Recently our Big Yellow Self Storage Finchley North store made a special donation to the nearby Tetherdown School for their summer fete. We were able to donate 120 extra large boxes so that they could construct an assault course in the school, affectionately called the ‘Big Yella Maze’.
Proving popular with parents, teachers and especially the children £1 was all you need to traverse the maze which raised a magnificent £450 for the school!
A brilliant stop motion video showing the constructing of the maze and those trying to make their way through was lovingly out together to share with you. Let us know what you think in the comments section.
Deciding how to store items in your home is a very important part of de-cluttering and getting organised. The following tips will help you make quick and valuable decisions which will help you organise all areas of your home.
Hallway – Sort through your collection of scarves, hats, coats and other items of clothing that take up space. You can keep the items that are used daily or weekly as any of the excess items can be moved into a nearby cupboard, donated to charity or put in a self storage room.
Living Room – Old books, DVDs and CDs are the usual culprits so lose the bits and pieces and only display your most prized possessions.
Kitchen – The main source of frustration in a kitchen is overstuffed cabinets and drawers filled with duplicate kitchenware, dishes that are used only on special occasions, mismatched containers and appliances that you no longer use. If you can’t bear to part with an item consider relocating it or putting the items in storage.
Closets – It’s time to be strong and clear out those items that haven’t been worn in the last year, no longer fit or are out of style.
Bathrooms – Throw away any items that have expired or those that are no longer in use. Items such as toothbrushes can be kept in holders to save space and keep them clean.
Office – Any paperwork that can be found on a website or email should be recycled. Filing systems can help you minimise the inflow of paperwork and help reduce your existing paperwork piles.
Kids Room – Teaching children the concept of ‘one in, one out’ can stop toys from becoming jumbled and cluttered on the floor.
Garage –When you clear space in your house, boxes of old clothing, sports equipment and extra furnishings usually end up in the garage and will never return inside your home. To create a vast amount of free space you can donate the items or keep them in self storage.
Our Reading store has come to the aid of the Pottinger family after they were left devastated when a runaway lorry crashed into their house. The chaos started when a lorry rolled down the road hitting a lamp post and a car along the way before crashing into their home leaving a trail of destruction.
The damage to the house has meant the family will have to move out for up to 3 months into temporary accommodation. To help move the family’s belongings, our staff have been to see the family to donate boxes and help them pack up their items. Daniel Robinson from our Reading branch was quoted in the local newspaper, “We are a local business and are always looking for ways to help our community.
“After having read the article [in the Reading Post newspaper] we really felt for this family and wanted to be of assistance, so provided them with a supply of free boxes to help get them sorted.”
The Pottinger family home has been severely damaged as it was shunted backwards with the kitchen partly moved through the wall into the living room, the downstairs toilet has been crushed and the flooring at the back of the living room has come away from the wall.
It is thought the driver of the 18-tonne lorry left the handbrake off or knocked it as he got out of the vehicle to visit nearby offices. Luckily no-one was in the house at the time as the only person inside had left minutes before truck hit.
Sarah Bishton, spokeswoman for Reading Borough Council, said: “We are putting the family in alternative, suitable accommodation while the necessary work takes place to make the property safe and secure.”
We’re happy to announce that we have opened our new High Wycombe branch. The new store boasts some innovative eco conscious features to protect and enhance the local environment while providing great self storage facilities for our customers.
We’ve installed a Green roof and timber cladding on the outside of the building that backs onto the River Wye. Already, Mallard ducks have decided to make a home in our new back garden ecosystem.
The Green roof adds extra insulation to the top floor storage area and acts as protection from seasonal fluctuations in temperature and reduces heat reflection back into the atmosphere, which would have been reflected by 100% if it were metal. These contributions of green space ‘help reduce the urban heat island effect’ where some large urban areas may have average temperatures 1 degree centigrade above the surrounding countryside.
By retaining rainfall through the Green roof we can slow down the accumulation of water at ground level, further contributing to the cooling effects from evaporation and vastly reduce the risk of local flooding.
The river bank area around the store has been selectively cleared to give a variety of other plant species an opportunity to thrive and enhance bio-diversity in wildlife and habitat. Nesting boxes have been added to some mature trees and wood piles have been prepared to aid wildlife find habitat in the future.
We’ve also created a front façade to our store with a landscaped area featuring a row of Silver Birch saplings, a variety of shrubs and extensive lawn providing a natural buffer between the busy road an our reception parking area.
Now you have seen the Best Online Resources and Added Inspiration when it comes to redecorating your home, we thought we would let you know the key steps for actually doing it!
Redecorating your home, or even just one room, is exciting. If you’ve just moved, you’ve got a totally blank canvas to build your dream décor, and if you’re giving a long-term home a lick of paint, it’s just as much as a fresh start.
There is a tendency to get slightly overwhelmed by the task at hand, but there are a few key steps you can take during the preparation stage to prevent this from happening.
First, plan, plan and plan some more. It sounds dull, but it will truly save time and money in the long run. This also helps you to think about what you really want to do, make the decisions about colour and style – then ensure that you buy all of the materials you’ll need throughout the project.
As part of this stage, work out your budget. Are you just going to paint walls or the ceiling and skirting boards as well? Do you need to make any structural changes? Do you need to hire in help – or are you just going to change the carpet? You’ll only be able to work these things out if you know your budget from the start. Be realistic, as planning a dream bedroom you can’t afford to buy will only become a stressful weight on your shoulders.
Create a folder or box to keep all of your paint pots and wallpaper samples, interior magazine pages and plans in – this will help you to keep everything organised and easy to find when you come to put everything into action.
Finally, plan your time and most importantly – don’t under estimate how long each task can take. Remember that clearing a room, packing it up and storing it away can take a day at least. Put specific times in your diary to work on the project, and allow yourself a break. All work and no play makes for a very stressful environment, when redecorating should be a fun thing to do.
While redecorating your home, extra storage space can be invaluable whether you require a small closet or you need to find enough space to fill the entire contents of a room. We offer self storage while you’re redecorating for as little as a week, month, year or as long as you like. We only ask for seven days notice when you want to leave.
To find out how you can benefit from self storage, visit our Quote and reserve online page to get started.
Ask those about to move house what they are most apprehensive about and you can bet their answers are going to be the same: removals day! Removals day can be one of the most stressful aspects of the moving process if you’re under-prepared. The combination of packing the car, talking to your removals men, handling the kids and getting some sort of order going once you’ve arrived at your new house can all get way too much!
However, with proper preparation removals day doesn’t have to be a struggle. In fact, it can be quite pleasurable when everything’s prepared in advance, and you enjoy the excitement of knowing you’ll soon be starting a brand new life with your family.
Why not follow these handy tips for a stress-free moving day that’ll get you on the road to your new house quietly and efficiently?
Many hands make light work: There are so many tasks to do on removals day that you can’t possibly do them all yourself. Invite friends and family round (bribe them with snacks if necessary!) and ask them to chip in – not only will you feel supported and not alone but you’ll also have the added benefit of extra help should anything go wrong. Handymen are very helpful, as there are invariably a range of fiddly jobs that need doing on removals day.
Pack in advance: You really don’t want to be packing on removals day, except any last minute items that you simply need to throw into a bag, such as toiletries. If you continue packing on the last day you’ll confuse yourself as to what you’ve packed, what you haven’t packed, and what you may have accidentally left behind. Pack in advance and colour code the boxes, so your removals men can simply walk in and carry out everything, knowing precisely what needs to go where when you arrive at the new property.
Pack a survival kit: Once you get to your new house you’re likely to be exhausted. You’ll most likely want a brew, a snack and a place to sleep for the night. That’s why it’s important to pack a survival kit which contains everything you need for the first few days in your new house. This should include a kettle, cups, snacks, takeaway menus, alarm clocks, bedding, toiletries, cutlery and everything that’ll make your life that little bit easier. Maybe some champagne to celebrate too!
Arrange for pets to stay with relatives: Most pets cope very poorly with change, particularly cats, and can get very stressed out with the hustle and bustle of moving day. Although you can incorporate them into the day’s events – by locking them in an empty room with plenty of fresh water and food and putting them in the car last – it can be easier to leave them to relax at a friend or relatives for the day. That way you know they’re safe, and don’t have to worry about them escaping through an open door.
reallymoving.com offers free quotes for a range of moving related services such as removals, conveyancing and energy performance certificates, along with detailed advice and information to help your entire house move go as smoothly as possible.
Did you know that there are many more creative ways to store your books, other than on a standard shelving system? If you tend to stack them, you lose floor space to the growing number of books in the lounge or office. And nine times out of ten, most of them haven’t even been read yet – they’re just being saved for future use.
There is brilliance in the madness of Console Book Shelves – a design concept of Stanislav Katz, which features a reclining seat within the shelves! The Salkim book hanger suspends your books in groups with metal wire to give the illusion of a lightweight mesh, with square frames hooking together to give the impression of light instead of one big block.
Using the same concept, you can buy ‘The Invisible Book Shelf’ from Amazon, made by Umbra, which turns your books into a floating piece to showcase your books with a really slick wall mount.
The ApartmentTherapy blog also features homes in which books are stored in the ceiling rafters, and even in the pull out drawers to form a staircase!
As you prepare to move house, there’s inevitably going to be a lot of clothing, possessions and gadgets that you don’t need any more. While the most important things that you can’t quite part with – or simply don’t quite need to be a part of your new home immediately – can go into self storage, the sites below will help you get rid of the things you no longer want and make some money in the process!
eBay - the original and biggest auction site, sell anything here from cars to computers on your own terms.
Gumtree – started in March 2000 as a local London classified ads and community site, it is designed to connect people who are either planning to move, or had just arrived in the city, and needed help getting started with accommodation, employment and meeting new people. Now a much more comprehensive offering, it covers 60 countries and allows you to find or advertise everything from a nanny for your kids to a bargain for the living room.
Amazon – Amazon.co.uk includes a feature in which you can enter your own goods into its seller’s marketplace. This means that you can add your books, clothes or toys to its main directory, and while buyers are scrolling through the products, they can choose your item if the price is right.
Spring is coming to an end, and summer is just around the corner. At this time of year, many people have spent weeks cleaning the house, de-cluttering, storing away stuff for safe keeping – and are feeling that air of change. If you’re planning to sell your home, the sites below will provide advice and gets things moving from your own front room.
Tepilo – Sarah Beeny’s smarter way to buy, sell or let a property. Though some people will always prefer to use an estate agent, for those that like to take control of the sale/rental of a property, this site simplifies and explains the whole process – which is often perceived as something more complicated than it really is.
Globrix - In 2008, Globrix.com launched as a joint venture with News International, the media company behind The Times, The Sun and The News of the World. Since then, Globrix.com has quickly grown to become an award winning property search engine, listing more UK properties to buy or rent than any other property site.
Rightmove – Rightmove.co.uk is the UK’s number one property website, aiming to be the place for UK home movers to find details of all properties available to buy or rent. It’s a more convenient and effective way for people to find their next home, including: up-to-date property information, available for free, accessible 24 hours a day to anyone with web access and far more complete in terms of number of properties and depth of detail.
One of the most precious of childhood toys is the stuffed animal. It holds endless memories, attends countless tea parties and accompanies many kids everywhere they go. As such, when it’s time to put them away, a lot of attention needs to be paid to getting it right – whether it’s a short term or long term option.
First up – do you want to put them on display, or away for safe keeping? If it’s the former, you can use shelves to display the toys, bearing in mind that they’ll accumulate dust – so a boxed self storage room with doors might be a good option. Or, buy an easy to open toy box, though it’s important to consider safety when selecting furniture for a child’s room. Be sure that features such as height and weight are taken into consideration. You could also use a mesh laundry bag to keep toys off of the floor, or put smaller toys into the pockets of a shoe hanger for easy and visible storage.
If they’re being stored away from sight or in a self storage room, you can put unused stuffed animals in plastic bins with secure lids for easy storage in the attic or garage. If you purchase bins of the same size and shape, multiple bins may be stacked more efficiently and take up less space. Wrap antique bears or toys in acid-free tissue paper and store them in archival or acid-free boxes when not on display. Be careful not to over-stuff the boxes as this can matt or crush the fur.
You can find all manner of packing supplies at Big Yellow Self Storage to help keep your items in top condition when storing from plastic boxes to tissue paper. Visit our Box Shop online to view the range.
Have a handy tip to ensure precious keepsakes stand the test of time? Let us know your suggestions in the comments area below.
Big Yellow Self Storage provides secure do it yourself storage rooms for domestic and business customers for as long or as short a period as required. We provide space that’s easy to arrange, secure – and affordable.
