap fragile items up in bubble-wrap and seal boxes with tape. Avoid using sealed plastic bags as they produce humidity which can cause a build-up of mould inside the bag.
  • Label your boxes stating specifically what is in them and number them. This will make it easier to find things when you want them. To stack the boxes safely, place the heaviest and tallest boxes at the bottom and work your way up to the lightest and smallest.
  • Make an inventory of all the items in your unit and how much it is worth, this will make it easier to assess your insurance requirements.
  • Organising the layout of the unit is important. Always leave a walkway so you can access boxes. The best place for storing valuables is hidden at the back of your unit, and items that you are most likely to use keep at the front. If possible make a plan of where your numbered boxes are within the unit so it is easier to find things.

Having reorganised your storage unit you may find you have more space than you thought!

Working from home has increasingly become much more common. However it can be difficult to stay focused on your work and not become distracted by friends dropping in for a coffee or household chores, like popping the washing on. So to help ensure you are as productive as possible we have put together a few tips to create the perfect work environment within your own home.

Location

Not matter whether you are working in an office or at home your work area should be comfortable, quiet and have lots of natural light. It is important to be away from distractions so you can get on with work but try to pick a room or area in the house where you can ‘shut work away’ at the end of the day. It should also be spacious enough to accommodate all your work requirements.

Organisation

Keep all your documents and stationery in drawers or cupboards and have an ‘in tray’ on your desk to store documents you are currently working on. A clutter free space will help you keep calm and concentrate on the task at hand; essential for when you’re on a deadline for work.

Get creative

Make your work space somewhere that will stimulate and inspire you to be more productive. Personalize the area with posters, pictures or plants to make your home office a space you want to spend time in.

As your business grows and develops you may require extra space for storing products or documents, but it may not be practical to allocate more space in your home. A self-storage unit could be the perfect solution. At Spaces and Places, we offer affordable, flexible and practical solutions for any business; – choosing and using a self-storage facility with us couldn’t be easier.

So, if you work from home and are looking for extra space, get in touch with Spaces and Places.

This time of year is very popular for moving house, but why do people want to move when it such a costly and stressful experience?

Here are the top ten reasons why people chose to go through all the upheaval that moving house involves:

  • 1. Relocation with work or a new job: if the travelling time to get to work is too long or difficult then moving home is the best option.
  • 2. Require more space: the house bought by first time buyers is great for a couple, but once they start a family they need more space.
  • 3. Downsize: once the family have all grown up and left home the family house can be too big or too costly to run and a move to a smaller property is desirable.
  • 4. Upgrade: wanting a bigger and better house.
  • 5. Change in relationship circumstances: either 2 people moving in together or a couple breaking up can result in a person moving house.
  • 6. To be closer to family: grandparents wanting to live nearer to their children and grandchildren is often a key reason for moving.
  • 7. School catchment area: if parents are keen for their children to attend a particular school they will consider moving into the catchment area to secure a place at that school.
  • 8. Running costs of property: if the running costs of the home are too costly because of a change to income or the need to save money moving house can be the best option.
  • 9. Change in lifestyle: the bright lights of the city can be very attractive to the young but over time many choose to move to more suburban or rural areas.
  • 10. Change in surroundings: if the area where you currently live changes or deteriorates for economic, social or physical reasons then it may be time to move to somewhere where you feel more comfortable.

However challenging and stressful moving can be, if in the long run it is beneficial to you and your family it is worth going through the process.

So whatever reason you may have for moving, putting your items into storage makes moving house much more organised and less stressful.

Storage with Spaces and Places is affordable and flexible ensuring a quick and easy move.

Get in touch with one of our teams today.

Call: 0800 124 4363 or  Email: hello@spaces-and-places.co.uk

There are many misconceptions about self-storage being out dated, expensive, insecure and limited in their use – in general not a good option, but the reality is very different, there are many businesses and private individuals who find self-storage very useful. We feel it is time to put some of these myths to rest and look at the benefits of self-storage

  • Myth 1 – It’s of limited value.

Many businesses rely on self-storage units for holding stock, equipment and documents. Also individuals use storage units to keep furniture, and valuables that they cannot store at home, or when temporarily living abroad or moving home.

  • Myth 2 – It’s expensive to store belongings.

Storage units come in different sizes and costs are tailored accordingly. However it is worth remembering that the cost of storing valuable antiques, documents and items of sentimental value may be money well spent.

At Spaces and Places we will discuss with you your requirements and provide a storage unit to suit your personal needs.

  • Myth 3 – It’s not safe

People frequently worry that their belongings could go missing or be damaged

At Spaces and Places we take security very seriously. We know our customers want to be assured that their prized possessions are stored securely.

We provide you with the best German and Italian manufactured locks. All of our storage locations have additional security features including secure fencing, security lighting, Cor-Ten steel units, Smart Water and CCTV.

  • Myth 4 – Contracts are either too short or too long

At Spaces and Places we are very flexible to make sure using our self-storage units are as easy and cost effective as possible.We simply take a month’s rental in advance, and any days that are unused are refunded to you, after the unit is vacated, clean and clear. To cancel using the unit you simply give us a call.

  • Myth 5 -It’s difficult to access belongings

At Spaces and Places access to your self-storage unit can be gained 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

  • Myth 6 – It’s stressful to organise

It may seem difficult to use self-storage; how do you get your belongings to the site? How do you sort all your belongings? What will it cost monthly?

Since 1998, Spaces and Places have provided excellent customer service. If you are unclear about any aspect of self-storage, just give us a call.

At Spaces and Places our aim is to make self-storage easy to choose and easy to use.

Get in touch for further information about Spaces and Places self-storage units. Call 0800 124 4363 or email hello@spaces-and-places.co.uk