Declutter Your Home in 3 Simple Steps

Over the years it becomes easy to accumulate more than you need. Garages and basements soon become home to all kinds of unused items. Closets get overfilled and guest bedrooms become improvised storage areas. Clutter can be frustrating and can make tasks like moving, cleaning, and having company over into difficult situations. Luckily there's a very simple way to free up space. In order to reduce clutter, simply spend an afternoon sorting your possessions into three categories: items you can give away, items you can sell, and items that you can store.

Give away
Anything that you don't use and that has little value should be sorted into the “give away” group. Old clothes, books, toys, furniture, and gadgets can all be eliminated. Check with local charities and see if you can donate any of your old goods to them. Other items can be advertised for free on Craigslist. Giving away items is both beneficial to others and can save money by eliminating the need for special garbage pickups. If you do find yourself having to throw out items make sure that all of them are safe to be discarded. Certain products, like television sets and batteries, need to be taken to special recycling facilities.

Sell
If you have any unnecessary items that might be worth money you can sell them. Depending on what you have, it's possible to make quite a bit of money by doing this. There are numerous ways to sell off unwanted possessions. Traditional avenues like garage sales are great for people who like face-to-face interactions. While online marketplaces like eBay, Craigslist, and Amazon can all reach wider audiences. Whether you're selling at a garage sale or online, make sure to do a little research into how much each item is worth. A quick Google search can keep you from selling something valuable for very little.

Store
Items that are necessary but get used infrequently should be grouped together and placed in storage. Seasonal items like barbeque grills, skis, surf boards, camping equipment, and winter jackets should all be boxed up and placed someplace safe. There are plenty of cheap storage facilities that offer all kinds of amenities. Many offer storage services such as climate control, high end security, and various sized units to fit any need. In addition, most facilities offer both long and short term storage. This allows customers to pay low rates even if they are only storing items for a few months.
 
While excessive clutter is frustrating, it can be dealt with easily. By sorting through items a homeowner can reduce unnecessary possessions and create more free space. Eliminating low value and unneeded goods is an easy way to reduce clutter. Selling off more valuable items not only frees up space but can also be quite profitable. While needless goods are easy to get rid of there are certain things which are only used seasonally. These items are great for placing in storage, where they will remain out of the way until you wish to use them again.

Tidying Up Your New Home After Moving in

When you first move into your new home, you want to take the opportunity to set the stage for how tidy and organised it will be in the future. Being organized means you can be a lot more productive in life and have more time for doing the things that you enjoy.

Before you move make sure to purchase some storage boxes, ideally with separate compartments, to put all of your electronics and loose odds and ends in. Plastic storage boxes are stackable and inexpensive, so you can always buy more as you need them, and they come in all shapes and sizes and can be used to store all kinds of things. The best way to organize efficiently is to have a place for everything, this way you never have a growing pile of items that you will ‘sort out later’ but never do.

Keep instruction manuals and warranties stored away with your other paperwork, in a filing cabinet or even in a magazine box. The kitchen is always a good place to keep guarantees, etc. as many of them will be for the electrical appliances you use here, so keep them together in a particular drawer or box on a high shelf where they can easily be found when need be.

Ensure kitchen and laundry storage solutions are functional and easily accessible. Get someone in to fix shelving on the walls and hang hooks under them or on the backs of the doors so things can be hung up and stored out of the way but are still in your vision.

Hooks are great little inventions as they can be placed anywhere and everywhere, including the pantry. Organise the pantry according to different types of foods and keep unused cutlery, plates and other dishware stored away from your everyday use items.

Once you’ve moved in, regular spring cleans can help to avoid the inevitable build up of clutter and ensure your self storage solutions continue to fit your changing lifestyle needs. Make yourself a promise to spring clean every 3 months or so and stick to it.

One common time-waster is looking for the household or car keys, ‘Now, where did I put them?’ This is easily solved by having some hooks right next to the front door or a small basket in the hallway where they are always placed when not in use.

Consider the function each item has, if it is pens and pencils then why would you keep them in the hallway? The best place is the home office so make a place for them there. Get the whole family involved when organizing as otherwise you will be wasting your time trying to do it all yourself. Once they get the idea and know the places of things your home should be well-organised and run more efficiently as well as look nice and tidy!

Security Features in Self Storage Units

One of the key benefits of having your belongings stored in a managed or self storage service is the added security it offers. While you may think your garden shed or garage is secure enough it will be limited in space and will never be as secure as a managed facility with 24 hour surveillance. 

Security is one of the top priorities for a storage company as their clients are putting their trust in them to take good care of their personal, valuable and private possessions. These could be family heirlooms, client’s records, personal letters, or childhood memories.

Any modern storage facility near Brookvale business should use sophisticated surveillance equipment as well as security guards at vulnerable times, this includes throughout the night when break-ins are more likely to happen and there is not so many people around. They offer a level of security that is difficult to match if you store your goods elsewhere. Most storage units are located in either fenced-off premises with CCTV cameras positioned around the perimeter and then also in alarmed buildings.

For a thief to gain access to your belongings they would have to first gain access to the facility, then to the building, and eventually into your actual unit which is fitted with a strong padlock. Storage facilities are designed with this in mind and deterrents such as lighting, visible security patrols and staff presence are often used to deter intruders.

Some facilities offer alarms within the building and even individual door alarms for each unit, these are the kinds of things you can ask about before deciding where to store your possessions. Electronic pass-code gates are also becoming more common as a security measure and clients are asked for ID either at the entrance barrier or they are given a special card that allows them access to the premises.

You can also further protect yourself by organizing insurance cover for stored items, ask the storage provider if they offer their own insurance protection and if so what it covers. If you feel this isn’t sufficient for what you are storing then organize a further plan.

You should be able to buy your own strong lock and lock up the unit yourself, most facilities will also have a supply that are guaranteed to be extra strong and will be available at discounted prices.

Don’t be afraid to ask the self storage facility manager questions about their level of security, after all this is your lifetime items you are intending to leave in their care, and that is his job. Some things you might want to know are if they have CCTV, how many do they have, and if they have it who monitors it and at what times, and if the alarm is triggered who is alerted?

Security Checks for a New Neighbourhood

Places you have lived in for some time can feel secure to you because you are familiar with the area and know the faces that live in your vicinity. However, when searching for a new house to buy make sure you perform a security check of both the property and the neighbourhood before investing, as a safe environment is one of the most important elements for a new home.

In every city and town, there are particular areas where burglary and theft is more common. It’s worth checking out the statistics for crimes, as this will also affect your insurance premium, which could be high if the area is a high risk.

Before you make the major decision to buy a new home, make sure you take a good look at the local neighbourhood. Go for a drive or take a walk around the area after you have inspected the property and see if you have a good feeling about the place. It is a good idea to visit the area at different times of the week; the atmosphere will be very different on a Monday morning than a Saturday night for example, and go at night times too.

If you don't feel comfortable or safe then avoid it, even if it is relatively safe. You don’t want to live in a place that makes you feel nervous or edgy as moving house is a stressful enough, and expensive, venture and you don’t want to have to move again in the near future if you aren’t happy there.

Looking at your potential neighbours’ homes and yards will give you a good indication of what the people in the area are like. Avoid poorly maintained areas or places where there may be many graffiti and vandalism as this demonstrates that the community isn’t concerned with taking care of their surroundings or homes and this will affect the value of property in the area.

Check the property for good security features such as fences, spotlights and even alarm systems. 

Don’t let this deter you too much; however as extra security can always be added once the purchase has gone through.

Also check the local facilities and amenities to get a sense of community. A community should have a local shopping parade with convenience shops, grocers and bakers, a pub, and a post office for example. These are the kinds of places where the locals can meet and get to know who their neighbours are, and then they’re more likely to look out for one another and be friendly to the familiar faces they see around.

Change the locks, as you will never know for sure who might still have copies of the house keys. Arrange for a Master Locksmith to come and fit new locks to all the exterior doors just to be on the safe side.

You should take your time when considering a new area to move into, if you have to be out of the old premises before you are ready then put your belongings into a self storagefacility and stay somewhere temporary whilst you look around.