Are You Prepared For The Move?

I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed lately.  I'm not going to lie (not a good practice for anyone to fall into) however, moving isn't easy.  So, I thought I would write about it since moving and self storage often go hand in hand.  Many years ago, my Mother taught me this wonderful trick, pack what you own in plastic totes.  They don't fall apart, don't collect mildew, don't have to be taped and re-taped each time you want to search for something and they are easy to carry.  You can normally use a dry/erase marker on them and if not, write with permanent marker on masking tape because the masking tape removes easy.  So, totes have been my friends for a long time.  I would highly recommend stocking up when you see them go on sale.

Once you have those in place, you can begin to sort through items to keep and items to toss/sell/give away.  Because I had already packed our items in totes during the last move, I took two empty totes and we brought out one tote at a time and went through each item, three totes: keep, toss, throw.  Doing it that way made it go so much more quickly.  Once we were finished, we took clothes we no longer needed to the donation center, thew away what we couldn't give away and then gave away the items we didn't need.  This drastically reduced the amount of items we knew we would ship later.

Once you have "purged" your household, the easiest thing to do is rent a storage unit.  Yep, that's the business we are in but let me tell you, it truly is the best way to prepare for a move.  You can then begin to pack the items you are keeping in the totes and place them in a storage unit so you can focus on staging your home or pre-cleaning your apartment prior to move-out.  Prior to moving there is often much cleaning involved.  "What?!" You may exclaim, "I'm a very clean person!".  Well, you would be very amazed once you begin to move items around how much dust hides from your eyesight.  And, what about filling nail holes from the pictures which adorned your walls?  Then there is the touch up paint job that follows. Oh, and have you dusted your baseboards in a while? It all takes time.

Saving all of these items until moving weekend can be very exhausting.  Plus, if you are working and have little time during the week, you will suddenly feel panicked, overwhelmed and stressed while trying to juggle it all.  And this is where I have been finding myself as of late.  This is with everything you see above in place and with the exception of part of the pre-cleaning and touch-up painting.  I'm ahead of the game but still wanted the pre-cleaning and painting finished by now. I know, I know, I really should be patting myself and my son on the backs.  High fives are in order.  But, as the old adage says, "It's not over til the fat lady sings".  So, in my eyes, I still have a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time.

If you find yourself preparing for a move, I would highly suggest making a priority list.  Here are the most important things to list:

1)  Purchase several totes
2)  Place totes in each room
3) Start with the front room and make your way to the back, there is a method to this madness.  People have a tendency to pack more junk in the back of the house out of a person's sight. You put the things that mean a lot to you out for everyone to see. So, once you have packed the kitchen, living room and front bathroom, you are ready to get rid of everything.  This will make packing and purging things in the back part of the house much easier.
4)Rent a storage unit and start taking your totes to the unit
5) Assess what cleaning needs to take place in your home
6) Assess the painting that also needs to take place
7) Make your shopping list
8) Go through one room at a time until finished
9) At this point, you may even decide to go through items again, if so, the great news is that you can open your storage unit, go to the tote you want to go through and take care of it at the storage facility.  Most have dumpsters you can use.  Take a few extra totes with you when you go in the event you purge more items.
10) Relax, you have accomplished a lot.  Take yourself out for a nice meal, gourmet cup of coffee or a movie.

All in all, moving is stressful and no matter how much planning you do, it will be impossible to knock out that feeling of being a little overwhelmed.  However, if you put a list in place and have the materials handy that you need to get the job accomplished, you will have a feeling of structure and order and will be able to accomplish this huge endeavor and you will succeed and be able to enjoy the move a lot more than you would have had you not planned at all.

Have a great week!

Michelle Armstrong
Manager
Star Storage
816-765-7300

I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together

We all know that seasons change.  Not only within nature, but within humans as well.  I remember the moment I realized I was already homesick for Washington state, it was the moment I saw the top of Mt. Rainier as I drove East on I-90.  However, personal and family matters called us to the Midwest and as the tears rolled down my face, I continued to drive.  When we arrived in KC after spending some time with family in Indiana, I had no idea what was going to happen.  I was working a temporary night job but searching for something to fit my marketing background.  It just so happened, my new landlord also owned a storage facility. I asked him if he was hiring and he was.  I was up to the challenge and was available to work the hours he needed to fill on a part time basis.  Two months later, I became the full-time manager for this little diamond in the rough.  I had a huge challenge facing me, to put Star back on the map, raise our occupancy rate and lower our default rate (including eliminating as many auctions as possible).

Having a background in non-profit development, sales, marketing and database management, I was able to utilize everything I knew and put it to test while learning the self-storage business.  I had extensive experience with property management laws in other states so understanding most of the self-storage legalese was not an issue, either. I succeeded in doing everything he asked from me (and more).  However, what came out of working here went far beyond the scope of anything I thought would be possible: the gift of my customers.  I've worked with Governor's, Senator's, major league athletes, major motion picture executives, tourism professionals, CEO's and financial gurus.  But never have I had the blessing of being able to meet people who aren't forced to put on a presence for all to see.  Blue-collar workers, the unemployed, homeless, military men and women, you name it, these are the people you pass by every single day and the people who visit me.  The one's who serve you at McDonald's.  The one's who serve you at Ruth Chris.  The one's who scan your Fruit Of The Looms at WalMart.  The ones who process your payments and pick the perfect units for you at self-storage facilities.  People who are clad in t-shirts, jeans, capris, tennis shoes, tired, circles under their eyes sometimes, no holds barred, real people.  

Not saying that the other people in my life prior to this weren't real.  That was my lifestyle for a long time.  Heels, suits, meetings, blackberry's, shaking hands, perfect grammar, we know the routine.  It's what is expected.  And contrary to popular belief, these are also pretty incredible people.  Spending time with many of them people after work hours proved they were no different than anyone else I see here every day.  Each possessing his or her own set of heartaches, triumphs, struggles and victories.  The difference is that here, no one has to pretend.  I like that. I want my customers to know when they walk in that although there are set boundaries for payments and business items, they can still tell me about their day, their new grandchild, their lost job or anything that's on their mind.  It may be only a one or two minute conversation but it's still important to me, nevertheless.  

With all of that being said, I have built over a year's worth of amazing relationships with some very amazing people here at Star.  From the wonderful owners to my incredible co-workers (on the property management side) to working side by side with my amazing son, learning the business has been wonderful and has broadened my knowledge of property management.  I have met other people in the self-storage business, great people, and I have gleaned invaluable information from them.  I have met some of the most wonderful people who walk through my door each day.  From customers who have been here since day one of the business' inception twelve years ago, to those who have just moved in, I have met some truly amazing people.  

We weren't certain how long we would be here, one year, two years or more.  We were homesick when we arrived but we allowed ourselves to grow while here.  This was a new experience, one in which to gain perseverance and a wealth of knowledge.  So, when my Grandmother passed away in January, I knew it was time to think about returning home.  I spoke with the owner about a month later and we began the process of preparing for the moment.  It wasn't long after that we (my son and myself) were chosen for a team management position back in the Evergreen State with yet another great company.  With a couple of weeks to spare, we really wanted to take the opportunity to let you all know how blessed we are to have met so many wonderful customers here and how excited we are to meet many more wonderful customers in Washington in the coming years.  

Some of my fondest memories include going to my Grandmother's house each week to watch The Carol Burnett Show.  It was my favorite show and at the end of each show, she would sing a song to her audience.  During that song, even at a young age, I would well-up with emotion and have to wipe the tears.  Saying goodbye is the hardest thing to do sometimes. So, I won't say goodbye.  Instead, I will just leave you with this:

Have a great day!

Michelle Armstrong
Manager
Star Storage
816-765-8300