Keeping Musical Instruments in a Self Storage Facility to Free up Space in the Home

Musical instruments are expensive and need to be taken care of well. Unfortunately, many people may live in dense, built up environments in small houses and they may not have the space to store their instruments and sound proofing to practice. The self storage facility can be a good option.

The making of music is almost as old as the first human that discovered pleasant sounds. It can be argued human beings are genetically inclined to make music. However, genetically inclined or not, the truth remains that people today may not tolerate your band practicing “Sweet Child of Mine” over and over or the still bad playing of your clarinet solo from “The Mission”. That, and apartments might not even have space for an entire drum set. If you face such a situation, do consider the self storage facility as a place to keep your instruments and to practise with your band. Here are some advantages to using the self storage facility.

1. Convenience

Many of the facilities have branches all over your state so you don’t have to go far to find one. However, you might have to ask the owner if it’s possible to practise in the unit you rent. It usually isn’t a problem but do check anyway just in case.

2. Noise (or the license to)

The last thing a musician needs is to control his own volume. You may annoy your neighbours at home but you don’t annoy anyone at the facility. Most people are there to pick up their goods or store them so you can make as much noise and mistakes you want over there.

3. Space

Of course, you have all the space to yourself to use. You don’t have to worry about your drum sticks or the bow of your double base hitting the wall. If you have a band, you can even opt for a bigger unit.

With these advantages, don’t rule out using one of the self storage facilities for your band practise. However, do take note that the maintenance of your instruments is your own responsibility. Your instruments need regular cleaning. Moisture can cause rust, the rosin left on the wood of your violin can damage the wood and the saliva in your flute can be really unhygienic. Always make sure your band and you are disciplined enough to clean your instruments after every practice session.

Keep packets of silica gel in your instrument cases to create a dry environment for the instruments. It might even be a good idea to have packets of silica gel placed in the unit itself to dry out the environment for better maintenance of the instruments.

The drawback to an enclosed unit might be the deafening noise that you are exposed to when playing. A good suggestion could be ear plugs. You need not get industrial ear plugs that cancel out all noise, just normal ear plugs that reduces the impact on your ear drums. A musician’s ear is very important and it is vital not to damage them.

The Maintenance and Storage of Camping Equipment When not in Use

Camping has become one of the best family bonding activities or as a character development for children and youths. However, what many overlook is the maintenance and storage of camping equipment during the period when they are not in use. This article shows you some tips that might be useful. 

Camping – the best activity for families to bond and an excellent chance for children and youths to get out of the house into the great outdoors. Right before any camping trip, many people would make a trip to the camping equipment store to purchase tents, portable toilets, outdoor stoves, jack knives etc. You use these newly purchased, and quite expensive equipment in your camp, and when camp is over, store them somewhere. When the next trip comes, you retrieve the items you stashed away and you discover the tent has started to rip, the jack knife has rusted and your stove simply cannot start. It’s a trip to the equipment store again amidst a whole lot of cursing.

Sounds familiar? Here are some tips that soldiers, camping experts and outdoors men follow when it comes to the maintenance of their camp equipment.

1. Keep moisture away

Soldiers know that it isn’t necessarily the enemies that you fear most but moisture that creeps into your equipment. Moisture can destroy. It causes rust, so your jack knife isn’t sharp anymore and the metal parts of your stove, unusable. It can damage your tent by causing the polyurethane coating to stick to itself, ripping the material when peeled apart, and by encouraging mildew growth. Always remember to dry all equipment thoroughly before putting them away. This step is even more important if you are storing in a self storage facility as you will not be accessing it as much.

2. Keep an inventory

This is the most overlooked step but it is so simple. Whether you’re storing in your garage or in the self storage facility, you must have with you a list of all the items that you have purchased. Why is this important? It is because the items are seldom used and you will forget what you had put away in storage. This will save you money in the long run by preventing you from buying stuff you already have.

3. Wash all equipment

This is obvious for your mobile toilet. However, many forget that many items are placed on the ground full of foreign bacteria that can be brought back to your storage. Give everything a rinse with a hose and some antiseptic wash, and that includes your backpack. Then remember point number one.

4. Protect

A good tip to follow is to put what can go into your backpack in there. Lining the interior of the backpack with a plastic bag is optional with today’s material but it can give you that extra protection against moisture. The benefit of storing things in your backpack is of course, the convenient the next time you go camping. As for larger items, wrap them in plastic neatly in storage and they can last you a long time.

Preparation Tips For A Quick House Sale

So you want to see your house quickly? It can be a long process sometimes as competition is tough and it's a buyer's market. There are ways to increase your chances though which involve some elbow grease and hard work, read on for some practical ideas on how to sell your home as quickly as possible.

Selling a house quickly is possible to do, but it involves doing some work to get the result you want and that includes a lot of planning and preparation, organizational skills and even some creativity.

The best way to start is to pack up the things you never use, as you do this task it gives the chance to sort through your things and throw away those items that are old, unnecessary and useless. If you have an attic full of boxes this might be a good place to start, work your way from the top of the house down and concentrate first on storage spaces such as cupboards and closets, the spare room, and the basement or cellar.

Pack the things you intend to keep in cardboard or recycled boxes and if you have the space available stack them neatly in the garage out of the way of prospective buyers prying eyes. It’s actually an even better idea if you store them away from the house at a storage facility where you can rent a self-storage unit very cheaply and leave the property nice and clear of any junk that might distract viewers from the house itself, which is what you want them to see.

Leave those rooms you use the most until last, then clear out drawers and units, clear the counters and remove pictures and photos. The idea in these frequently-used rooms is to have your things organized in such a way they can be quickly hidden or put away when a buyer comes to have a look around. Baskets are attractive and come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, whilst storage bins or boxes are great for holding kids toys and larger sized objects.

 The first things people notice about anyone else’s house is how untidy it is and if it’s clean. If you simply don’t have the time or motivation to spring clean the property then spend that money and get the professionals in to do it for you. You’ll be surprised at how fussy potential buyers can be and dirty bathrooms or kitchens are complete turn-offs. Get the carpets cleaned or the floors waxed and make the place shine like it never has before.

Your home has now become a show home, forget that is was once the family home and store away all those personal bits and pieces in boxes ready to be moved into the new place. Home buyers aren’t interested in your family photos, they want to see how much space is available in the living room and if there are enough cupboards in the kitchen.

When people are buying a place they want lots of storage space, this includes the garage too. If your selling literature states, ‘a 2 car garage’, then make sure that is obvious when anyone comes to look. People are very visual and not particularly imaginative! Get any repair jobs completed before putting the house up for sale, wear and tear on a property is not a good look.

Last, but not least, is to sort out the exterior of the property. Think about how your house looks when people see it for the first time. Does the front door need a new coat of paint? Is the garden well-kept and the grass cut? You could easily add some flowers to the front area to make it more appealing.