The Holidays are finally over. All of our tenants seemed to have had a wonderful time with their family and friends. All were glad that things were back to normal. Back to normal means having to put their holiday decorations back into storage.  Other items need to be returned too such as extra tables, chairs, cookware, etc. Everyone has been putting everything into their unit until next year. Some of our tenants need to make several trips. They are all grateful to have the extra space for their seasonal belongings. We are close, convenient and secure. We are worth it!

Pleasant surprise here at Pouch Self Storage in San Juan this weekend. A 1925 Ford model T (aka “Depot Hacks”) rolled into our driveway being driven by one of our valued tenants. It’s not often a Model T is seen on the roads anymore and it seeks attention everywhere it goes. This one is well taken care of and is without doubt, “safer in the Pouch.”

Our customer offered a short history listen on the Model T (or Depot Hack as he called it). He said the very first station wagons were called Depot Hacks and were used as wagons to carry passengers and cargo from railroad stations back in the day. They started production on this American classic back in 1908 and the last one rolled off the assembly line in 1927.  He is proud of his car and trusts us at Pouch to safely store it in between his Sunday drives.

Suddenly, with no tenants on property, the fire alarm goes off. Larry and I look at each other puzzled. We respond to find no smoke or fire anywhere on the property. After silencing the alarm and speaking to RFI and the fire department, the facility returns to tranquility again. An hour before closing, the alarm goes off again. Once again we search for the source of the alarm to no avail. This time, we only spoke to RFI and shortly after, the fire department arrived. After resetting the system, they leave. We are still puzzled and concerned that the alarm will go off again during the course of the evening. Upon retrieving my vehicle near the end of the work day, I discover a strong, smoky barbeque smell coming from the nearby property. It is to my deduction that the smoke alarm was tripping when the smoky barbeque would enter the slotted vents nearest the detector. That must have been one heck of a dinner if the fire department had to respond. Never a dull moment at Long Beach.

It is good to see the local neighborhood taking advantage of all our services, including the free truck move, despite it being merely across the street.

Pouch Self Storage in San Juan welcomed a new customer from out-of-state! Last week he came in and explained the situation with his transfer at work…His family has been extremely busy the past couple weeks as they make the move and a new life in San Juan Capistrano, California. Fortunately, we (Pouch San Juan) have assisted him with one of the major stresses of his move…finding a storage unit and renting a truck to move his excess furniture and boxes. He was very grateful for our help and couldn’t thank us enough. As the driver, it was a very satisfying experience to see the appreciation he and his family had for Pouch… And his son absolutely loved our new truck!!!

The process of putting your home on the market can be involved and exhausting. Taking the time to organize and clean beforehand will help to reduce stress and increase your chances of selling your home. In the following article, we will show you some useful tips, such as using self-storage to help de-clutter your home before selling it.

Clean Before You Pack

It’s tempting to throw everything into boxes before your open house , but this creates an enormous amount of clutter that will eventually need to be organized. Instead, do your de-cluttering before you start to pack. This saves you time and money, and you won’t have to move as much into storage.

Schedule Segments of the House for De-cluttering

Breaking this project into smaller segments will make it easier to manage. Ideally, have at least a month or two for the entire project, and break it into time blocks of 2 or 3 hours for each segment. For instance, you could do half of the kitchen for a few hours over a weekend, and the second half on another weekend. Remember it’s best to start with the most cluttered room in your home or office to give you more momentum for the remainder of this project.

Tune In To Yourself to Find Out What You Want to Keep

Try picking a theme for your life that you would ideally like to live out at your next home or office, such as enjoyment, relaxation, or freedom. Keep this theme in mind as you sort through your belongings. If the item doesn’t fit the theme, donate or sell it. If it only somewhat fits the theme, consider putting it into a your self-storage unit.

To learn about our “ We Move You Free ” offer, call POUCH Self Storage at (888) 258-9626. We will provide you with the driver, insurance, gas, blankets, dolly, and moving truck; all you have to do is the loading and unloading. We service areas in Orange County, Long Beach, The Inland Empire, and Pasadena since 1979.  You can count on us to make your move “As Easy As it Should Be.” 

As you move, you will inevitably encounter items that need to be shredded or recycled. At POUCH Self Storage and POUCH Records Management, we are more than happy to provide those services for you. Ask us today for a shred or recycle bin for your home or office. Our containers can hold up to 250 pounds of paper, which is equivalent to about 8 or 9 standard file boxes. If you decide to keep your bins, trained individuals will come to your home or office to empty your bins each month. POUCH Self-Storage and POUCH Records Management are committed to your privacy, only the trained certified staff will open your locked shred box when its contents are emptied into the shredding truck.

If you want to dispose of your paper documents safely and eco-efficiently, contact POUCH Self Storage. Visit our website today to learn about our self-storage, recycling, and paper shredding services . If you have any questions, give us a call at (888) 258-9626.

Every 3 months Pouch Self Storage Anaheim picks 3 winners for our quarterly contest, the rule is you have to pay your rent on time. When one of our tenants came to collect her prize, a new customer was filling out her contract asked about the staff and facility. The current tenant told the new customer that she has been here for years and the staff is great. She also mentioned our Referral Program. The tenant said she refers friends and family all the time and loves receiving her referral check that is credited to her account. She finished by saying. “I get great service here and they pay me for it!”

Moving across the state or country is not an easy task. It requires a great deal of organization, time, and money. Read on to see how calling a reputable self-storage company and proper planning can reduce the cost, effort, and stress of moving,

Know the Place You Are Moving To

It’s hard to take stock of your long distance move if you don’t know about the place you’re moving to. Find out how many square feet your new place will be and compare it to how much space you currently have.

Categorize Your Belongings

Many people see moving as an opportunity to re-organize or purge their belongings, determining what they do and do not need. As you organize your possessions, put them into the following categories: sell, donate, trash, self-storage. You won’t need to bring anything with you if you haven’t used it for more than a year. But if you really think you will use it eventually, a good option is to bring it with you and place it in self-storage.

Implement a Schedule

Draft a schedule so you can break the work into manageable chunks. To minimize the inconvenience of needing to use something that is already packed, start by packing the items you use less often, and finish by packing the stuff you use more often.

Simplify the Unpacking Process

Unpacking is a huge chore. To make it easier, number your boxes before you start packing. Then, make an inventory list of what to put in each box. Group similar items so you won’t be digging through paperwork to find the kitchen towels.

During the moving process you will inevitably locate some items you can’t part with, even if you don’t use them regularly. You can take these items to Pouch Self Storage . If you want, we will even move these things to our storage center for you for free (some restrictions apply) —all you have to do is load and unload your belongings Call us at (888) 258-9626 or visit our website at  www.pouchselfstorage.com to learn more about our “We Move You Free” service for Orange County, Long Beach, Pasadena, and The Inland Empire. 

Thank goodness for the RV Dump Station, especially on these holiday weekends – this was pretty much the scene all weekend long, dump after dump, and lots of propane sales too!