Category: personal storage
Self storage is a valuable service that allows individuals to securely store their belongings away from their home or office. Whether you are moving house and need a temporary solution or wish to store important files over a long period of time, you can find a storage solution to suit. Some people consider self storage expensive, and there is no doubt that it may incur significant costs depending on what they are storing and how long for.
But when calculating the cost of self storage, the main consideration needs to be why you need it. Here at Cookes, our customers value the investment for protecting both your possessions and your peace of mind.
Safe storage
So, what do you get for your money in self storage? Well, firstly you get the peace of mind that your belongings are secure. Storing your stuff in the garage or at a friend’s house is all well and good, but can these locations offer 24hour security? Are they 100% damp free and unlikely to cause damage to delicate files or valuable heirlooms? At Cookes Storage Service, you receive a clean, dry, lockable space in which to securely store your belongings.
No two units are the same, and we treat every single one as if it held our own precious possessions. This is why Cookes provide state of the art security through out our site. With personal padlocks on all units, and 24hour CCTV surveillance, you can be sure that your stuff is secure when stored with us.
Flexible storage
Your storage needs can fluctuate month by month, year by year, so the idea that a one-size-fits-all contract can suffice is simply not feasible. Growing families and booming businesses will have constantly changing storage requirements. Rather than seeking to buy a property or premises that is ever increasing in size, simply invest in self storage that puts you in control. With solutions from as little as two weeks, we offer flexible storage contracts that can be increased or decreased in both size and duration at any time.
Simple storage
Unlike other storage companies, here at Cookes we prioritise simple pricing, so what you see is what you get.
We offer a huge range of storage units to suit every need. From 16sq.ft for to 270sq.ft. we have a space to suit you! The larger the storage need, be it in value or size, the higher the tariffs. However the longer you store with us, the lower the rates. Thanks to our simple pricing you don’t get any hidden surprises when it comes to settling your bill.
Want to know more? Drop us a line on 0121 250 5055 or get a free online quote today.
Moving house is a momentous occasion that we all face at some point in life, whether that is to head off to university or to leaving home to live with friends or partners. As exciting as it seems starting out, merging the possessions of two or more people can prove to be more than a little problematic. When faced with a choice of three sofas to sit on or duplicate dining sets, new cohabitants may feel pressed to part with their treasured possessions, so to avoid any awkward moments and make moving house hassle-free, simply use self-storage
Get Organised
It sounds so simple, but making a plan and getting organised early will help you immensely on your moving day. Keep a few essentials such a your kettle, mugs, tea bags and a spoon in a box on the front passenger seat of your moving vehicle (trust us you will thank us later!)
Have a system of what you need to move first and what can come later; bed first, bag of clothes you haven’t warm in a year… that can come last!
Give yourself space
Using self-storage simplifies a house move as it means that you don’t have to make any rash decisions about what to keep straight away. Perhaps more importantly, however, it gives you time to get a feel for the style that you want in your new pad, not to mention an idea on the best layout to maximise the space in your home.
Yes, you may be utterly convinced that your three-piece leather suite and chaise longue are perfect for parties, however if your goods are going to monopolise the room, then it is better to consider the home without them in it. Furthermore, you will avoid an unnecessary 22-point turn to get the furniture in through the front door.
Give yourself time
By storing your items in a secure self-storage unit, you remove the time constraints of trying to exchange and complete in a day whilst carting your worldly goods across the town. Few house sales complete at a weekend, meaning that you will need to take time off work to pack, ship and unpack your belongings within a very short time frame. By using flexible self-storage, you will be able to move in to your new home at a time and pace that is convenient to you.
Give yourself a good talking to
If there is one thing we all know, it is that as we travel along the journey called life we accumulate more than a few souvenirs along the way. Gathering together your belongings to move house can be a wake-up call as to just how much stuff you have, and now is the time to give yourself a good talking to about what needs to stay and what needs to go.
Rather than transfer all these items into your new abode or make any on the spot decisions that you later regret, use self-storage to filter these items gradually, and get rid of anything non-sentimental that hasn’t been used in 6 months.
This really simple lesson, saves many moving day tears! Your new home is going to be filled with new memories and sometimes, you just need that little bit of help to let go of items that you really don’t need anymore.
Enjoy the day
It is going to be hard work and there are most probably going to be some bumps along the way, but when you can sit back at the end of the day and look at your new home you will find that all those worries you have 6 months ago are totally irrelevant now!
For more help, head over to our page to see how we can help you with your move.
Happy moving Everyone!
The home business lifestyle sounds wonderful to so many of us. Flexibility to take a day off whenever we want, working from coffee shops or sitting in the glorious British sunshine and meeting with clients – it all sounds so perfect.
The reality is often quite different. Many small business owners find themselves working far longer hours, with the divide between work and home life blurred. You may have chosen to be your own boss for the flexibility, but it’s still important to set aside work when the family come home.
Many of us don’t have the space in the home to have a separate office. Even if you set aside a small space in the living room, or under the stairs, for your desk, your work often overflows into the family living areas. Boxes of stock, paperwork, filing cabinets, samples – whatever type of business you are in, there’s always some sort of clutter that gradually infiltrate throughout your home.
Working from home can affect your health.
Overlapping home and work life so much can seriously affect stress levels and affect your health and wellbeing. You are more likely to pick up calls and emails outside of your work hours. Even when you put your work down, it’s visible in the home, causing your mind to dwell on and worry about work issues.
Stress can lead to time off work, making mistakes, depression and anxiety. Not only do these affect your business, but impact on your personal life and family as well. The more you worry about your work, the harder it will become to focus and get it done.
Tips for improving your work life balance
Set work hours
You may have chosen to work from home so that you can juggle your family commitments better – particularly coping with childcare. It’s still a good idea to set work hours, and manage the family’s expectations by clearly outlining the time you will finish and be free to focus on them.
Get dressed
Your initial image of working from home might be sitting at your laptop in bed, or answering calls in your pyjamas. Getting washed and dressed, ready for the work day, will actually make you feel more focused and productive.
Create a work space
Set aside a desk or table where you can sit and work everyday – preferably out of sight, or with your back to piles of housework and mess that can distract you. Working from home provides plenty of opportunity for procrastination – leaving you frustrated that the work hasn’t been completed.
Consider storage
Paperwork, emails and telephone calls can be managed with limited space. But if you do find boxes of stock filling your corridors, then consider self storage. With a little organisation you can manage the office from home, with regular time set aside to visit your storage unit for packaging and posting trips. It’s also a good place to keep old records that must be kept but aren’t needed on a daily basis, leaving you more room in your home.
Get out and about
Becoming lonely and isolated is another effect of working from home that can cause low moods. Try attending local networking meetings. Not only will you meet other solo workers in the same position and perhaps boost your business with great contacts – it’s good for your mood as well.
Although we can’t organise your work life for you, our storage units are perfect for helping small businesses grow. If you would like to talk about cost effective space, call us on 0121 250 5055 or email
info@cookesstorage.co.uk
The market is starting back up, viewings are happening and houses are selling. If your house has sold and you are preparing for moving day, you probably already have a lot on your mind. So, make moving day a little less stressful with our top tips.
Start packing early.
Unless you live in a very small bedsit, you likely have a lot more stuff than you realise to pack. So don’t leave it till the last minute. Start packing early, tackling one room at a time, and label every box clearly so you know what to unpack first and what can wait for a while while you settle into your new home.
Make a moving day list
There is a lot to remember on moving day, from turning off any services and cancelling the broadband to giving your new address to the neighbours. Always do one last walk through before you close the door, and remember to post the keys through the letterbox.
Charge up all your devices
Make sure your phone is fully charged for the day, and that you have the number for your movers, the sellers of your new home and the estate agents, in case there are any last-minute panics.
If you have children with you, make sure their devices are charged too. You might plan on having them help you move in if they are old enough, but in the end it may just be easier to keep them occupied.
Arrange pet care
Much as we love the furrier members of the family, having the dogs and cats underfoot while you move in will add to your stress, especially if they get out and lost before they know the way around their new home. So arrange to put them into pet care or ask a friend to look after them while you unpack, and introduce them to their new home once you have finished unloading the van.
Plan for your first night
Moving day is a long and tiring event. Plan ahead for the essentials – a nice hot cuppa. Prepare a box of essential items that you’ll want immediate access to. The kettle, mugs, coffee and milk, a spoon, and toilet roll.
Don’t forget to feed yourself and the family too. Prepare some sandwiches and snacks for the day time, and a meal for dinner. By the time you’ve settled in, you may not feel like cooking or heading out for a takeaway.
Set the beds up first
The first piece of furniture you need to set up are the beds. After a day of hauling boxes you’ll feel much better when you know you can climb into a clean bed at the end of the day and get a good night’s sleep.
Only take what you need
If you are moving a family-sized amount of furniture and belongings, it may be more than you can face in one day. Renting a self-storage unit for the short term will make your move a lot faster and easier.
Pack away the heavier and bulky items, the clutter from cupboards and seasonal décor, and leave it all in storage until you’re settled in. You can collect the rest from your unit when you are ready for it, and once you’ve decided where in your home you are ready to put it.
Take the stress out of moving day by planning ahead. As the evening arrives you’ll be all settled in for the evening and ready for your dinner and a glass of wine.
Have you ever thought about what you would do if you had a little more space in your home? How about if you had a whole extra room?
A traditional spare bedroom
The first use that springs to mind is an extra bedroom – the traditional meaning of a spare room. If you have regular visitors staying overnight, grandparents stopping by to look after the children perhaps, then having an extra bedroom prepared is obviously useful.
But if it’s only used occasionally, then handing over an entire room in your house to an empty bed seems a bit wasted when there are plenty of day bed or inflatable options that mean when they aren’t needed, you can hide them out of sight. So, what could you do with that spare room?
A home office
As many of us have found in the last few months, when you are working from home you need a little peaceful space. Imagine having a little den of your own, a place where you can pile up the paperwork, printer and boxes of stock and keep them away from the rest of the house.
Your home gym
When you have a gym in your home, just think of the advantages. You can get straight out of bed and start your day with a workout, without having to travel anywhere. No more queuing for machines. Straight upstairs to your very own shower, with all your preferred toiletries to hand. Having a gym in your home means you can fit in small amounts of exercise daily around your own routine, rather than having to schedule slots into an already busy day.
A personal library
Wall to wall bookshelves, a cosy armchair, and a standing reading lamp. Turn your spare room into your own hiding space and enjoy the peace and quiet. We’d have to put a coffee machine in there too.
A walk-in wardrobe
If you love fashion, you’ve probably got a large pile of clothes and a wardrobe that’s just so full you can’t see one shirt from another. Imagine walking into a room lined with clothes rails, a large full-length mirror, wonderful lighting, and a rack just for shoes. If that’s your dream, then all you need is to make some space in your home to bring it to life.
A games room
Not all playrooms have to be for children. In fact, if you are going to put a pool table in yours, you should probably keep them out. With some thought into how to make the most of your space, you could create a fantastic place to entertain friends. Pool might not be your thing, so how about table football or a dartboard?
Your own bar
When you enjoy socialising but want control of the music, then having your own bar is a great idea. If you have a spare room downstairs or can convert your garage, you’ve got the perfect space to set up a mini-bar and wine rack. Invite friends round and enjoy karaoke nights – it might be best to invite the neighbours.
A craft studio
Whether you enjoy sewing or jewellery making, crafting usually requires a fair amount of space. You need to store your sewing machine, beads, fabrics, materials, and books. Having your own craft room means you can keep the mess in one place, and you don’t have to clear up partway through a project so that the table can be used at mealtimes.
If you do decide to make more use of the spare room in your home, the first thing to do is declutter. If you need to store anything with us, we’ve on hand to talk about storage units. Just give us a call on 0121 250 5055.
It may have started in America, but as with many things, self-storage is rapidly becoming more popular in the UK. More and more storage providers are opening for business and, according to the SSAUK, approximately 13% of households have used self-storage at some point.
With increasing numbers of homeowners and commercial businesses turning to self-storage as a simple and cost-effective solution to their storage needs, here’s a look at some of the more common reasons they do.
More bedrooms in the home
If you are expecting a new baby, you’ll need to turn your home office into a safe haven for tiny fingers. But you won’t want to get rid of the existing furniture – before long your baby will be moving back into big sized beds and wanting desks of their own.
Home office to work office
Talking of your home office, as your business expands you don’t want to keep boxes of stock in your house and taking over your hallways. The downside of working from home is that you can never quite escape it – but having a small office set up in your own storage unit keeps costs down, and your home life separate.
Moving house
When you are moving home a temporary bit of storage can come in useful. Declutter your current home and stage it for a quick sale, or store all your excess stuff until you are settled in to your new home and you’re ready to unpack at leisure.
A secure place for your tools
If your business depends on your equipment, it’s vital that you keep it safe and secure. Keeping tools in your van is risky, when one burglary later and you have not only lost expensive gear, you may well lose a few days work as well. Keeping tools in self-storage gives you a well-protected lock up and a place to repair, clean and maintain your tools as well.
Merging homes
You may be moving in with your partner, or your elderly relatives may be moving in with you. Either way, that’s two houses full of furniture, beds, kitchen utensils, plates, books, and bedding that need sorting through and thinning out. Using self-storage to keep things in means you don’t have to get rid of anything you love but have no space for, and you can take your time in dealing with the rest to get the best deals.
Seasonal storage
There are certain times of the year when you need to boost your stock – Christmas being the obvious one. Making sure you are ready for seasonal sales means ordering in additional products. With more room you can get more than you need, so you don’t have to turn down sales. Short term storage contracts make the perfect solution – your home or shop remains uncluttered, and your boxes don’t get crushed and damaged in small spaces.
Renovating your home or office
From simple redecorating to knocking down walls and remodelling rooms, renovating always creates a lot more mess than you expect. Move all your furniture or important office equipment out of the way for the duration, and you’ll avoid paint on your sofa or damage to your printer.