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  • Understanding Your Units
    By joel on October 25, 2011 | No Comments  Comments
    Climate control is something a lot of people know little about when looking for storage.  Most people think it is necessary to have a climate controlled space, even when they store things that usually sit outside.  This is not the case.  A renter usually only needs at room temperature controlled space when storing expensive furniture and/or belongings. They do not know any better and when they are shopping around, they are asking each facility manager about climate controlled spaces.
    There are some things that would need a climate controlled space for. For example, artwork would be stored in a climate controlled space, while patio furniture would not.  If you feel that you can place things in your garage for safe keeping then you can most likely go with a standard space. Most garages do not have air conditioning going to it. So walk out to your garage and see how you feel about storing your belongings in there.
    Usually climate controlled units are more expensive, so if you don’t need it, don’t pay for it! Most facility managers will try to tell you which space you need. Listen to them. They will not try to lead you astray. If they tell you something that is not true, they are putting your faith in them on the line. They do not want to do that.

    Climate control is something a lot of people know little about when looking for storage.  Most people think it is necessary to have a climate controlled space, even when they store things that usually sit outside.  This is not the case.  A renter usually only needs at room temperature controlled space when storing expensive furniture and/or belongings. They do not know any better and when they are shopping around, they are asking each facility manager about climate controlled spaces.

    There are some things that would need a climate controlled space for. For example, artwork would be stored in a climate controlled space, while patio furniture would not.  If you feel that you can place things in your garage for safe keeping then you can most likely go with a standard space. Most garages do not have air conditioning going to it. So walk out to your garage and see how you feel about storing your belongings in there.

    Usually climate controlled units are more expensive, so if you don’t need it, don’t pay for it! Most facility managers will try to tell you which space you need. Listen to them. They will not try to lead you astray. If they tell you something that is not true, they are putting your faith in them on the line. They do not want to do that.

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  • RV Property Managers
    By joel on July 26, 2011 | No Comments  Comments
    As a property manager you will see many people come in with their RVs and look for a place to store them. It does not have to be a particular time of the year, people will drive their RVs right into your facility in order to have them stored and taken care of. Most property managers have facilities in which all of the needs of the customer will be met. What do most people need out of the properties their RVs will be stored?
    The best managed properties will be sure to include wash bays, dump stations and also a public rest area for the customer. Customers love to have a facility that has wash bays so they can have their RV nice and clean before they store them. The wash bays are also great so their RV will look good before they hit the road again. A facility having a dump station goes without saying. There will not be another place in which you will be able to dump the access waste. A good property manager would ensure that the owner had a place to expel of the waste before they advertised that facility had RV spaces.
    There are many types of RV parking available these days.  Most RV parking is in the form of a standard outside parking space.  However, some storage facilities have units which fit RV’s inside.  These units must be taller than a regular storage unit, and must have a higher door clearance as well.  There are also many properties which have covered parking spaces.  These spaces are protected by car ports.  All three types of RV parking are secure, since most parking is usually inside a security gate.  However, in terms of nature, the inside or car port space will insure your things will be protected in case of inclement weather.
    Being a property manager and running a RV storage facility can not always be the simplest situation. The thing is that many people have RVs that they are looking to store, but they do not know where they can put it. When people call into the facility to discus RV storage, the property manager has to be able to inform them on the reasons they should rent from them. A property manager has to wear different hats, especially that of a sales person.

    As a property manager you will see many people come in with their RVs and look for a place to store them. It does not have to be a particular time of the year, people will drive their RVs right into your facility in order to have them stored and taken care of. Most property managers have facilities in which all of the needs of the customer will be met. What do most people need out of the properties their RVs will be stored?

    The best managed properties will be sure to include wash bays, dump stations and also a public rest area for the customer. Customers love to have a facility that has wash bays so they can have their RV nice and clean before they store them. The wash bays are also great so their RV will look good before they hit the road again. A facility having a dump station goes without saying. There will not be another place in which you will be able to dump the access waste. A good property manager would ensure that the owner had a place to expel of the waste before they advertised that facility had RV spaces.

    There are many types of RV parking available these days.  Most RV parking is in the form of a standard outside parking space.  However, some storage facilities have units which fit RV’s inside.  These units must be taller than a regular storage unit, and must have a higher door clearance as well.  There are also many properties which have covered parking spaces.  These spaces are protected by car ports.  All three types of RV parking are secure, since most parking is usually inside a security gate.  However, in terms of nature, the inside or car port space will insure your things will be protected in case of inclement weather.

    Being a property manager and running a RV storage facility can not always be the simplest situation. The thing is that many people have RVs that they are looking to store, but they do not know where they can put it. When people call into the facility to discus RV storage, the property manager has to be able to inform them on the reasons they should rent from them. A property manager has to wear different hats, especially that of a sales person.

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  • Quick Thinking
    By joel on June 22, 2011 | No Comments  Comments
    Sometimes as a property manager, you will have to find a way to make situations work in your favor. You will not always have all the tools in front of you to run your business well. The customers that you are serving do not always care that you do not have something that you need to serve them. They are looking for a solution right then, and now. As property managers you want to take care of the needs of your customers but it is not always easy.
    In the self storage world it would seem simple enough for a customer to come into the office, rent a space and then begin to store. In the perfect world that would be the case. Just like in any other business the system has be functioning correctly and the product or space has to be available to use. There have been times, not often, that a door to the storage unit will not roll up or the computer says a space is available when it really is not. At that point, the property manager has to think quickly on their feet in order to take care of that customer without losing them.
    In situations that happen beyond the control of the property manager, they manager hopes that the customer is calm and will work with them. Some customers know it is not the fault of the property manager and they will be patient. Other times, that is not the case and the manager needs to do something to make the situation right as soon as possible. In any case, have a back up plan and potential a back up plan for that back up plan. It is good to be prepared even if you do not have all that require to take care of them.

    Sometimes as a property manager, you will have to find a way to make situations work in your favor. You will not always have all the tools in front of you to run your business well. The customers that you are serving do not always care that you do not have something that you need to serve them. They are looking for a solution right then, and now. As property managers you want to take care of the needs of your customers but it is not always easy.

    In the self storage world it would seem simple enough for a customer to come into the office, rent a space and then begin to store. In the perfect world that would be the case. Just like in any other business the system has be functioning correctly and the product or space has to be available to use. There have been times, not often, that a door to the storage unit will not roll up or the computer says a space is available when it really is not. At that point, the property manager has to think quickly on their feet in order to take care of that customer without losing them.

    In situations that happen beyond the control of the property manager, they manager hopes that the customer is calm and will work with them. Some customers know it is not the fault of the property manager and they will be patient. Other times, that is not the case and the manager needs to do something to make the situation right as soon as possible. In any case, have a back up plan and potential a back up plan for that back up plan. It is good to be prepared even if you do not have all that require to take care of them.

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  • Property Management Security
    By joel on June 7, 2011 | No Comments  Comments
    As a property manager you need to ensure that your facility is doing some things correctly in order to attract new customers in to rent. There will be some property managers that believe that they have everything going for them and they have no problem attracting new clients. That is fine if the manager is content with his facility and his potential new renters, but is that going to be the same situation a year from now? In this industry you can not be too secure.
    When a property manager is looking at their monthly or quarterly business plan, they have to ensure they have a good plan of action in place. They want to ensure that their company is being run well and there are not any unforeseen gaps in the business. Companies will look at all facets of their business and determine if there are any holes in the system. Even if there are not any holes in system they want to look to see if every department is running at their max capabilities. If something is out of the ordinary or falling short of expectations, a correction can be made right there instead of when the situation gets worse.
    Many companies feel comfortable where they are so they see no need to change any thing that they are doing. They will put off painting the exterior of the facility, changing out that part of the fence that really needs to be fixed and so on. Some will let it get to the point in which major work needs to be done when it used to be a minor issue. Some feel that their reputation is enough to get customers in the door so their customer service starts lacking where it used to be top notch. These same property managers do not seem to put the necessary effort into their properties unless they feel threatened by another competitor. Otherwise they are pretty much set in their ways.
    In any economy you can not afford to sit back and wait to see what others are going to do. You have to be proactive and ensure that your properties will flourish no matter what economic obstacle is presented. Your properties are very important and should thus be treated as such.As a property manager you need to ensure that your facility is doing some things correctly in order to attract new customers in to rent. There will be some property managers that believe that they have everything going for them and they have no problem attracting new clients. That is fine if the manager is content with his facility and his potential new renters, but is that going to be the same situation a year from now? In this industry you can not be too secure.

    When a property manager is looking at their monthly or quarterly business plan, they have to ensure they have a good plan of action in place. They want to ensure that their company is being run well and there are not any unforeseen gaps in the business. Companies will look at all facets of their business and determine if there are any holes in the system. Even if there are not any holes in system they want to look to see if every department is running at their max capabilities. If something is out of the ordinary or falling short of expectations, a correction can be made right there instead of when the situation gets worse.

    Many companies feel comfortable where they are so they see no need to change any thing that they are doing. They will put off painting the exterior of the facility, changing out that part of the fence that really needs to be fixed and so on. Some will let it get to the point in which major work needs to be done when it used to be a minor issue. Some feel that their reputation is enough to get customers in the door so their customer service starts lacking where it used to be top notch. These same property managers do not seem to put the necessary effort into their properties unless they feel threatened by another competitor. Otherwise they are pretty much set in their ways.

    In any economy you can not afford to sit back and wait to see what others are going to do. You have to be proactive and ensure that your properties will flourish no matter what economic obstacle is presented. Your properties are very important and should thus be treated as such.

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  • Beginning Your Search for Self Storage
    By jeff on December 15, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

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    Great things could be in your future. You may be in for a lot of trouble if you do not find a good Oshawa storage space. There are a few things that you will need to know in order to find the best in Ontario. What most callers will do is price shop. This is an obvious rookie mistake. You should really focus on the security before anything else.

    The security of the Oshawa storage site is important because storage sites can be prime targets for theft. Think about it. They are on a piece of land that nobody is really watching after store hours. They are just sitting there all night long potentially unguarded. The site should have good security fencing for starters. This should keep out most of the amateurs. The fence needs to be in good condition. If it has spots where the fence is torn up, then it is not really serving any purpose. The fence needs to be pretty thick and made with good materials. Otherwise, some criminal could simply cut right through the fence. A pin code should be required to access the property. Some people actually see this as an inconvenience. Just know that it is necessary for two major reasons. It will keep non renters off the property. It will also track who goes in and out and the time that they did so.

    Every Oshawa storage site should have video cameras to monitor the property. Now, pretty much every storage site in Ontario will have video cameras. The level of surveillance is going to vary greatly between sites. There are some sites that just put up a camera of two just so they can tell callers that they have video camera surveillance. Obviously, this does not really help much. Some sites go all out. There are several cameras strategically located around the property to monitor every inch of the facility. This will do two things. First, it will deter theft. Second, it will provide evidence if someone does try to commit a crime.

    Those three features are really the main ones that you want to look for. Most Oshawa storage sites will have them. The quality is the difference. The best way for you to determine the quality would be to visit the site and see for yourself. The manger would be more than happy to show you around the facility so that you can see for yourself. Ask lots of questions about the security features. You can ask if they have had any break ins in the past, but they may not divulge that info even if they have.

    There are some other security features that some sites may have on occasion. These are not necessary for good security, but you can still keep an eye out for them. Some sites may have door alarms on the units. These will go off when someone breaks in to your unit. The quality is the key once again. They should go to a company with a great response time or the local police for them to be beneficial. There are some sites that have security guards or police that patrol the property at night. Some sites have guard dogs. Some renters who do not like dogs may not like that a whole lot.

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