NEWS AND TIPS


What Not to Store in Your Storage Unit

Moving Tips


What Not to Store in Your West Valley Storage Units It's easy to think of storage units as catch-all spaces where you can stash away any item you’re not currently using. This leaves a lot of options on the table, and a lot of room for mistakes to be made. So, before you shove everything in and dust off your hands, read this list of ten items not to store in your West Valley storage units to avoid bigger problems down the road. #1 Live Plants or Animals Storage units aren’t built to house plants, animals or humans. Many of our storage units are temperature controlled which means they provide shelter from extreme temperatures. However, living organisms need fresh air and sunlight to thrive. Storage units are not suitable or safe for any living thing. #2 Perishables Foods with expiration dates, no matter how far in the future, should not be stored in your storage units in West Valley. This can attract bugs or vermin to your unit, and to neighboring spaces. Furthermore, perishables will often mold or rot, leaving a big stinky mess that will cost hours of clean-up later. #3 Candles This is one that gets overlooked a lot because it’s not so obvious at first. But, think of candles in the same context as perishables. The wax is soft and malleable, and subject to melt in hot climates. Imagine your grandmother’s couch covered in candle wax! #4 Cash Although Granite Mountain Storage offers top-notch security, there are safer places for stashing cash and other currency. Keep monetary items in a safety deposit box or safe. #5 Batteries Batteries are full of liquid toxins that are prone to leaking through the casing when exposed to hot or cold temperatures. No one wants to be the cause of toxic chemicals floating around the environment. #6 FireWorks Let’s be real, anything that has the potential to explode, probably shouldn’t go unattended. Try buying only what you need for every celebration and enjoy them ...


April R.
February 7th, 2023


6 Tips for Managing Stress During Big Life Changes

Moving Tips


Life is an ever-shifting landscape of change. It can happen suddenly like with a death of a family member, or gradually like with the birth of a baby or moving to a new city. Whether expected or not, change is stressful. Knowing how to cope can make a difference in both the present moment and the future. Here are a few tried-and-true strategies for managing your stress during big life changes. #1 Maintain Some Sense of Structure As humans, we’re most comfortable with consistency. We like to know what to expect from one moment to the next. So, when life becomes unpredictable, it make us feel anxious and insecure. One thing you can do to reduce anxiety is to maintain some sense of structure to your life. Whether it’s a simple morning routine or going to bed at the same time every night, keeping a routine during highly stressful times can help you feel grounded. #2 Practice Self-Care During big life changes, it’s easy to neglect your own needs. Depending on the situation you’re going through, you may even feel guilty about taking care of yourself. But, these are the times when self-care will benefit you and those around you the most. Set aside time every day to do something relaxing. Read a book, take a bath, or watch your favorite show. An hour of self-care per day is optimal, but even fifteen minutes is better than nothing. If you feel like that’s too much, take five minutes to breathe and stretch. #3 Reach Out to Friends or a Therapist Let’s face it, we’re social creatures. Even the most introverted among us needs connection with other people from time to time. During unpredictable times, we need connection even more. Talking on the phone with a trusted friend can reduce stress and lower your heart rate. Hugging someone for twenty seconds lowers blood pressure and soothes frazzled nerves. Don’t feel like you have to shoulder problems on your own. Reach out and ...


April R.
February 7th, 2023


PACKING TIPS FOR A SMOOTH MOVE

Moving Tips


Moving is a stressful ordeal and often involves storing your possessions for a period of time. Even if you’re not storing your valuables these tips will make moving a little easier, a lot more organized and less stressful. 1. Plan ahead! Don’t wait until the last minute to pack. Start early and pack one box a day in each room. This will help you stay organized and give you plenty of time to label and color code boxes. 2. As you prepare your house for the market, box up unused and unnecessary items like knick knacks and clutter from counters and surfaces. Store your boxes and unnecessary furniture in a secure storage unit. This will help make your home show-ready and feel open, increasing the chance of selling quickly, for more money. 3. Announce your move and share your new address with a card to your friends and family. 4. Make a map of rooms and layout where furniture and boxes go. Keep this with your color code sheet and use it to guide and reduce stress on moving day. 5. Take picture of connections on computers, TVs and wifi routers to guide you as you reconnect in your new home. 6. Don’t pay to move or store what you don’t need. Have a yard sale to de-clutter. Put the proceeds toward storing what you do need. 7. Use small boxes for heavy items like books and big boxes for light bulky items like blankets. 8. Designate an area (i.e. room, closet or out-of-the-way wall) to store boxes as you pack. As boxes are filled, put heavier boxes on the bottom and lighter boxes on top. 9. Write the room or location of each box on the sides not the top. Now you know what is in the box without unstacking them. A list of contents will help account for everything and reduce time searching for items. 10. Color coordinate moving boxes by room or contents with color ...


Micah Harman
July 13th, 2021