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Four Ways to Make Your Small Space Feel Larger

living room

Small spaces come with both charm and challenges. Small spaces are easier to decorate, easier to keep clean, and easier to organize, but at the same time, they can feel cramped and claustrophobic. Everyone wants their home to feel open and welcoming, no matter what the size. So we’ve compiled some creative ways to give your home some space, or at least the illusion of space!

Make use of multi-purpose furniture. This will not only save space, but it will also save money as there’s no need to purchase multiple furniture pieces if you can have one item that can do more than one function. For instance, swap out your lounge chair or sofa for a sleeper couch. Replace your coffee table with an ottoman to double up as extra seating for guests. Try a room divider that includes built-in shelving. Buy tables with drawers whenever you can so you’ll have more storage space.

Clear the clutter. Don’t take up valuable space and mental energy with items you no longer use. Ask these questions as you are purging and really think about the emotional reasons you may be hanging on each item.

  • Does this add value to my life?
  • Have I used this in a year?
  • Do I have more than one of these?
  • Would I buy it again?
  • How many times have I used it?
  • Does it fit?
  • Do I have space for this?

Monochromatic decorating gives the illusion of space. Contrasting colors tend to break up a space, making it appear even smaller than it is. Drapes and furniture that match the wall color blend with the space, giving the illusion of a bigger room. Also, decorate with light colors to keep your rooms feeling airy and open. An abundance of dark colors in a small space can feel overwhelming and like the room is closing in on you. Of course, any room will look larger if it’s well-lit, preferably by natural light. Make sure light coming in from your windows is not being blocked by furniture or other stacked objects.

Add reflective surfaces. Try swapping some of the art on your walls for mirrors and see what it does to your home. The reflection will open up the room, making it look bigger. Mirrors not only reflect light, they also reflect the view, thereby tricking the eye into the perception of more space. Just remember that you don’t want the mirror to reflect a cluttered or cornered space – this will defeat the purpose!

If you own items that you don’t have room for, but you want to keep – a mobile storage unit may be the answer you seek. Pack your extra items in a Zippy Shell and send them off to a secure, climate-controlled storage center. Then sit back and breathe a sigh of relief in your small sanctuary of a home!

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Organizing Hacks Make Great Stay-At-Home Projects

organization

Many of us around the country are spending more time at home than usual right now. So, now may be the perfect time to open up your space and increase your productivity by getting organized. And we have just the hacks to help make organizing in the time of coronavirus quarantines less of a chore and more like a welcomed distraction. Check out these tips, create a plan, and get organized!

  • The organizational options are endless with pegboards. Save counter space by organizing kitchen, garage, office, or craft supplies. The best part about a pegboard is you can add and rearrange hooks and rods as your organizational needs change.
  • Magazine holders are inexpensive and provide so many ways to organize your home. Use these multi-functional organizing wonders for a gift wrap station, toilet paper storage, stacking items in your freezer or pantry, to hide your router, arrange flip flops or water bottles, and so much more.
  • Instead of digging around in the back of your refrigerator or pantry to find the ingredient you need, use a lazy Susan to bring the ingredient to you! Simply place a lazy Susan on the shelf and stock it with spices, jams, condiments, or other small containers then give it a spin to find exactly what you are looking for.
  • One of the best organizational hacks is knowing that shoe organizers don’t have to be used just for shoes! Cut them to size and use them for all your organizing tasks. Toys, pantry items, cleaning items, beauty supplies, baby clothes, gardening tools, school supplies – the possibilities truly are endless for what you can organize with these space savers.
  • There are so many different smart ways to get organized using a silverware tray. Use the compartments of these handy little trays to organize jewelry, toothbrushes/toothpastes, hair accessories, the junk drawer, batteries, art supplies, and more.
  • Paper towel holders are next on the home organizing hack list. Use standing paper towel holders to stack rolls of tape, ribbon, cookie cutters, or bangles. A side hanging paper towel holder can organize necklaces, scarves, belts, and can make a roll of garbage bags easily accessible.
  • PVC pipes are as accessible and affordable as they are great for organization projects. Cut, paint, attach and use them to store items like hair tools, power tools, shoes, headbands, craft supplies, garden tools, and many other items.
  • Add a handy magnetic strip to your bathroom for bobby pins, nail clippers, and tweezers. Unclutter the toy box a little by hanging matchbox cars on the wall using magnetic strips. You can also use a magnetic strip near your power tools in the garage to hold on to your drill bits and small metal tools.

While increasing your organization’s efforts during the pandemic, you might find that your best option is to store some of your lesser-used items. Zippy Shell provides simple, climate-controlled storage solutions and our contact-free delivery will give you one less thing to worry about. Learn more by visiting www.zippyshell.com today! 

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Jumpstart Spring Cleaning with These 5 Tips

cleaning

Although it seems like we just celebrated the holidays, spring is around the corner. This is a great time for a fresh start to ease into spring cleaning without being overwhelmed. If you are considering storing away some items, you will really be glad you got a jumpstart on your spring cleaning to-do list. While the hardest part is getting started, here are 5 tips to help you tackle this chore head on!

Declutter: A good purge always puts someone in a good mood. “Stuff” weighs us down and streamlining your “extra stuff” can be like a weight-loss tool! Focus on your spring cleaning by decluttering so you can attack the deep cleaning. If the item hasn’t been used in over a year, you may want to consider selling, donating, storing or trashing. If you are having a yard sale, put items away from sight or box up, tape up, and label “yard sale.” This will eliminate the temptation to dig back into the box.

Supplies: Keep an eye out for specials throughout the year on cleaning supplies. Stock up when discounts are available. Get a vehicle, such as a shower caddy, to hold the supplies so you can easily take them from room to room. Look for supplies that cover multi-tasks to eliminate lugging too many cleaning supplies around.

Make a plan: Once you have decluttered and made an inventory of your cleaning supplies, make a plan and set goals if you haven’t already done this. Decide what rooms to tackle first. Some professionals suggest clean each room in a circle or from top to bottom. These suggestions can help with the flow of cleaning making it more effective and manageable.

Think outside the routine: Keeping the surface areas clean is important, but don’t forget to think of areas outside the routine cleaning zones. Here are a few suggestions: between refrigerator coils, on top of ceiling fan blades, inside the washing machine, around HVAC vents, inside light fixtures, on and around windows, around door frames and crown molding, behind the toilet, etc. It’s also a good time to check the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Lighten up: Many people aren’t jumping up and down to tackle their spring cleaning to-do list. But with a shift in attitude, you can make this often-overwhelming feat much easier to bear. Crank up the stereo with your favorite tunes and jump in. Buy yourself something as a reward when you are finished. Another idea is to get the family involved. Assign age-appropriate tasks for the kids and make it a competition. As long as they aren’t adding to the chore list, the extra help should help you whittle down your spring cleaning to-do list quicker!

We hope these tips will help you attack spring cleaning with a positive, yet productive force. Just pretend that every room you clean will put you one step further to enjoying the fruits of your labor! And remember, if you need to store some items that aren’t being used right now, consider storing your things with Zippy Shell!

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4 Tips for Successfully Storing Your Stuff

Storage Boxes

Sometimes you simply have more stuff than you have room. Or, maybe you are simplifying and decluttering, and stuff needs to be out of the way. Whatever the reason, from time to time most people have the need to move stuff to another location for a period of time and store it.  Look no further than our Zippy Shell experts for the best tips to help you store your stuff more successfully.

First, evaluate your options and your needs.  Zippy Shell locations can be found throughout the United States, making the option to store your stuff convenient. Figure out how much stuff you have and what size container you will need. A Zippy Shell 10 foot container can hold up to one or two bedrooms. Our 15 foot container can hold up to two or three bedrooms. Take a close look at how much you need to store and then choose the appropriately sized unit for your needs.

Second, create a list of everything you’ll be storing and how it is labeled. You may even want to take photos of the items, boxes, and labels so when you start looking for that swimsuit, you’ll know where it is stored.

Third, pack your stuff to maximize storage container space.  Our Zippy Shell storage containers hold a lot of stuff and they can hold even more if you are a savvy packer. For example, bundle pictures and frames with bubble wrap and stand them up. Pack clothes in plastic containers with clip-on lids, label the contents (shirts, pants, etc.) and stack them. Think vertically, because that is typically under-utilized space in a storage unit. If you will be storing anything with height, like a bookcase or a piece of furniture, use those extra shelves to maximize your container.

Fourth, create walkways and prioritize your stuff in the container. When you pack your Zippy Shell storage container, leave room for walking and put anything you think you will need towards the front or top.

Finally, sleep soundly knowing that:

  • you can take up to three days to load your Zippy Shell at your location
  • we can drop off your unit in virtually any location (driveway, city, street)
  • your stuff is stored safely and securely at one of our Zippy Shell locations
  • your stuff is only a phone call away
  • we deliver it back to you when you are ready

With just a little planning, you can maximize your storage dollars. We look forward to answering your questions about the convenience of Zippy Shell.

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Get Solutions for Your Toy Clutter Struggles

Parents play with their children and their toys

Do you have too many toys in your home or do you not have enough storage? Both issues can lead to feeling overwhelmed by the toy clutter. We have good news – the constant clutter of toys doesn’t have to rule your life! Let’s look at these two scenarios separately to provide you with the solutions you need to get the toy clutter under control. With the holiday season upon us, it’s time to get a handle on your children’s toy collections before you add more to them!

Too Many Toys

The first step to deal with too many toys is to sort all of them into groups. Your groups will look different depending on the interests of your children, but sort them into categories such as games, puzzles, dolls, automobiles, books, arts and crafts, building blocks, dress-up… you get the picture. Now that you have a clear impression of all the toys in each category, it is time to do some purging. Set a limit as to how many items your child needs in each category. Help them choose their favorites within that limit and set the rest aside. 

The toys you have set aside can be donated if your child has outgrown or no longer uses them. The rest can be put into a toy rotation bin. Toy rotation is simply storing some of your toys for a time. Then at regular intervals, you’ll swap the current toys for and the ones you stored away. Each rotation is like getting a new set of toys, which brings excitement back to play and helps with clutter!

Too Little Storage

Quite often, clutter is caused by simply not having enough storage or not having the correct type of storage. The first step is to allocate a play area. It doesn’t have to be an entire room, but toys need a designated place to land at the end of every day. Whether you choose to store toys in a basket or bin, on a shelf or in a cabinet, out in the open or hidden, toy storage needs to be practical and easy. Using cut out pictures taped to the appropriate box, bin, or shelf will help children who can’t read yet identify where items belong. Because the ultimate goal is to have your kids put their own toys away.

Once everything is organized, the key to eliminating clutter is to stay on top of it on a daily basis. At the end of each day, set a timer for five minutes. Have your children race to put everything they’ve been playing with back in the appropriate place.

If you are in need of some additional storage, give Zippy Shell a call! We not only offer moving services but can give you flexible storage options to fit any needs you might have. Check us out online or give us a call today at 888-947-7974 for more information.

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Ingenious Ways to Make Small Spaces in your Home Bigger

Living room in a spacious home

Whether you’re in a cramped apartment, the kids are home for the summer, or your in-laws are coming to stay for a few weeks, we’ve compiled some creative ways to give your home some space. Goodness knows, we love their personal space.

Consider these top four ideas for enjoying a spacious, clutter-free atmosphere in your home.

  1. Spread out your living space. If you have outdoor spaces that are adjacent to your indoor ones (balconies, decks, patios and porches), consider how you might arrange those areas to compliment your spacing needs. Maybe a decorative cover or an umbrella outside will invite folks to sit there. Add some cozy furniture and a small television and boom! you have a whole new room.
  2. Put the excess in storage. Clutter – it can make you crazy. Even if you’re not having extra people in your home, the clutter has got to go. One quick way to clear it out, is to put it in storage. This way you still have access to your things, but they aren’t in the way. You don’t want to trip on that magazine rack from 1974! Separate what you need from what you don’t and save yourself some space in your home and peace of mind.
  3. Invest in some space-saver bags! These things are amazing. You can find them at most big box or home improvement stores. Put your out-of-season wardrobe, winter coats, extra pillows, and even those crocheted family blankets in these ingenious bags. Pile your stuff in, use your vacuum to suck out the air, and voila! It’s all been reduced to a third the size. Slip the bags under your bed or in a closet and you’re done.
  4. Consider multi-functional furniture. Some people are so clever and the ones who design and manufacture furniture that can be used in multiple ways need to be applauded. Benches that open and can store shoes by the front door. Tables that can be transformed into desks. Even beds that can be turned into tables. Really cool!

Then, when everyone heads back to school and back home, you can bring all your favorite things back in your home. If you think you may want to employ the use of a portable storage container, we hope you’ll think of Zippy Shell, too. Give us a call at 888-947-7974 or go online for a free quote to see how we can make moving and storage simple for you!

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How to Maximize the Space in Your Bathroom

bathroom

Is your bathroom feeling a little cramped? Small bathrooms can be a challenge and adding square footage through a renovation isn’t always an option. But you can use these tips to make your cozy space feel larger and stay more organized.

Give the Illusion of Space

There are several tips and techniques you can use to provide an expansive feeling in a small bathroom or any small space:

  • A monochromatic color scheme or even varying shades of the same color can make your bathroom feel larger. Soft, pale, neutral colors on the walls and floor will give the biggest illusion of space.
  • Use reflective surfaces like glass and mirrors. Replacing a shower curtain with a clear glass door will open up the shower space giving the appearance of a bigger overall area. Larger mirrors will bounce light from windows and create the illusion of more square footage.
  • Keep your floor space clear and uncluttered. Less breaking up of the floor lines equates to less visual chopping with your eyes. Also freeing up your floor space gives you more room to move around!  
  • Draw the eye upward with a fun light fixture, crown molding, tall window treatments, or high shelves.

Organizing Your Way to More Space

Even a large room that is cluttered will feel small, so let’s get organized:

  • Create storage where there once was none by adding floating shelves to your walls utilizing the vertical space. 
  • An over-the-toilet shelf or storage cabinet is a great space saver and will give you more storage options.
  • Installing floating shelves or recessed storage in the shower can keep all your shower necessities organized. Another option is to use a hanging shower caddy.
  • Use a Lazy Susan or other revolving storage underneath your bathroom cabinet to corral cleaning supplies or hair products.
  • When you are really low on storage options, find an alternate place in the house for things like medicine, first aid supplies, and extra rolls of toilet paper.

Zippy Shell’s portable storage containers are perfect for storing items from the home, giving you more space to renovate, rearrange, and organize. Check us out today for answers to any questions you may have!

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How to Keep Clutter from Coming Back

woman decluttering home

After it seems like you have finally gotten rid of all of your clutter, it somehow always finds a way to come back. Fight clutter with these organization tips!

Make it a Routine

Instead of letting things pile up, get rid of them immediately before it turns into a problem. Taking one minute of your day to freshen up your kitchen or bedroom before you head off to work is very doable.

Know the Usefulness of Your Items

You can also get in the habit of getting rid of anything in your home that you know you don’t use immediately. If you come across am item that you have been holding onto that is slightly broken or never gets used and won’t be used, be honest with yourself and throw it away.

Have a Place for Everything

If everything has a place where it belongs, nothing will get lost or get placed in something else’s space. Clutter can quickly form when you don’t have a designated spot for something. Then the next time you see something laying around, it will only take a second to put it right where it belongs.

Be Timely

When you get out a bag of donations or trash, don’t let it sit around for a week. The moment you bag it up, get it out of your home! This also applies for laundry; once you do it, take your basket to your room and put your clothes away immediately. This simple method will help force yourself not to let your belongings consume unnecessary space, thus making your home cleaner.

Major Cleanups

Every season schedule a cleanup for your home. This should involve cleaning out all your rooms, as well as getting rid of anything that has piled up and is not being used. Put those dates on the calendar, so you save time for them. It’s a lot easier to follow through when you have scheduled the time to do it.

Let Zippy Shell Help

Zippy Shell storage containers make decluttering your home simple and affordable. We’ll deliver a storage container directly to your door then store it in our secure, nationwide facilities. Your clutter will be out of sight and out of mind, and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to stay organized. It might be an everyday job, but it doesn’t have to be time consuming or disruptive to your daily routine.

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Store Your Belongings While Decluttering in North Texas

A customer in the North Texas area needed extra storage space while they cleaned out their home. After years of clutter piling up they finally decided it was time to get rid of some of their junk. In order to even be able to clean out their rooms, they have to remove big furniture items from multiple rooms as well as desks, tables, and chairs.
In need of a large storage unit, Zippy Shell was able to deliver two onsite storage containers right to the customers home. Our Zippy Shell professionals helped the customer load up everything they needed to be stored. The customer then was able to declutter their entire home thanks to the excess space they had after removing a lot of furniture.
The benefit of the onsite storage containers allowed the customer to access their belongings whenever they needed them without having to drive to a storage facility. The storage containers easily fit onto the customer’s driveway all while staying safe and protected for the entire storage period. Get a quote today for your Zippy Shell storage needs!