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In life we undergo countless planning and decision making, such as grocery shopping, what to cook for lunch and dinner, organising family holidays, where to live, and so forth. Moving to a new house/apartment is no exception. Spending time to plan ahead is critical, and it will save you plenty of time and avoid headaches later on. According to Dale Carnegie, an hour of planning can save you 10 hours of doing. With 50 years of experience in the self storage industry, we would like to share some suggestions and questions to ask yourself, to plan ahead and action according to your plan to ensure a smooth transition with your move.
 
Below are some suggestions:
● Weigh up the cost to store or buy it later.
● How long do I need for self storage?
● What essential items do I need and must store?
● Where can I buy moving boxes?
● What are my options for storage? Can I temporarily share a garage with my siblings, neighbours, and friends? Or I can donate everything and purchase it later?
● What is my budget for the move? I.e. the cost of self storage; removalist; hire of a vehicle; packing materials and temporary accommodations. Note: Self storage is an ongoing financial commitment on a monthly basis.
● Mental preparations - understand what size storage unit might suit your storage needs. I.e., a quarter size garage (4.5sqm); half garage size (9sqm) or full car garage size (18sqm) or double car garage (36sqm).
● Jot down the storage questions you have, discuss, and find out the solutions.
● Plan how to store your items securely so you can easily retrieve later.
● Consider shelving for better organisation.
● How often will I need to access the item(s) after storing? Store item(s) that you need to access regularly last for easy access.
● Is the storage unit pest controlled?
● Make a decision to donate pre-owned items to your neighbours, siblings, friends and/or charity organisations. Doing this will save you a lot of money and effort because you do not require a large storage space.
● How much are your items worth? Self storage is part of the extension of your dwelling. Appropriate insurance coverage is highly recommended, and it will give you peace of mind.
● Have you organised free pick up with your local council for unwanted items?
● What are the biggest size items you would like to store?
● Options to choose between ground floor (easy access) or lift access.
● Visit the centre and talk to the friendly team to have a good visual understanding of the size of storage, location and what features the facility are offering.
● Take the opportunity to ask questions while you are visiting the centre.
● Ask for recommended removalist contacts from the centre or other moving options from the centre.
● Can I rent and move in on the spot? All Kennards Self Storage facilities offer rent and move in to a vacant unit on the spot.
● Is 24/7 access essential for you?
● Can your couch and sofa store vertically in the  self storage unit?
● Can the tabletop and legs be easily dismantled before storing it in storage?
● To save space, can the bed frames, furniture or display racks be safely dismantled before storing?
● For business usage, can I load a 20 foot or 40 foot container in the centre?
● Are forklift, trolleys, commercial bins, and pallet jack available on site for usage?
● What are my options for moving the items to self storage? Do it myself? Hire a truck/van and drive it myself? Ask friends and siblings to help? Hire a removalist to assist?
● If your storage is 24/7 access, consider the move during afterhours to avoid on-site parking congestion and have more accessibility to trolleys and goods lifts.
● Moving is a physically and mentally taxing activity. Consider asking someone to assist you.
● It is highly recommended you are present on-site during your move to oversee the process.
 
Thornleigh Kennards Self Storage, 6-8 Phyllis Avenue. Thornleigh NSW. 2120. Tel: 94819400.

Email: thornleigh@kss.coming.au

Author: Anthony Heng, Manager Kennards Self Storage Thornleigh