Self Storage Blog » Big Yellow Self Storage

Preparing for Winter!

Big Yellow Blogger — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:13:37 +0000

It’s approaching that time of year again when the woolly hats and scarves come out, the central heating comes on and the beach gear goes to the very back of the wardrobe to become a mere distant memory. But apart from clothes, what else should we be putting on the back burner? We at Big Yellow have put together a list of the things to do to get ready for the next few months of icy weather.

Unless you’re hoping to open a small ice skating rink in your back garden, the time has come for you to wave goodbye to the paddling pool as it goes to its home in storage or the garage to spend a long lonely winter. It brought hours of enjoyment in the summer time but now with winter approaching its far more enjoyable for us to be inside with the central heating on.

Gone are the days when you can enjoy a nice cool glass of wine or an ice cold beer while putting some meat on the barbeque and cooking up a feast for your friends and family alike. It’s time to dust off your barbeque covers or open up your garages to put your hard working barbeque away for many months of rest. So, of course, you’ll just have to cook up a feast in the confines of your kitchen instead…beans on toast anyone?

With an upcoming winter predicted to be colder and snowier than previous winters there probably won’t be much call for the use of garden and patio furniture. And so due to their summery nature it too will need to be packed away or covered along with the rest of the items reserved for those summer days.

It may have been a long time since the items in the attic saw the light of day but now is the time for their comeback so head on up there to find all last winter’s bits and bobs. That means bringing down your electric heaters, electric blankets and basically anything to help keep you warm and snug.

Want somewhere to store your summer gear instead of it clogging up your cupboards and attics? Then visit us at www.bigyellow.co.uk to find out more about our storage services.

Antiques of tomorrow: old computers and phones

Big Yellow Blogger — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:40:16 +0000

So you’ve discovered your old coat from many, many winters ago in the back of the cupboard. You try it on, just to see if it still fits; you put your hand in the pocket and pull out a large, brick shaped object. On closer inspection, you discover it is your old mobile phone, the one from long before the days of touch screen and cameras. Well did you know that you could potentially get a rather large amount of money for that old ‘brick’?

When we think of antiques, we usually think of precious pieces of china or family heirlooms passed down from generations. We don’t often associate the word with phones and computers. However, an expert at the BBC show ‘The Antiques Roadshow’ believes that future generations will be bringing their old mobiles on to the show, particularly those that have models such as the first version of the flip screen phone.

Did you know that the very first Apple Macintosh computer was sold in 2008 for a rather comfortable $8,260? Who’d have thought the phones and computers that we now laugh at will one day soon be able to make us a small fortune?

The Motorola DynaTAC 8000X was the world’s first mobile phone and went on sale in 1983, so anyone with one of those knocking around would be wise to hold onto it. Even though it may just be in the home gathering dust, it will also be gathering a small fortune.

The companies that produce these products are innovating at an alarming rate to keep on top of the game; remember the days when phones didn’t have colour screens? Or before computers could enable you to talk to other people…face to face? Is innovation the reason these products are fast becoming the antiques of the future?

We know these objects aren’t small (that’s part of their charm) so you may need somewhere to store your future antique? Why not leave it with us at Big Yellow Storage where it can spend its days getting more and more valuable.

What other modern day products do you think will become antiques of the future? Why not head over to our Big Yellow page on Facebook and tell us your ideas.

http://facebook.com/bigyellow

Image courtesy of Laura Blankenship

Big Yellow Fellows get their legs waxed for charity!

Big Yellow Blogger — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:51:53 +0000

Having cycled more than 191 miles around London over two days to raise money for charity, the four man team made up of Big Yellow staff, decided to get their legs waxed one by one in celebration at raising so much money for the Get Kids Going! charity.

The team, made up of leader, Mike FitzGerald, store manager at Big Yellow Romford, Luke McLaughlin from Birmingham Big Yellow, Richard Shubrook and Paul Holmes from Big Yellow Head office, decided that if the team raised over £1,500 Luke and Mike would get their legs waxed, at £2,000 Richard is up with Paul following behind at £3,000.

Team leader Mike told us “We were so amazed at how much everyone got behind us and supported the challenge. As the money grew higher and higher, we started talking about what else we could do to raise more. After one too many drinks, we decided that getting our legs waxed was a good idea if we reached £1,500. Within two weeks of the cycle, we surpassed it which was great…although nerve racking at the same time.”

The money raised will provide much needed funding for national charity, Get Kids Going! which helps buy disabled children and young people specially built sporting equipment so they can take part in next year’s Paralympics’.

The money raised so far will go towards buying much needed equipment and sports grants that will, hopefully, secure GB some medals at the 2012 Paralympics.

On having his legs waxed Mike said “It’s one of the most painful things I have ever had done. I was first up thankfully, as I am not sure I would have gone through with it having watched someone else go through the agony. If it was a choice between cycling 200 miles or having my legs waxed again, cycling wins every time!”

Yellow Fellows we salute you!

To donate money, please visit: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/bigyellowfellows

A smooth finish!

ouch!

Big Yellow Self Storage Bike Challenge

Big Yellow Blogger — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:01:06 +0000

On the 19th of August at 7am four of our staff members will be taking on an amazing feat for charity. The Big Yellow Fellows (Mike FitzGerald (the team leader), Richard Shubrook, Paul Holmes and Luke McLaughlin) will, along with badminton coach Stephanie Cartwright, be riding 191 miles visting 34 Big Yellow Self Storage stores within the M25. All this is in aid of national charity Get The Kids Going!

Get Kids Going! works to enable disabled young people to get involved in all kinds of sports, anything from powerlifting to tennis. They’re currently preparing for the London paralympic games in 2012.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Jane Emmerson, loves the idea. “It’s absolutely fantastic to see what the Big Yellow Fellow boys are doing – they are certainly putting themselves to the test! We receive no funding from the Government or the Lottery and rely solely on donations from public so the money that Mike and the team raise will directly boost GB medal hopes at next year’s Paralympics helping to buy much needed equipment and sports grants.”

The Big Yellow Fellows endurance cycle is one of six Olympic events they’ll be recreating this year. This is all part of the Gold Challenge. This initiative challenges the public to take part in Olympic and Paralympic events to raise money for sports charities and promote sports among young people.

Good luck to everyone on the Big Yellow Fellows team!

If you’d like to get involved in the cause then you can visit their donation page. All contributions, no matter how small, will be greatly appreciated. (If they reach £1000 then Mike will be having a leg wax. Just a little extra incentive for you there).

Did You Know that keeping a clean house can reduce your allergy symptoms?

Big Yellow Blogger — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:43:49 +0000

Did you know that you can control and even reduce your allergy symptoms just by having a clean house? There are an estimated 5.1 million people in the UK that suffer from asthma which is most commonly triggered by an allergy to the house dust mite which reside in the buildup of dust in your home.

In order to illuminate these, use allergy proof covers on cushions and bed linen or replace all carpets and rugs with wooden floorings. A simple and less expensive solution is to clean using a damp or static-charge cloth so that dust is not just stirred but removed completely-doing this regularly will minimise the opportunity for dust to gather in your home. Do away with large unwanted furniture and air rooms when cleaning to reduce the humidity of the room preventing damp and mold growth by decreasing the number of pollutants in the air.

Visit www.bigyellow.co.uk to find out more about how self storage can help reduce your allergy symptoms.

Stay Motivated While De-Cluttering

Big Yellow Blogger — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:39:55 +0000

Just like cleaning the bathroom – isn’t there always something else that’s more important to do rather than de-cluttering? As you squeeze another t-shirt into your already stuffed drawers, why not take the plunge and seriously deal with your personal storage?

Keep yourself entertained – Turn on your favourite tracks, switch on the radio and get busy with clearing up. Tackle the floor and surfaces first, then open up some cupboards and do a proper review. Starting with clothes in the bedroom should be easy… Just remember the six-month rule! You can keep special items with real, sentimental value in self storage units, see www.bigyellow.co.uk/personal.

Grab a regular cuppa – After the initial blitz, make yourself a cup of tea. Looking around with fresh eyes can often make all the difference. Personal storage at Big Yellow is ideal for all those things that you simply can’t bring yourself to throw away. Like your Mum’s old china? If you’re not using it for tea and cake, donate it to Charity or put it in storage for your own children.

Get your friends involved – to help and to donate to. Everyone knows that ‘Many hands make light work’. You’ll find that the things stored and cluttering up your rooms may be real treasures to someone else, and you can have a good catch up at the same time.

Change rooms regularly – by switching from room to room you can keep busy and cover the whole house. The home office can be the most difficult job. Visit www.bigyellow.co.uk as we can help with personal and business storage needs.

De-cluttering isn’t easy, but if you can keep your precious items safe in Big Yellow storage, there is real satisfaction and positivity created in having clean lines and empty surfaces in the home.

Image via shino 誌野 on Flickr

Tips and Tricks: Keeping Your Garage Clear of Clutter

Big Yellow Blogger — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:34:39 +0000

The garage is the go-to place for clutter in the average modern household. So much so that many people can hardly squeeze out of their cars due to the mountains of unwanted garden furniture and outgrown toys rest in the garage safe from the cold.

The garage can be a great place to store items but it has become a regular dumping ground to the average household and it is essential that space is made to enable vehicles to be stored in their rightful spaces instead.

With the help of Big Yellow Self Storage, you can sort through items in your garage and keep those that may not be needed at present, but will be used at some point, away from a space you are likely to access on a daily basis. Once you have cleared your garage of those items that are no longer needed, you can begin to arrange and organise the space so that you and your motor can fit in as well!

Use plastic crates and bins for large items which should be grouped according to type. This kind of storage is ideal for sports equipment as it provides protection as well as giving you easy access to what is inside.

If you don’t already have some, install shelving units in your garage. Either purpose build or DIY shelving works if you consider the following things: the size and the weight of what it is you’re storing. Remember smaller items can be placed within baskets and then onto shelves to reduce the space they take up. Also consider the amount of floor space you will need to access the car once it is in place.

Install cabinets and peg boards to house dangerous objects securely or use ceiling storage (pre-made or large S hooks) to keep heavy items out of the way. Again, carefully consider the weight of what you’re storing to ensure that it is safe, secure and unlikely to fall onto the vehicle you’re planning to protect in your garage.

Please keep checking this blog for more facts, tips and tricks on storage, and the website at http://www.bigyellow.co.uk/personal to get a free, personalised quote.

Tips and Tricks : Storing Sports Equipment

Big Yellow Blogger — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:27:06 +0000

Sports equipment is traditionally one of the most difficult things to store, as it tends to be rigid, and usually takes up a lot of space. For those with smaller sports equipment, just dumping balls, rackets, or a boxing kit into a bin or bucket is unsightly and not good for the equipment either.

In order to make full use of the space and equipment you have available to you, create an area in your garage or basement that can be used as a sports centre. You may even think about investing in a well-built storage system which you can use to store your sports equipment, as well as other clutter.

If you do not wish to splash out on a full storage system, there are alternative ways of storing different types of sports equipment. For example, ball claws are a clever, modern invention that you can attach to your walls, to hold onto footballs and basketballs, or for cricket bats, you could use a bat storage systems that usually rest over fence tops, making use of handy areas you would not usually consider for storage.

The list is endless including racket racks, and weight, rope and matt storage extensions or cages. Using these can help de-clutter your home or garage space as well as protect your expensive sports equipment from unnecessary damage in the long term.

If you need to store large sporting items such as children’s bicycles they have grown out of, goal posts, or even tennis nets you could benefit from investing in a Big Yellow Self Storage room of your own. Other cumbersome equipment such as skis, snowboards, surfboards and even yachting equipment could also benefit from a dedicated storage space.

We offer special deals at the moment for new customers of 50% off the first eight weeks. Do not let sporting clutter take over your life; please visit our website at www.bigyellow.co.uk/personal for further details.

All hands on deck: cleaning with kids

Big Yellow Blogger — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:03:20 +0000

Every parent has the same problem with young children getting sick of their toys, or simply growing out of them. The problem is that the house ends covered in toys rendered useless, and simply gathering dust. If this sounds familiar, and you cannot bear to just throw these expensive toys away then Big Yellow Self Storage are here to help.

We offer units in a range of sizes, starting from just ten square foot, so if you plan to have more children you can store these toys for them, instead of shelling out more money in the future. As well as saving you money, this can also help to reduce dust which clutter, such as toys, tends to gather.

Cleaning your home can become quite a chore when you have to do it on your own. Working with other people to clean and organise your home makes the bain of your life suddenly become a more manageable task, and with a few minutes of planning also a great family activity.

While children are on holiday for the summer, getting them to help with fun cleaning games, such as using sock puppets to make dusting fun. You could also incorporate cleaning into play by allocating time to create the sock puppets before the cleaning begins.

Racing is another engaging way to get family members on board. For this you will need to plan and prepare- set a task, establish your expectations and introduce any rewards and forfeits before the game begins so that everyone involved knows the rules and plays by them. A great example of this is to set the task of collecting 5 items from one room each and racing to be the first to put them back in their rightful place. Within 10 minutes the whole room will be clean. You could also incorporate relay style races and team races to vary the games week by week.

Musical cleaning is an excellent way to make chores entertaining and enjoyable. Create a circuit or running order of chores and establish individual starting points for each participant. Begin the music and explain that when the track changes you move on to the next chore.

A combined effort not only allows cleaning to be completed more quickly but it also means that you have combined two of what should be daily tasks into one. Keep checking back to our Big Yellow Blog for more tips and tricks on cleaning and de cluttering during the summer months. For self storage solutions that match all your needs, check out http://www.bigyellow.co.uk/personal.

Sock puppet via Pinprick on flickr

Did you know – Garden Furniture Storage

Big Yellow Blogger — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:25:37 +0000

We are already half way through summer, and the party season is in full swing, with garden furniture coming out at every opportunity. However, what with the disappointing weather it’s nearly that time again for the age old question of where to store the garden furniture.

The problem with the traditional methods of storage such as the garden shed, or just left covered in the corner of the garden is that when you come back to it next summer, it is likely that you will find it covered in rust or mould, and that it has to be thrown out.
Big Yellow Self Storage could prove to be an economical way to store your garden furniture, rather than replacing it each year. Our Self Storage units will guarantee prevention of rust or mould developing as each room is dry, clean and safe from undesirable weather conditions.

If you are worried about the costs of the length of storage for a year, just check our website for the latest deals as you can get discounts for renting the unit in certain blocks of time, and there is no maximum time limit either.

If it is just your garden furniture you want to store we can accommodate for this as our rooms come in a range of sizes starting from 10 sq foot going all the way up to 500 sq foot. You also have the option to increase the unit space if you find you have more items to add in the future.

Please visit www.bigyellow.co.uk/quote-and-reserve/ to get a free and quick online quote, and let us help you save your garden furniture, and some pennies!