Storage in the Fall: Your Guide
Before we can settle down on the couch to watch the 397th airing of “It’s the Great Pumpkin Spice Latte, Charlie Brown,” remember that fall is here and winter is right around the corner. What does that mean besides endless bags of leaves and trips to the shopping mall? It means it’s time to head over to your storage unit and start stowing your summer gear and bringing your fall and winter gear back home.
3 Tips for Storing Seasonal Items
Storage units are a great place to store your holiday decorations for the other 11 months of the year, especially if you’re not blessed with an overly large basement, garage or attic. And if you’re like the rest of us, you have lots of color-coordinated totes filled with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations. So now’s the time to get all your inflatable ghouls, gigantic pilgrim-hatted turkeys and teams of reindeer ready to fly. Even if you’re not ready to bring the winter decorations home quite yet, it’s at least a good idea to move them to the front of your facility so you can pick them up more easily.
And just remember, if you’re going all-in with a 12-ft tall giant skeleton for Halloween, we can help you store it when November rolls around.
Fall and Winter Tools
Depending on how much room you have in your garage at home, fall is a great time of year to swap the lawn mower and garden tools for the leaf blower and snow blower. The leaf blower is an obvious choice but getting the snow blower out early makes sense for a couple of reasons. First, your local hardware or small engine shop is probably running a tune-up special and can get it back to you much more quickly than after the season’s first snowstorm. And that’s the other reason. Unless you’re a meteorologist, who can say when that first surprise snowstorm is going to hit?
And don’t forget to get your rakes and snow shovels out of your storage unit. They’re stored upright in that trash can, right?
Seasonal Vehicle Storage
In many climates, it will soon be time to put away the motorcycle, roadster, RV, jet ski or boat you used every single weekend this summer. Many Store Space facilities offer drive-up units or outdoor secure vehicle parking spots.
Bicycles and motorcycles can fit in a 5’ x 10’ storage unit. Most side-by-sides can fit in a 10’ x 10’ storage unit. Outdoor parking typically ranges from 10’ x 20’ to 10’ x 30’ or larger, to handle cars, trucks, larger recreational vehicles and trailers.
Tips to remember:
- Drain as much fuel from the tank as possible
- If you do not have access to a trickle charger, disconnect the battery for long-term storage
- All stored vehicles, including boats and RVs, must have current registration and insurance
- Tires must be inflated and in good shape, including those on trailers
- If you’re storing a car outside, a car cover is recommended
- Tire locks are typically allowed
- If storing indoors, such as a drive-up unit, put cardboard down to prevent damage to the unit floor
Give your vehicle a good cleaning before driving it to the facility, and make sure everything is dry (especially the carpet and upholstery) before storing it to lessen the chance of mold.
It’s also a good idea to have the vehicle serviced before going into storage, including flushing and filling the brake fluid and coolant. Remember, vehicle maintenance or repair is not permitted at your unit. And even if you’re storing indoors, it’s a good idea keep it locked and to have a dust cover. Be sure you review your Rental Agreement for other storage information.
Now while you’re putting away the summer toys, it might be time to get the winter toys—such as a snowmobile or your hunting ATV—out of storage. Remember to bring any updated tags for your trailer, as well as an air pump to ensure the tires are properly inflated. And it’s always prudent to have an extra set of tie-downs just in case.
Better Seasonal Business Storage Solutions
This is also the time of year that many businesses look to increase their inventory in preparation for the holidays. Here are some ways that business customers might use a storage unit during fall and winter:
- Storage units make for a great temporary inventory or warehouse space if you’re looking to make room in your storefront by getting your summer merchandise out of the way, or plan to have overstock during the holidays.
- Contractors, especially landscapers, use storage facilities during the offseason to ensure their power tools and lawn equipment are safe and secure during the offseason.
- Restaurants often find they need to close their patios as the seasons change, so a storage unit can be a safe place to store your tables, chairs and umbrellas to protect them from the elements.
Whatever your needs, check with your local Store Space Self Storage to find affordable self-storage solutions for all your personal or commercial needs. Use our storage location finder for the location nearest you.
