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5 Summer Space Saving Tips

organization

Summer is officially here and it’s a little different this year. Most of our kids have been home from school for several months due to the global pandemic, and many will continue virtual schooling from home in August. It can get cramped when the entire household is home at the same time, so we have come up with a few tips to create some space in the home over the summer.

PACK IT UP

Perhaps one of the easiest and quickest ways to make some space in your home is to pack up things you are using this season. Grab some vacuum-space bags and pack up all your winter clothes, bulky coats, heavy bedding and put them away under your bed. You will be surprised how much space you can make in everyone’s closets.

GET RID OF IT

Many thrift stores have reopened to donations, and after months of being closed would welcome any donations you may have. Go through your clothes, books, toys, and furniture for anything you know is not getting much use and is just wasting space in your home. It’s also possible to hold a socially distanced yard sale if you have a lot of items that you would like to make some money on.

STORE IT

If you have a lot of items in your home that doesn’t get much use, but you are not ready to donate or sell, you may benefit from storing your items. Mobile or on-site storage is a good solution when you need a secure, weatherproof unit to keep your items safe, but out of your living spaces.

GET CREATIVE

One of our favorite ways to save space in the home is by using multifunctional furniture. There are many options for different areas of the home. For example, instead of a plain coffee table, you could replace it with a small table that has cabinets or drawers underneath for storage. Or maybe you have a bench in your foyer to make taking your shoes off a little easier—you could replace (or DIY!) a storage area underneath to hold shoes discreetly.

INVEST

If your budget allows, consider investing in expanding your living space. This doesn’t mean you have to hire a contractor and build an addition on your home. It could simply be taking an area of your backyard and creating a beautiful outdoor oasis that you and your family can enjoy on warm, summer nights. You can turn your front porch into a space where everyone wants to enjoy their morning meals and coffee. Utilize the spaces you already have and find creative ways to make them more usable and enjoyable.

We hope these tips are helpful to you as you start trying to find ways to increase the space in your home this summer. If you need help with mobile or on-site storage, feel free to give us a call at 888-947-7974 or visit us online for a free, no-obligation quote. We have a variety of solutions that are available to meet all your storage needs!

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Organizing Tasks To Complete This Week

Goal Plan Action

The global COVID-19 pandemic has caused rising levels of anxiety around our country. While social distancing, many people have an abundance of time on their hands but also an abundance of worries. One way to combat the worry and anxiety is to tackle the organization of your home. While it won’t change the behavior or the repercussions of the virus, it can give you a feeling of control over what is happening within the confines of your home. With home organization comes order and with order comes calmness.

Decluttering is the first step to organizing. The less items you have in any space, the easier it will be to organize them. Get started in these areas:

The Pantry: Many of us are cooking more at home these days, so a well stocked pantry is a must. But before you stock it, be sure it is decluttered and organized. The ability to spot every single can of soup, snack, and box of pasta at a glance can cut down on trips to the store. Start by removing everything from the pantry, checking expiration dates, and wiping down the shelves. If you have an excess of some items, consider reaching out to elderly family and neighbors or donating what you don’t need. Use clear baskets and bins to group like things together. Use labels on the bins and the shelves themselves to make sure everything goes back to the proper spot.

The Refrigerator: When you’re hungry, you don’t want to spend time hunting for the right ingredient. You want to easily find the item you’re looking for, so let’s get the refrigerator organized also! The goal is to make it easier for you to cook healthy meals at home and cut down on trips to the store. Working in sections, take food out to clean away crumbs and spills inside the refrigerator. Using clear bins in the refrigerator is also a great way to get organized. Group like items such as a bin for fruit, one for drinks, one for sandwich fixings, etc. Another pro tip is to use a lazy Susan for open jars and condiments that sometimes get lost in the back.

The “Office”: Not every home has a dedicated office, but If your job has shifted to working remotely, or your kids are doing their schoolwork at home, you’ll need to clear some work space. Set aside a clutter free space to help you stay focused and be more productive. Now is also the time to organize important papers in your office area. Having your identification, employment documents, tax documents, insurance paperwork, and medical forms in one easy-to-locate spot can be incredibly helpful during this time. 

The Entertainment Collection: Entertainment, it means many things to different people. During this time period, it could mean your bike riding gear, fishing gear, puzzle collection, craft supplies, garden tools, board games, card games, books, music, movies, and the list goes on. Pull out and discover some old favorites to pass the time and set aside items you don’t enjoy anymore for donation at a later date.

Take the opportunity to cross things off your organizing list that you wouldn’t normally have time for in a pre-coronavirus routine. Decluttering and organizing can help you feel more in control and more productive. While you are organizing, Zippy Shell is open and ready to serve your storage needs in the safest way possible. Call today or click here to get a quote!

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5 Hacks for the Organizationally Challenged

Woman carrying box of stuff in home

If everyone in the world excelled in the same areas, the world would be a very boring place! Some people are naturally gifted at organizing, while for others it can be a struggle. These tips are for those that fall into the organizationally challenged group. So, check out these hacks, create a plan, and get organized.

  • 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, lid storage, to hide your router, arrange flip flops or water bottles, and so much more.
  • Shoe organizers will become your best friend. 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.
  • Tension rods are next on the home organizing hack list. Stagger two rods to create a shoe holder, organize scarves, display artwork, hang cleaning products underneath the cabinet, and use them to divide drawer space.  
  • One of the secrets to getting organized is knowing that paper towel holders don’t have to be used just for paper towels! 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. 
  • It’s time to finally put those shoe boxes you have been holding onto to good use. Cut them in half and use them as draw dividers for your undergarments. Create a charging station out of decorated shoe boxes. Plastic shoe boxes are perfect for organizing single serve snacks and packets in your pantry.

To achieve a truly organized home, you might find that your best option is to store some of your lesser used items. Zippy Shell provides simple, climate-controlled storage solutions. Learn more by visiting www.zippyshell.com today!

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7 Shed Organization Tips That Will Help Tidy up your Backyard

Organized backyard shed

Have you had enough of jumping over your lawnmower in your shed simply to reach a bag of fertilizer? Trying to find space for your yard tools into a small shed can be a hard task to complete. With these tips, you can productively store all of your outdoor belongings away until you need to use them.

Create floor to ceiling shelves

Shelving allows you to use all of your shed’s space from top to bottom. This allows you to use all of the available storage space of your shed towards the ceiling. Line your shelves with bins of various sizes to fit countless items in them.

Install a pegboard on the wall

Maximize your usage of the wall space within your shed. If your shed is relatively small, using as much of its wall space as possible will help give you much more room to work with. Pegboards can be used to hang almost anything, from tools to fertilizer, and much more!

Combine chemical containers in one bin

Many chemicals such as fertilizer, weed killer, and bug spray are commonly used in or around your home; they can also be very dangerous. These items can be extremely toxic and even flammable in hot, enclosed areas, so be sure you check each for specific storage instructions. If possible, keep all of your chemicals in their original containers, and then place them all into one safe bin. Be sure this bin is sturdy, and leak-proof, to prevent your chemicals from spilling throughout your shed.

Hang a shoe organizer on the back of the door

Many people forget that the back of their door is a great place to store extra items. Hang a shoe organizer on the back of your shed’s door to fit many miscellaneous items that have no real right place to go.

Use a magnetic bar

A magnetic bar works great for any tools to get them up and out of the way while making it extremely easy to find just the tool you need. Attach a magnetic bar to one of the walls of your shed. This will allow for storage of your tools without even having to take up any shelf or workbench space in your shed.

Use large tool hooks

Big items such as shovels and rakes can often cause a pile-up of tools in the corner or floor of your shed. If you screw in large hooks right into the side of your shed, your bigger yard tools will always have a place to hang. You are more likely not to toss these items onto the floor of your shed when they have a secure place to hang where they belong.

Create a walkway

Even if your shed has minimal space, it will still need a small walkway for safety reasons. If you have a clear walkway this will prevent you from frequently placing items right in the middle of your shed. This will allow you to easily and safely access to every item in your shed, and spend less time decluttering and trying to locate or reach certain things hidden behind junk.

Need some additional storage space this Summer for your stuff? Check out Zippy Shell today! We offer flexible storage solutions perfect for everyone, whether you need on-site storage or just want to keep your belongings in a safe and secure warehouse location. Zippy Shell is here for you to make storage simple.

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Quick Weekend Renovation Projects for Your Home

Install a medicine cabinet

Find a medicine cabinet that matches the shape of your mirror to hang it right behind your mirror with a few screws.  If you cannot find one that has a similar shape, hang any medicine cabinet above your toilet or next to your bathroom mirror.  This storage hack can easily be done in less than an hour.

Paint or paper a wall

Paint a whole room a new color or spruce up a room by adding wallpaper to one wall in a room.  This works great for a bathroom to accent around your sink and mirror.

Replace your showerhead

Buy a low flow showerhead or a showerhead that allows you to adjust the water pressure.  This will allow you to save money on your water bill and help the environment.

Weather seal your doors and windows

Insert foam weather stripping on the bottoms of your doors or on the panels of your windows.  This will keep your house sealed from cold fall air coming through.  This will also prevent you from wasting money on having to crank your heat up to keep your house warm.

Spice up your trim

Repaint your wall or door trim to give it a refreshed look.  Add a pop of color by painting a new color over it that balances well with the room.  This can also be applied well to your fireplace trim to give it a more modern look.

Patch up holes in your wall

You may have had a few holes in your walls that have been meaning to get fixed for a while now.  Take a minimal amount of time out of your weekend to put some spackle over old holes to clean up the room.

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School Supply Shopping Tips

Summer has gone by quick, and school is quickly approaching now. Soak up the sun and enjoy the pool for a few more days before it is time to do schoolwork! Before sending your children off to school, remember to do some back-to-school shopping. Follow these tips for a smooth back-to-school shopping experience.

  1. Keep your eye out for deals! Many stores will have deals and special sales on back-to-school gear. Whether it is backpacks, notebooks, pencils, or paper, always try to take advantage of the end of summer deals!
  2. Look for coupons. Look for coupons in magazines, newspapers, websites, and more! Coupons can help you save big and can save time deciding on which materials to buy.
  3. Make a list. Don’t go into the store blind. Try and make a list of the supplies you need to purchase before you leave for the store. This will make your shopping more efficient and less stressful.
  4. Try to hold off on shopping for clothes. Everyone child wants to have the coolest outfit on the first day of school. However, studies have shown that the end of the summer isn’t the best time to shop for clothes. Prices will generally be higher and the clothing isles will be more crowded. Try shopping for clothes a few weeks after school starts!
  5. Start shopping when the stores first open! Arriving at the store when the doors have just opened is often the best way to breeze through back-to-school shopping. You won’t have to wait in lines and you can find supplies more easily. Easier said than done but try to be an “early bird” for the day!
  6. Next summer, start back-to-school shopping earlier in the summer! It is often hard to think about, but consider doing some back-to-school shopping in order to avoid the large crowds. If you have a free day in the summer, use it to get some shopping out of the way!

 

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Store Your Items with Zippy Shell While Selling Your Home

A customer in the Piedmont Triad area was in the process of selling their home. Prior to putting their house on the market, they needed to declutter and resurface their floors. They needed extra storage space to keep all their belongings during the renovation and home selling process. During the renovation, Zippy Shell delivered three storage containers to their home and loaded up all the belongings that needed to be stored.
Until the day they moved to their new home, Zippy Shell safely stored their items at one of our secure climate-controlled storage facilities. Zippy Shell then delivered their items right to their new home, where we helped them unload everything and bring it into their new home.
Zippy Shell allowed the customer to make the process of selling their old home and moving into a new home as smooth as possible.  If you are looking to sell your home and need extra storage space while doing so to make your home as presentable as possible, get a quote with Zippy Shell today!

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Onsite Storage in the Piedmont Triad Area

A customer in the Piedmont Triad area was in need of storage space.  They were looking for extra storage that they could keep at their house to have easy access to the items they needed stored.  Luckily, Zippy Shell was able to provide a portable storage unit for them right at their home.  Our moving and storage professionals delivered the unit straight to their driveway.  Per their request, Zippy Shell easily maneuvered the unit into their backyard to be stored there.  The customer gained the perfect amount of storage space they needed without having the burden of taking up an entire space in their garage.
Zippy Shell’s portable storage units and onsite storage containers are perfect to serve any of your storage needs!  If you are looking for some extra storage space today, check us out for a quote here!

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Storage in the Piedmont Triad Area

A customer in the Piedmont Triad area recently needed storage space while renovating their home. Zippy Shell delivered two onsite storage units to the customer’s home. The shells were loaded and put into a tight space in the customer’s backyard for the ease of unloading. The customer unloaded the items and put them back into their respecting rooms once the renovation in that room was complete. Then they would load the shell up with the other items from the next room while the renovation progressed. At one point, even a full-size stand up piano was loaded into the shell, stored, then unloaded without any damage to the piano. It was then easily transported back into the basement where it came from.
If you are looking to renovate your home and need storage for your furniture while the renovations are being done, get a quote with Zippy Shell today! We can provide onsite storage right at your home for easy access to your items or provide portable storage units that we can store at our climate-controlled storage facility.