Planning for a renovation to spruce up your home? We understand that it can be both exciting and stressful.
During the home renovation process, you’ll be letting third-party contractors and workers roam and work freely around your home. In order to create more space for everyone to move, most homeowners would start to declutter right about now, clearing items they no longer need and keeping their personal belongings in boxes neatly. Renting a self-storage unit is also one of the most convenient ways for your personal and family items. Here are three reasons why.
- Safe and secure
By storing your items in a self-storage facility like Extra Space Asia, you can rest assured that your items are in safe hands. Customers have their own unique PIN code, which they will require to access the storage area. Each storage unit will also be locked by your very own personal lock. This will ensure that only you have access to your storage units and your items.
There is also 24-hour CCTV monitoring in the storage facility premise to assure the absolute security of your items. What’s more, unlike other storage companies, Extra Space Asia remains staffed during operation hours to provide you with further assistance when needed.
- Keeping your things in good condition
When your home is undergoing a renovation, it’s inevitable to find dirt or dust around. Even if we were to move all of our personal belongings to one isolated room covered with a huge protective canvas, they might still be dusty. Or worse, covered with paint.
By storing your items in a self-storage unit, you’ll be able to ensure that they are not compromised in any way. To keep your items dust-free, you might want to clean all of your items before storing them in a clear plastic box and vacuum-sealed bags. This will help you organise, and you’ll also be able to see what items are stored in a single glance. This will be useful and time-saving when you plan to retrieve your items.
- 24-hour storage access
A self-storage is like an extension of your home where you can access any time and day you wish. All you need to access your storage unit would be your PIN code and key to your storage unit. It’s that simple.
In addition, you’ll be able to also enjoy extra space to keep all of your personal collection, furniture and family items all in one place. This will make things more convenient when you decide to bring your items back home in one trip.
If you’re in need of a reliable storage provider, visit Extra Space Asia Self-Storage today or call us at 1300220288.
With the rise in property prices in recent times, land is quickly becoming a scarce commodity. More and more people are starting to look towards self-storage as a quick and easy solution to a lack of space. However, we often get many questions in the form of, “What can and cannot be stored?”.
Today, we shall address this very question and clear up any misgivings you may have thus far.
Let’s start with what you CANNOT store in a self-storage unit.
CANNOT BE STORED
Hazardous Materials
Well, this goes without saying. If it goes boom, it’s not allowed. This means no gasoline, oil, chemicals, cleaners, propane, and so forth. Our facilities are not equipped to store this sort of materials. The environment may not be the most conducive for said materials, as some may require a certain optimum temperature to be kept safe.
It would be best to store any non-hazardous liquids such as beauty supplies in containers and bags so that in the event they do leak, it will not contaminate anything else.
Perishable Items
Perishables generally refer to food that has a shelf life and is required to be stored in the fridge. Avoid storing any form of perishable food such as meat, dairy and produce as it may go bad, and the smell would then be the least of our worries! Decomposed food could attract unwanted attention in the form of rodents and bugs! Canned and tinned goods are fine, but remember to check back every once in a while on the expiry date. Don’t let food go to waste!
Living items
While we know how comfortable our units may be, keep in mind that it is not a place to live in! Please do not keep your pets in here as well. It’s not ideal to be kept in a confined space for long periods. A gentle reminder that this also applies to plants. Most plants won’t survive without sunlight, and our storage units would be a death sentence for them, which could lead to bacteria and pests appearing.
Stolen or illegal goods
This pretty much speaks for itself. While we may not know the contents stored in your unit, we are obliged to report to the authorities should we be aware of any stolen or illegal items kept in your storage unit. Let’s all be good citizens and not steal anything in the first place, and the world shall be better.
CAN BE STORED
Now, we move on to what actually can be stored. And the answer is just about anything else that is not listed above! We figure it would be easier to list out what cannot be stored first.
Examples of some of the more common items stored with us include furniture, documents, books, building materials, commercial stock, wine, antiques, sports equipment, and many more! Our clientele comprises toy collectors, business owners, homemakers, students, corporate entities, film-makers, and so on.
If you’re ever in doubt and need some clarification, please do not hesitate to visit our website at Extra Space Asia to find out more, or you can call us at 1300220288 to speak to our customer support team!
Home is where the heart is. This saying resonates stronger than ever before, especially in the face of the pandemic that is COVID-19. Many are stranded away from home due to work or personal reasons, with the majority of the countries locking down their borders. Although we know nothing compares to your actual home with your family and loved ones, let’s try to make the best out of the situation to transform your current dwelling into the next best thing – a home away from home. Here are five easy tips!
Lighting, lighting, lighting.
This is so important, we feel the need to emphasise it thrice! The one most crucial element for any room or space to look bigger and more spacious boils down to the lighting. Natural light works wonders in opening up the interior of a room. If you don’t have access to natural lighting, consider painting the walls and ceiling white for an open and airy aesthetic. No more feeling cooped up and confined in a small space!
Revamp your bedroom
For many, the bedroom is a sanctuary. It’s where we spend a majority of our lives for resting, sleeping, studying and working. There’s no place safer than the comfort of our bedroom. In a new country, it’d be best to replicate as closely as possible to your own bedroom back home. This gives you a sense of familiarity as well as a sense of security. Zest it up a little, of course, with scented candles and a good sound system!
Channel your inner Gordon Ramsay
Missing the food back home? With the wide array of digital tools online these days to help us learn and pick up cooking, you’ll be able to learn and whip out a dish in no time! Some of us actually find grocery shopping therapeutic, and it’ll be a thrilling experience to explore the local market and foods of the area where you’re currently residing. Cooking traditional food from home is one of the best ways to cure the homesick!
Keep in touch!
Thank God for technology, right? Connections are now so much easier with tools such as WhatsApp, Facetime and practically dozens of other applications out there! Although you may not be there in person, you could at least be there in spirit and in video for events that you may be missing out on back home.
Keep your home clean and tidy
Coming home after a long day of work to an empty house or room may be disheartening, but on the bright side, it’ll look amazing if you keep it clean and tidy! Being in a foreign country is a daunting task, and many of us would pack more than what is needed. As my mother used to say, you’ll never know when you may need this. From experience, these items would just be lying around taking up space. Should you have too much stuff around, consider decluttering your space and store what you don’t need with us at Extra Space Asia. Where you can access it any time, any day as our facilities are open 24/7!
There’s no place like home. But while we’re somewhere else, let’s soldier on and we do what we must to rise above these unique times.
By: Kenny Ng
To sell or to donate? When you undertake the task of spring cleaning and decluttering your home or office, you might ask yourself questions like: ‘What should I do with this?’, ‘Would this come in handy one day?’ Doubt it. ‘Does it still have value?’ ‘Would anybody buy this?’ These questions are enough to leave us stuck and eventually put off the entire task altogether.
Stop procrastinating. We’re here to help. Let’s weigh the pros and cons together!
Selling
Selling can actually net you quite a fair bit of profit if done right. However, always consider the time investment you have to put in to sell it. Do it if the resale value is high, as selling would justifying the amount of time and effort spent. If you’re looking to make money, by all means, catalogue your possessions that you would like to sell and utilise the various platforms that are available like the Facebook marketplace, flea markets, Carousel and so on. Some people enjoy selling as to them it’s a win-win situation, they get to offload their clutter and at the same time make some cash out of it! It’s also a good training ground should you consider a career in sales at some point in the future.
Do also keep in mind that there are fussy buyers out there and they might make unreasonable demands at times. Imagine customers demanding discounts, original receipts, original boxings/casings and more. If this thought feels frustrating to you, selling may not be the path you seek. There have also been horror stories of how sellers take the time out to meet a potential buyer at an agreed location and time only to be stood up. Time wasted is equivalent to money wasted! As in every aspect of life, there’s always the risk of things not working out as intended.
Donating
On the other hand, if time is a constraint for you, donating your belongings sounds just about right! Not only are you doing a good deed, but there are convenient drop-off points for donation drives. Simply bag it up and head on over to the nearest drop-off point! Your house has now been purged from clutter.
However, there are also several points to consider before donating. Do remember that when you donate, someone is going to be using it for their own use. Only donate items that are still in decent condition. So pause and ask yourself before you donate, does this item still serve its main function properly? If the answer is no, it probably belongs in the bin.
It’s entirely up to you to sell or donate your pre-loved items. Take some time to understand the pros and cons, and you’ll have a clearer idea of your next steps. However, if both these options are not ideal for you – if you feel the need to clear the items yet NOT get rid of them – consider storing with us at Extra Space Asia! We’ll take good care of your stuff until you find a need for it again one day in the future. Till then!
How are y’all holding up? With the Movement Control Order implemented by the government, most of us are confined to our own homes. We know it ain’t easy, but hang in there. It’s for the greater good! This is also the best time to do what we’ve always been putting off – spring cleaning! Spring cleaning may seem tedious and at times overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be so! We’ve put together some tips that will aid in your spring-cleaning journey.
Prepping the right tools
First things first, having the right tools at your disposal before embarking on your spring-cleaning task will smoothen and hasten the process. As the saying goes, “Failure to plan is planning to fail.” Get yourself a heavy-duty sponge, durable trash bags (as the last thing you want is your trash bag to break down on you after throwing your rubbish in), rags, buckets, gloves, broom or vacuum, and the list goes on and on. Once you have procured this equipment, you are now prepared for war! But wait, lest we forget the most important tool of all! A family member or friend for mental support. Decluttering and throwing out preloved stuff may not be easy, and having someone there will definitely work wonders for your willpower.
Ensuring everything has its own place
As the proverbial saying goes, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” More often than not, we find ourselves too lazy to return something we use back to its original place. We may think that “I’ll do it later”, but deep down we all know “later” will never come. The vacuum cleaner that you used to clean out your car last week is still by the front door, until the next need for it arises. By ensuring a home for everything in your home, it helps you to be more organized in life! Moreover, by doing so, you’ll then be able to identify those items that you have no place for – thus helping in your decluttering process!
Bid adieu to duplicates
We’re all guilty of overindulging at times and buying in excess of what we need. There’s no need to feel bad about it, it happens to the best of us. Moving forward, it would be best to practice owning at most two of the same items, with one as back up. This will help free up tons of space you never knew you have! Bid farewell to the 5 combs you have but only ever use one, the tons of phone cables lying around, and so on. If there’s no home for it, it has to go.
Breaking up with your unloved items
As Marie Kondo aptly puts it, if it does not spark joy, toss it. Humans are emotional creatures. We tend to hold on to things that are of sentimental value, even if they are not practical. However, we have to be disciplined in this matter and only keep those that truly do spark joy and are useful to us. Harsh, but such is the cruel nature of the world. If it’s too hard to immediately toss it out, try putting these items into a box and leave them aside for a couple of months. After that, if you find yourself not digging through the box, it truly is time for it to go.
Using self-storage to store
Often, we find our homes lacking space to store stuff that are of larger nature or are simply items that we do not use often. If this happens, fret not! There’re always self-storage providers that you can turn to, namely us at Extra Space Asia! We offer flexible terms and have a large variety of sizes to cater to your every need! Not to worry, if you have any questions, our friendly staff who is at hand to answer your every query is just a call away! Store your belongings with us and you’ll never have to worry about security, they’re in good hands. This should free up space at home and who knows, you may now be able to fit your dream pool table in your own home!
Tedious as it may be, spring cleaning actually has many benefits! Various studies have been conducted and spring cleaning has been proven to improve the quality of our lives. Procrastinate not, and make a change today! In the meantime, stay safe and practice good hygiene. Better days are sure to come. Till then.
By: Kenny Ng
First and foremost, congratulations on the new home! While this is cause for celebration, a long journey lies ahead. It will not be a smooth one, speed bumps are to be expected. During this transition, the biggest hurdle you may face is finding a place to store your belongings and furniture. That’s where we come in!
Here’s why you should store with us at Extra Space Asia:
Flexible Storage Options
We understand that renovations can be unpredictable. Delays have become the norm, anything that’s ‘on time’ can be considered a miracle. That’s why we offer flexible storage options in terms of storage period as well as storage unit size! It’s like selecting from an ala-carte menu, with options to customise your meal. Store with us for as short as 14 days to as long as a year or more! Upon completion of the renovation, should you wish to continue storing with us, you can choose to downsize your unit as well! Feel free to access your storage unit any hour of the day, any day of the week as you have access to it 24/7.
Clean and climate-controlled environment
Our storage facilities are always kept clean and spotless as we have dedicated cleaners who are constantly making their rounds. You won’t have to worry about your furniture and belongings getting dusty if you store with us. Everything here stays safe, sound and clean compared to all that chaotic and messy renovation works going on. If you have items that cannot be kept in a warm and humid climate, fret not! We provide air-conditioned units, where temperatures are kept at 23 – 25 degree Celsius at all times.
Safe and Secure Environment
Here at Extra Space Asia, safety and security are of utmost importance. When you sign up with us, you will receive a personalised pin code that will grant you access to the facility. On top of that, you can also use your own lock and key for your unit. Furthermore, we have round-the-clock security guards as well as CCTVs in place too!
We hope we’ve done enough to convince you to take that first step to smoother processes and making room for more at home. Look no further! Start now and here, with Extra Space Asia.
By: Kenny Ng
It’s the time of the year again. Shopping malls are all decked out in red and the music being played is all too familiar, on an endless loop no less, “Gong Xi Gong Xi Gong Xi Ni Ya!”. This can only mean that the Chinese New Year is here!
New year, new beginnings. Exciting times ahead indeed. According to the Chinese zodiac, the year 2020 is the Year of the Metal Rat, and it marks the start of the zodiac’s 12-year cycle.
What does the year ahead hold for us? We’ve consulted our in-house fortune teller (who moonlights as our Head of Operations – wait, or was it the other way around?), and here’s a sneak peek of what to expect in the coming months!
Career
This is the year to be decisive and act! Carpe diem! It’s a good year for professional opportunities, be it climbing the corporate ladder or landing that dream job you’ve been eyeing for a while. Of course, it’s not going to be as smooth-sailing as speed bumps and obstacles are bound to crop up. However, take these obstacles not as a hindrance but a challenge and opportunity to bring out the best in you. Be confident and determined in following your goals, and we have no doubt that you’ll definitely achieve them. We’re rooting for you! (so are those who are expecting bigger red packets from you)
Love
To those who have yet to find their other half, Chinese New Year gatherings and reunions are indeed a dreaded time. Brace yourself for countless interrogations and well-intentioned matchmaking services from your relatives. It’s a good time for love connections, as it is predicted to be a peaceful year for love. Relationships with your loved ones, your significant other or friends and family will be harmonious and also breed goodwill. As in all relationships, communication is key. So, be honest and truthful with one another, and thy love shall blossom.
Lifestyle & Health
2020 calls for a radical lifestyle change – it could be as drastic as a move abroad or simply changing your daily routine. Being too stagnant in life is not a good thing, so make that change happen this year! It could be something as small as deciding to take the public commute to work instead of driving, to giving up a bad habit (such as smoking), or even something as major as moving homes! Just saying: should you choose to move houses and need a temporary storage solution, do reach out to us at Extra Space Asia and know that you’ll be in good hands.
In terms of well-being, good health is expected all-year. Sports, in particular, has been highlighted as a good way to maintain good health for the Year of the Rat. Incorporating sports into your life will not only improve your quality of life, it has also been proven to enhance your quality of sleep and boost higher productivity. Keeping active, that’s a win-win-win all year!
Looks like it’s shaping up to be an exciting year ahead! Changes are bound to happen but take them in your stride, and 2020 will be your best year yet! To those who celebrate, “Gong Xi Fa Cai” from us all at Extra Space Asia! May the year ahead be filled with success, happiness and prosperity!
By: Kenny Ng