Storage Worx–re-thinking storage warehouse solutions

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StorageWorx.ca
As a professional organizer it is always my goal to encourage people to GET RID OF THINGS not to keep things.  I am even less likely to recommend “long-term” off site storage.  In my opinion, it just encourages clients to put off making decisions about the stuff that they don’t physically want in their homes.  So when I was asked to attend an open house at Storage Worx, I was a bit hesitant. I was, however, intrigued by the office/storage/ concierge-service-concept that this brand new facility provided.
To be honest, I am very glad that I went to see Storage Worx because it gave me a different perspective on how you can use a storage unit.  Since you see these facilities popping up EVERYWHERE.
My first impression was overwhelmingly good. Why you ask? Well, get a load of what you see as soon as you walk-in:
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Thanks to Al Desrochers from SnapLondon.ca for this photo

Yes, those are packing supplies! Nice shinny boxes, packing tape, packing paper, bubble wrap… It is the kind of stuff that makes my heart sing (clearly, as a pro. organizer…I have issues with boxes). So you can buy some great supplies here too!

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As I took the tour around the facility, I was struck with how clean it was, that it was climate controlled and that there were many different units sizes to choose from.
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Just to give you an idea of unit dementions, they had one unit that illustrated what the space would look like (see photo above on the right). Being a visual person, I found this very helpful.  Since the ceilings are 10’ high, you can see that you can get an awful lot of things into these spaces no matter how small.  With the Manager, Shirlene Ross, we figured you could get about 100 bankers boxes in a 5×5 unit. Not bad if you are a professional that is required to keep records for a number of years.
The prices varied from $75 per month for a 5×5 unit to $525 per month for the largest 20×20 unit.  They also had a few units that were 10 x35 that would be able to house a 4-5 bedroom house!
There are a few features that Storage Worx offers when you are  renting a storage unit:

  1. 24/7/365 access to your unit
  2. No contracts: rent by day, week or month to month
  3. Security with unique access codes for the facility & your unit with alarmsIMG01729-20120718-1104 (2) with video surveillance (see right for all the 16 camera views)
  4. Climate controlled (heat in winter, cool in summer) 
  5. Friendly office staff providing added ‘concierge’ services during the week
  6. Professional movers to help you move your stuff
  7. Complimentary use of dollies, carts & ladders
  8. Loading dock with a dock leveller
  9. Complimentary coffee, water and fresh cookies (made daily)
  10. WIFI throughout the building and complimentary use of the boardroom for tenants (boardroom table sits 8-10 comfortably)

My visit made me realize that there can be different uses for these units: a place to store samples or serve as a ‘remote office’ for travelling sales reps; a place to secure all your ‘gear’ if you are visiting for a baseball, soccer or hockey tournament (rent it for the weekend); temporarily store your stuff during home renovations; store your supplies if you are a contractor; store your files if you have limited office space; store your “toys” – skis, snowboards, in the winter, mountain bikes and camping equipment in the summer.

I had not ever considered short and long-term storage units to be a solutions for my ‘hoarding’ clients (I am saying that very gently and with NO judgment), but I can certainly see how a full-service operation like Storage Worx (owned by Bluestone Properties and lead by Colin Bierbaum, CSSM) will be a success here in London. It is a package deal with great customer service, a new clean, safe facility and some nice perks (or details) that one would want from a office centre.

Please let me know how YOU use storage units to help you STAY ORGANIZED!

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Margarita Ibbott is a travel and lifestyle blogger. She blogs about travel in Canada, the United States and Europe giving practical advice through restaurant, hotel and attraction reviews. She writes for DownshiftingPRO.com and other online media outlets.