News | Containaway

Soft toys are a space-hogging dilemma in many homes across Australia! We all know how kids protest at the thought of them being thrown out. Additionally, many of those soft toys were probably given to your kids at sentimental occasions by loved ones. This means they are also perfect candidates for self storage!

So, how do you safely keep the things that are so precious to your kids in a self storage module?

Pest Treatment

Before you pack the soft toys into anything, whether it is a vacuum-seal bag, plastic tub, or net, you’ll need to treat it for pests. If there are already creepy crawlies living in them, the undisturbed environment of a self storage module is the perfect breeding ground.

To kill any pests in the soft toys you can:

• Have them treated professionally with a pesticide similar to that used on household carpets. Contact a professional for this.
• Pack them with mothballs.
• Wash them in the hottest water you have available with a strong vinegar mix … ensuring that they won’t become disfigured or bleached by this! Dry them in a tumble dryer.
• Freeze any toys which could not be hot-washed in the freezer, then wash as usual.
• Sprinkle a product like food grade diatomaceous earth on the toys, to help dehydrate and kill any bugs hiding on them.

Vacuum Sealing

Vacuum sealing is appropriate for most soft toys. However, if your child’s toys have any parts which would be permanently disfigured by being crushed, you’ll need to find another way to store them.

Hide them away

If you are packing anything in your storage module like cupboards, chests of drawers, deep freezers or fridges, pack the soft toys inside these. They are a good choice for packing inside other items because they are light and non-fragile.

When buying a house most people come armed with a checklist of must-haves – four bedrooms, a garage, an en suite, etc but at the end of the day it’s the home they feel most comfortable in that usually gets the sale.

That’s where property styling comes in. Property styling works by improving the look of a house to help you achieve a premium sale price and sell your home quicker.
According to Amy Smith, senior property stylist, with Advantage Property Styling, the aim of property styling is to create an immediate emotional response as a buyer walks through the front door.

Gone are the days of selling a house purely on its bricks and mortar, today’s home buyers want to visualise themselves in a house, they want to buy a lifestyle.

A survey of leading LJ Hooker real estate agents, found 87 per cent believe you will earn a higher price by property styling, while almost half think you will receive more offers.

“There’s a way you live in a home and a way you style a home, it’s very different,” Amy says.

Amy says property styling is not about completely redecorating your home but being strategic and moving a few pieces around or placing them in storage during the sales campaign.

Ten seater-dining tables, while practical, can make a room look smaller and dark leather lounges can make a room seem stuffy. A few simple changes, like a smaller table, and a couple of bright cushions can make the world of difference.

Self storage is a vital component of property styling. While property stylists like Advantage can hire out furniture and accessories, you still need somewhere to put your existing furniture while your home is on the market.

Containaway makes this job easy. Our mobile self storage solution means we come direct to your home. All you need to do is pack the container and then we take it away for safe keeping until your house is sold. You can then choose to have your container returned to your current address or we can take it directly to your new property.

When it comes to self storage getting the most space for the smallest price is all in the packing.

One well-packed storage container can fit the same amount of items as two badly-packed storage containers, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars.

Think it’s impossible? Follow these tips to get the most out of your Containaway mobile self storage container.

1. Don’t store what you don’t need
It may sound obvious but it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of things you have and simply place them in your storage container because they are too hard to deal with. If you haven’t used it in the last 12 months and it won’t be used in the next 12 months, and isn’t sentimental, you should ditch it.

2. Use vacuum sealed bags
Packing your clothes, linens, pillows, and soft toys into vacuum sealed bags can save a heap of space in your storage module! Even filing and old newspapers will squish a little. The finished bags won’t stack perfectly, so pack these into container last.

3. Pack your drawers
If you have cupboards or sets of drawers in your unit, fill them with light and unbreakable items.

4. Pack your fridge and freezer
Once your fridge and freezer have been completely emptied and dried out, they also make a fabulous hideaway for light, non-fragile items.

5. Choose stackable containers or boxes
If space is at a premium, make sure the containers you are packing into are stackable. Plastic tubs are great for this purpose or Containaway can provide you with quality packing boxes that are uniform in size.

6. Reach for the sky
Always try to use the space at the top of your self storage unit. For example, a sofa stood on its end will be a more effective use of space than a sofa sitting on all four legs, with things stacked on top of it.

7. Pack in layers
Professional removalists all do it this way! Put a large item at the back of your module. Pack smaller items around it until you have made a single ‘layer’ against the back wall of your module. Repeat!

 8. Always keep your weight limit in mind!
However cleverly you pack your Containaway self storage container you must remember that it can only hold 1.5 tonne of goods safely. If your module is overweight you may have to unpack some goods – so as you’re very cleverly filling your module, don’t forget to weigh!

Baby boomers tired of maintaining large houses and lawns after the children have moved out are leading the trend in people downsizing from homes to apartments.

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting the number of people selling up their homes and buying apartments is expected to take off this year thanks to the improvement in the property market.

David Chittenden, general manager residential for Colliers International says apartment-living is now an emerging trend.

Figures for 2011, showed more than a quarter of people aged over 65 lived in an apartment, more than double the figure from 2006.

“People don’t want to do chores, with large houses and gardens to maintain; they’re looking for an easier lifestyle with more time for themselves and community around them,” Mr Chittenden said.

The rise in median house prices right across Sydney, coupled with better new apartment developments, is likely to contribute to this trend in 2013. Lured by new developments including tennis courts, swimming pools, gyms and parks, they are embracing a new life without the burden of mowing lawns. Plus with many new estates now offering two-bedroom, three-bedroom and four-bedroom apartments, they can still downsize without losing a lot of internal space.

If you’re looking around your home and wondering where it would all fit in an apartment, consider calling Containaway. We make self storage easy by bringing our mobile self storage containers to your door. This is ideal for keeping seasonal items such as Christmas trees and sporting equipment, so you don’t have to clutter your new apartment, and you can access them for free at our warehouse whenever you need.

Renovating instead of moving is all the rage according to the Bureau of Statistics.

Retail figures for the September 2012 quarter showed real spending on hardware, building and garden supplies rose 4.9 per cent.

This is the largest quarterly gain in five years and is largely thanks to popularity of television shows like The Block, whose new season kicks off tonight.

Economic downturn has also contributed with the rise in home renovations. Tough times means renovating is a cheaper and safer financial option than buying and selling.

“Hardware and garden outlets appear the big winners in the current environment,” said Commsec chief economist, Craig James in The Age newspaper.

“That certainly lines up with recent data on building approvals showing renovation approvals at record highs in terms of trend.”

If you are considering renovating or are currently renovating, why not give Containaway a call. We can provide a safe and clean container to store your belongings instead of leaving them out to get dusty and paint splattered. Plus, there’s no need to worry about time delays as Containaway offers flexible contract solutions that can work around you!

Families are spending less on childcare as a percentage of their household budget than they were almost a decade ago, according to a recent report.

The report by the Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations, found the changes to the childcare rebate from 30 per cent to 50 per cent of out-of-pocket cost and the opportunity for families to receive the rebate fortnightly or quarterly, had greatly improved many families’ disposable income.

In 2011, a two-parent family with one child in full-time childcare spent an average of 7.5 per cent of its disposable income on care costs last year, compared to 13.4 per cent in 2004.

This means that having a second, third or even fourth child may now be more of a possibility.

Instead of throwing out or giving away our cot or change table, why not let us store it for you. With just one phone call, Containaway can bring our mobile storage modules to your door. You can fill them with your baby furniture. Then we take them to one of our secure lock-up self storage facilities in case you need them at a later time.

The trend towards apartment living has seen storage spaces become the latest hot property in Sydney’s inner west.

The Daily Telegraph has revealed that more than 20-storage style properties, some as little as 5m by 6m, sold for thousands of dollars in the last year.

Belle Property Annandale agent Maria Magrin said capital growth in storage and parking spaces had been phenomenal as more families opted for high density living as a way of life.

“Families have kids in apartments now, they don’t believe in the big back yard anymore and they want the storage,” Ms Magrin is quoted as saying.

“Or it’s the typical man room. A man doesn’t have his garage or shed anymore but they need a space to put their stuff in, their motorbikes, surfboards and golf clubs.”

Thanks to Containaway, you can have your man cave without having to purchase expensive property. We can deliver our mobile storage modules to anywhere in Sydney without you having to negotiate your way through the narrow inner city suburbs in a rental truck. You simply load the module and your work is done!

So you’ve made your New Year’s resolution – to lose weight, to take up a new hobby or perhaps find some more time in your day for you.

The next step is to put your plan into action.

Containaway can help you find the space you need to achieve your goals. If your garage or spare room is cluttered with stuff you rarely use, why not place it in self storage and create a new space to turn those New Year’s resolutions into a reality.

Convert your garage into your very own home gym so you can exercise even when it’s raining outside. Make your spare room a sewing or a craft room and let your creative energies flow. Turn your garage into your very own woodwork or art studio. Create a calming meditation space, the possibilities are endless.

Containaway can deliver one of our mobile self storage modules straight to your door. You load it and our professional drivers take it and store it in our state-of-the art secure facilities until you need it again.

Don’t let your New Year’s resolution fail, make this year your year.

Picture this: you have a house full of visitors arriving on your door step in just over a week and nowhere to put them all.

Having house guests over the Christmas period can be anxiety provoking.

Instead of saying ‘no’ to your loved ones, why not consider making more room in your house.

A study or a rumpus room can make a great spare bedroom for guests, giving them some privacy and giving you a break from tripping over people in the lounge room.

Containaway can help you store unwanted furniture while your guests are in town, then all you need to do is find a mattress to throw on the floor and you have your very own guest bedroom.

With just one phone call, we bring our mobile storage modules to your door. You can fill them at your own leisure. Then we take them to our secure lock-up self storage premises until you require them again.

If you don’t have to worry about sleeping arrangements, you’ll help set the tone for a relaxed, enjoyable Christmas

Worth 1000 Words: How to Store Photography Equipment Safely in a Peakhurst Self Storage Module

http://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/3719/what-are-good-schemes-for-storing-photo-equipment-at-home

Photography would have to be one of the most acquisitive, equipment-heavy hobbies on the face of the earth. And if you don’t have time for your passion right now, you (or somebody else sharing your home) might want to reclaim some of the space that equipment takes up! A Peakhurst self storage module can be a very safe and smart place to put all your little-used photography equipment; it can also be a handy solution for moving house. Today we check out how you can best protect this delicate equipment during its time in a Peakhurst self storage pod.

In Camera Bags

Camera bags are designed to buffer some environmental humidity and shock to protect your equipment. If you won’t be keeping ANY of your photographic equipment out of the Peakhurst self storage facility, you may as well use your camera bag as a starting point for storage. However, you will probably want something more solid around that bag to protect from major knocks and bumps …

In a Breathable Box

Wood and wicker boxes are ideal for storing photographic equipment in, because they offer the greatest combination of breathability and strength. Cardboard is too flimsy to guarantee your items will stay safe, and metal boxes tend to collect condensation on the inside when the temperature changes.

With Desiccant Sachets

These are a fabulous idea for anything in your Peakhurst self storage module that could be affected by humidity, mould or fungal growth – so just about everything! Photographic equipment is no different. Because the equipment itself is not absorbent, you shouldn’t need many desiccant sachets to compete for the available moisture in the air.

Insuring Your Equipment in Peakhurst Self Storage

Insurance is a good idea for anything you put in your Peakhurst self storage pod, but for photography equipment it is essential. Insurance can be arranged through the self storage facility, or your ordinary home and contents policy may cover your equipment. Make sure that you get details of the insurance for your self-stored photography equipment in writing, as it is a non-standard situation.

A Peakhurst self storage module may be even safer than your own home for precious photography equipment – and definitely a space saver!