U-Lock Mini Storage

There are different reasons why you would need a long term storage unit to store your belongings. You could be moving abroad or you might need extra space to store seasonal items around your home, such as skis or bicycles. You may also need extra space for larger items such as your car, boat or RV.

Whatever your reason is, choosing to rent a storage unit to safely store and protect your belongings is a good decision. To help you select a store unit that best suits your needs, we have listed six factors to consider and evaluate before renting a storage unit.

The Amount and Types of Items You Want to Store

What items are you planning to store? How many items do you want to store in a storage unit? Answering these questions is critical in selecting a storage unit that fits your needs. 

If you only have a few small items to store, you can go with a more compact storage unit size such as the 5 x 5 feet which is approximately the same size as a regular closet. This storage unit size is suitable for holding items such as personal items, clothes, boxes, skis, children’s toys, small furniture items, business records and sales rep materials. If you are looking for something bigger, go with the 5 x 15 feet, which is equivalent to a large closet. This storage unit holds items such as small amounts of furniture, sofas, chairs, chest of drawers, boxspring and mattress, business supplies and records, plus other small items and boxes.

Safety and Security Features

A storage facility should have robust security and safety measures in place to ensure the protection of your belongings. At U-Lock Mini Storage, all of our self-storage facilities are fully fenced and gated: both exceptional measures to prevent burglary or theft of any sort. 

In addition to a fully fenced with gated facility, we have installed individual alarms for most of our storage facilities. The alarm is triggered when a burglar attempts to forcefully and illicitly enter a storage unit; our security and local law enforcement will be notified of the attempted break-in and attend the respective facility to remedy the issue. We have also installed 4-hour video recording with HD video to monitor and address any suspicious activities 24 hours a day and document all activities near our facilities with our HD video surveillance system. 

This surveillance system further strengthens the security of our facilities and prevents malicious activities from occurring.

Monthly Payment Plan

Determine whether the storage facility requires annual payment or offers a flexible month-to-month payment option. We offer a month-to-month payment option with no long term contract so you are not committed to our storage facility: you have the autonomy to rent a storage unit for as long as you need it. Additionally, we do not require a deposit.

Hours of Operation

What are the storage facility’s opening hours? Is the storage facility open during hours that work for you and your busy schedule? These are important questions to answer before renting a storage unit at a storage facility. If the storage facility’s hours of operation do not meet your schedule, renting a storage unit at the storage facility would be incredibly inconvenient for you.

To learn about our hours of operation, contact our storage facility and our team members will be more than happy to provide this information!

1. Self storage Burnaby or Vancouver
2. Self storage Chilliwack
3. Self storage South Surrey or White Rock
4. Self storage Parksville
5. Self storage Nanaimo
6. Self storage Victoria

The Location of the Facility and Proximity to Your Home

As you begin looking at storage facilities in an area, carefully consider each one’s location and proximity to your home. How important is it to you that the storage unit is located near your house? Are you willing to travel farther for a better or less expensive storage facility? 

While the location of a storage unit may not be an important factor when storing items for a short period of time, it is important when storing belongings long-term. This is particularly true if you plan to travel back and forth between the storage unit and your home to retrieve items regularly.

U-Lock Mini Storage has six facilities in BC. Three in Greater Vancouver and three on Vancouver Island. Check out the storage facility nearest to you!

1. Self storage Burnaby or Vancouver
2. Self storage Chilliwack
3. Self storage South Surrey or White Rock
4. Self storage Parksville
5. Self storage Nanaimo
6. Self storage Victoria

The Storage Facility’s Google Reviews and Ratings

Have you checked the storage facility’s Google reviews and ratings? These reviews and ratings are excellent indicators of the storage facility’s quality.

At U-Lock Mini Storage, we pride ourselves in delivering exceptional storage solutions and customer service to our customers and our Google reviews and ratings reflect the unmatched service.

For example, our U-Lock Mini Storage Burnaby location has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 215 Google reviews. The Victoria storage facility also has a 4.8/5 rating from 151 Google reviews.

Questions? Feel free to call us at 1.866.647.8673 or submit a contact form at https://www.selfstorage.ca/contact-us and our staff will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have!

Want to reserve a unit at a storage unit rental facility near you? Check out our self storage facilities:

1. Self storage Burnaby or Vancouver
2. Self storage Chilliwack
3. Self storage South Surrey or White Rock
4. Self storage Parksville
5. Self storage Nanaimo
6. Self storage Victoria

While growing up did your parents constantly remind you that “sharing is caring”. For the most part that is absolutely the case. But for a storage unit, that might not be the right answer. Sharing a storage unit can save you money, however, there are various problems with sharing a storage unit with others. Here are the top four reasons why you shouldn’t share a storage unit.

Security

When you sign up for a storage locker there is only ONE person who has signing authority.

That person can grant access to whomever they see fit. If you have your belongings in there and you are not the signing authority, there is a possibility of people you aren’t comfortable with accessing your space.

Organization

Isn’t it annoying when you can’t find what you are looking for? Now imagine looking when your stuff is mixed in with someone else’s. Having your stuff together may make it more difficult to locate the item you are looking for, and things might get mixed up when you eventually vacate the locker.

Convenience

Lost your key? Want to transfer to a different unit? Only the person with signing authority can request a lock cut, or transfer units. If they are not available, then you will have to wait until they are.

What if?

What happens if you have a falling out with your locker partner, and you are not the one with signing authority?

Whoever’s name is on the lease can change locks and deny entry to anyone. Without their OK there is nothing storage staff can do to ensure your belongings are returned to you.

If you have any questions about booking a storage unit in one of our mini storage facilities, please get in touch and one of our team members will be more than happy to help!

Our self storage facilities are:

1. Self storage Burnaby or Vancouver
2. Self storage Chilliwack
3. Self storage South Surrey or White Rock
4. Self storage Parksville
5. Self storage Nanaimo
6. Self storage Victoria

A storage unit is perfect for storing items that you do not need around your home. You can store items such as old clothes, CDs, furniture, bicycles and many more!

Whether you are storing your belongings for a long or short term, it is vital for you to properly organize your belongings in the storage unit so you can easily find and retrieve the items down the road. 

To help you organize your items in a storage unit efficiently, we have come up with seven tips you can use:

Create a List of All Inventory

When placing a lot of items in storage, it is difficult to remember all of them. While large furniture pieces such as a bed or sofa are easy to remember, smaller items such as artwork, pictures, electronics and clothes are oftentimes forgotten after months in storage. To keep everything organized, you can create and maintain a list of all items stored inside the unit. 

As you begin the packing process, we recommend registering each item in a spreadsheet. Taking photos of stored items is also a great way to keep up with what is in your storage unit. Be sure to save all photos and inventory descriptions in one place. It is also a good idea to create some sort of map that indicates where your belongings are located within the unit. 

Disassemble Furniture and Store Items Upright

To maximize space and organize more efficiently, disassemble large furniture items prior to placing them in storage. This includes taking apart headboards, bed frames and mattresses, as well as disassembling table legs, among other items. We recommend storing individual items in a vertical position towards the back of a storage unit (except for mattresses, which should be stored lying flat). By storing furniture, such as headboards, upright and on the side, you will open up more floor space for other items.

Store Large, Heavy Items on the Bottom Towards the Back

As you begin packing items inside the storage unit, start with large, heavy belongings such as furniture and heavy boxes. Place them towards the back of the storage unit at the bottom. Remember that heavy items should always be stored at the bottom of the storage unit to create a stable base for lighter items.

Place Items You Need More Frequently Towards the Front

Chances are, there are some items you plan on using more frequently than others. For instance, that extra bed you no longer have room for likely will not see the light of day for a while – whereas your baby’s pack ‘n’ play will. 

Other items that you are sure to need more often include seasonal clothing such as heavy coats, boots, hats, flip flops and swimsuits. While you will not need these items every day, you will be making trips to the storage unit to retrieve them at least once a year. These types of belongings should be placed towards the front of your storage unit in well-labeled boxes or bins. Placing them in an easy-to-reach spot near the door will save you the trouble of having to dig through mountains of boxes every time you go to the storage unit.

Stack Vertically

When packing and organizing your storage unit, you should go vertical with your belongings. Boxes should be stacked high and furniture should be stored upright. If you happen to be storing bookcases or anything with shelving, take advantage of the extra storage space. 

To make room for smaller boxes and belongings, consider adding wire shelving or hanging shelves in the storage unit. If the storage unit is particularly high, you may want to consider keeping a foldable ladder or step stool inside the unit with your belongings.

Label Everything

It is incredibly important to label every box and bin inside a storage unit. You may think you will remember where you put those family photo albums – but trust us – you will not especially if they have been sitting in storage for a long period of time. Label every box clearly with either a permanent marker or printed labels. Make sure the labeled part of the box is facing the front of the storage unit, so you can see it upon entering.

If you are like most people, your closet is one of the last areas to get the attention it deserves when it comes to home organization. To determine whether it is time for you to organize or clean your closet, here are three major indicators that your closet needs an intervention:

• You find it easier to buy a new thing than looking in the closet for the existing version.
• You are collecting piles of items around the house that theoretically belong in the closet, but there is just no room anymore.
• You are using external wardrobes or clothing racks as a closet addition, or worse, a total replacement.

If this sounds familiar, you probably have a closet crisis on your hands. You may have spent months or years avoiding the issue, but, as you have discovered, it only gets worse over time! 

To restore a healthy relationship with this all-important storage space, you will need an advanced approach to closet maintenance. This means decluttering, moving things around and, more importantly, optimizing the way you use the space. To help rehabilitate your closet, here are eight easy and affordable hacks you can use!

1. Organizer Baskets

These come in all sizes, shapes and colours, so you are bound to find baskets that match your taste and fit nicely onto your shelves. If you get sturdy ones, you can stack them up like boxes.

2. Towel Bars and Hooks

Although you normally would not need towel bars and hooks in a closet space, a towel bar is a great way to store scarves and neckties without wasting a hanger. You can use durable coat hooks to hang bags, head gear and belts on the back of the closet door.

3. Extra Hanger Bar

An additional hanger bar that hangs from the original one increases the available space. An extra hanger bar is a handy extension for shorter items like shirts, folded pants or skirts.

4. Additional Shelving

If you have the room, mount an extra shelf or two above the hanger bar, or on the sides of the closet. Additional shelving provides a good space to keep items neatly stored out of the way and off the floor.

5. Shelf Dividers

Get these to create unique storage spaces on your closet shelf. Shelf dividers help you separate items and keep piles neatly stacked, without spilling or collapsing.

6. Hanging Organizers

Made from cloth or plastic, a hanging organizer can be suspended from the hanger bar. It will automatically give plenty of new cubbyholes to stash items you do not want to hang, like sweaters, jeans or extra household linens.

7. Transparent Containers

When your organizer containers are transparent, it just makes it that much easier to find what you want at a glance. You can safely eliminate the hassle of opening each one and digging through them to find things.

8. Rent a Storage Unit

Virtually every closet contains seasonal or seldom-used items that you really do not need in the house all year round. 
One of the best ways to keep a closet neat and organized is to make enough room for the stuff you only use on a regular basis. You can put the rest of your items away offsite in a storage unit. You can rent a 5 by 5 feet storage unit, which is equivalent to a regular closet. This storage unit size can hold personal items, clothes, boxes, skis, children’s toys, small furniture items, business records and sales rep materials, for example. If you want something bigger, you can go with a 5 by 10 feet storage unit, which is equivalent to a walk-in closet. This storage unit holds items such as small amounts of furniture, sofas, chairs, chest of drawers, boxspring and mattress, business supplies and records, plus other small items and boxes.

With summer quickly approaching, college students are preparing to pack up their dorm rooms. The problem: driving a car’s worth of household items to their parent’s home. It is just not feasible. So what can a college student do? 

Thankfully, summer storage for college students is affordable and easy to find. In fact, renting a self-storage unit for the summer is an especially cost-efficient way for college students to store all of their dorm room and apartment belongings. Below, we have included a guide to summer storage for college students, as well as a list of self-storage facilities to check out this summer. Best of luck and happy moving!

Why Do College Students Need Summer Storage?

Storage units typically provide the perfect amount of storage space for dorm room and apartment-size belongings.

Therefore, students are able to store their belongings near campus, making it easy to move in and out whenever they wish. Instead of hauling their belongings home every summer, they can simply drop them off at a self-storage unit for safe-keeping during the summer months. Not only will this prevent students from temporarily junking up their parent’s garage, but it will also make their move off campus an overall smooth experience.

What Size Storage Unit Is Ideal for Students?

Most storage units are capable of holding at least one room of furniture. Students living in a two or three-bedroom apartment can also find storage units large enough to accommodate more furnishings. The majority of college students can get away with renting a 5×5 or a 5×10 feet storage unit. The 5×5 storage unit is capable of holding a love seat, boxes and home décor, while a 5×10 storage unit is capable of holding a sofa or twin bed, as well as décor and smaller furnishings. 

Who Will Benefit the Most from Renting a Storage Unit?

Students who benefit the most from renting a storage unit during the summer are those that live far from home and/or are studying abroad during the summer or fall months. If this sounds like your situation, we highly recommend renting a self-storage unit while you are gone. Not only will renting a summer storage unit near campus make moving back home easier, but it will also save you from wasting countless hours packing and shipping your belongings across the country. 

How Much Does Summer Storage for College Students Cost?

The cost of summer storage is typically based on the size of the storage unit needed, as well as the length of time rented. Most self-storage facilities offer contracts on a month-to-month basis and the price of renting a storage unit ranges anywhere from $12 a month to $100 a month or more. However, many storage facilities offer special student discounts to college students.

Where Can I Book a Moving Company?

You can find a great selection of moving companies in Greater Vancouver and Vancouver Island by performing a quick Google search. You can find a quality, professional moving company, you can use the tips provided in our article, How to Select a Reputable Moving Company in Greater Vancouver.

Alternatively, you can rent a U-Haul truck directly from U-Lock Mini Storage if you would like to move your belongings yourself. To learn about our U-Haul rates, please contact a storage facility near you!

Companies of all sizes can benefit from a storage unit, whether they are planning to relocate or just need a little extra room. Here’s how a storage unit can help your business stay organized and secure.

Safety and Security

You want peace of mind when you are running a business. You want to know that everything is in its right place and that it is secure. Storage units provide a safe and temperature-controlled environment for your most important business documents, furniture, and inventory.

Many storage units provide extended access hours, sometimes even around the clock, meaning that you can get what you need even outside of regular business hours. But having convenient access does not mean that just anyone can come into your unit; you can expect surveillance cameras and secure entry. You can trust that your belongings are safe from theft with the highest level of protection.

Save Money with Storage

Renting a business storage unit can save your business money. Many businesses cannot afford to pay rent in a building to store large equipment and documents. Fortunately, businesses can use storage units temporarily or to protect office items for an extended period of time.

Based on the time frame you require for your storage needs, some storage companies allow you to prepay in monthly blocks for added discounts.

A unit can also save your business money on office space. Instead of upgrading to a larger office, you can store items you do not need regularly, and thus remain at your current location. Some smaller businesses find that they do not need some of their office space at all when they put their items in storage. Many storage units offer month-to-month agreements, so you are not bound to a long-term commitment. You get the flexibility you need as your company grows and shifts.

Storing Documents

Running a business involves mountains of paperwork. It is a fact of life. A unit can be your deposit place for documents you do not need to access regularly, such as annual performance reviews and yearly tax files. Historical records like job applications and customer logs could also go in the unit. Moreover, a storage unit is a great offsite protection option for sensitive documents that might contain employee names and ID numbers.

Storing Furniture

A clean office is a happy office. Furniture storage can reduce the amount of clutter in your workplace. You can also store furniture or equipment that is only used by temporary employees or interns. Additionally, it is helpful to store furniture while the office is being painted or remodeled. 

When you are putting office furniture into storage, make sure to protect the sides and corners to prevent damage. Consider using the desk drawers to store smaller items for additional storage space.