Where Did the Time Go?

Can you believe the holidays are already here? It just seemed like yesterday I took down all the holiday decorations and put them away. I remember seeing a post on my Facebook wall that said there was only 180 days till Christmas and when I read it I thought to myself, that seems so far away. It is funny that when we are waiting for a special time of the year to come that it takes forever to get to that date but once it finally does arrive it seems like in a blink of an eye it is over. Many of us do this when we are waiting for a vacation, a birthday, the last day of school, a wedding or any other special day or time to take place. Some of us, especially myself, love the holidays. They are such a happy time of the year. I love to bring out all my decorations and especially decorating my Christmas tree with all the special ornaments that I have collected over the years and remembering all the memories that go with them. Every year I look forward to adding my new ornaments that I collected from traveling or a special time in the past year. I would say my tree is like a time capsule of special events or memories throughout my life.

Like many of us I love all the pretty colors of lights that everyone puts up. It is especially pretty when it snows and the lights seem to sparkle from the white shinny snow. In some ways it does seem magical. I have to admit though I do not like to go shopping with all the crowds and everyone seems to be stressed from trying to find the perfect gift for that someone special. I am more an online shopper at this time of year but there are a few things I will need to actually go shopping for so I join everyone else. I find that trying to find that very special gift for someone is the hardest thing to do. Of course we want everyone to love what we have wrapped so pretty but sometimes this can be the ultimate challenge and I am always ready for a challenge so I find this fun and exciting also. I usually start thinking about what to get someone as soon as possible, sometimes as soon as the last Christmas is over. Either way I really try to put extra thought into making it as special as I can because I want them to be as happy as I am during the holidays.

Even though the food stores are so busy as well I don’t mind going shopping to get all my special ingredients for baking of preparing the traditional family goodies for this time of year. I really enjoy making cooking for everyone to enjoy. I love trying everyone else’s too! Everyone seems to have their own special touch this time of year when it comes to cooking or baking in the kitchen. Maybe this is why we all love going to each other’s homes and spending time together. Of course we enjoy just seeing each other again too!
 No matter how hectic it can seem to become and all the extra work that goes into this time of year, I still

Love it! I love spending time on Christmas Eve with friends and family and the excitement of Christmas day with all the gifts and traditions. It is all worth it to me.

Of course the holiday that this time of year that starts my holiday season is Thanksgiving Day. I have already started putting my list of all the different things I will need to get at the grocery store in order to make a feast of goodies for my friends and family. This day always seem to sneak up on me. Maybe it is from putting the summer things away in my self storage unit or cleaning the yard from all the fall leaves. Of course enjoying all the fall activities outside makes this time go quick too. Either way I always seem to be rushed more for this holiday than any other. I love baking on Thanksgiving Eve and making the house smell all yummy in anticipation for the feast the next day. Watching the Macys Day Parade is a very special event. I usually put it on first thing and watch it while I am cooking and preparing for my friends and family. In the past years I use to look forward to getting up very early to begin the holiday shopping on Black Friday. It was my special day because I got to enjoy all my friend and family for the entire day on Thanksgiving and then have an early day of shopping the next day without having to invade into my special time with my friends and family. This year the stores are opening and starting the Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving Day. I don’t think they should refer to it as Black Friday anymore because it is no longer starting then. I know that there are many people who disagree with this and I understand why. We don’t get a lot of special days to be thankful for those who are with us and there are many of us who need to stretch our money in order to provide our loved ones with gifts to open on Christmas. Wehave to take the opportunity to take advantage of these exceptional savings in order to do so. This is forcing many of us to be torn on what to do. I can understand  why people will be shopping because they are forced too and I respect those who are refusing to go because they are standing up for those who are being forced to work or shop for the discounts. I just wish it did not have to come to anyone giving up that special day and no one losing out on those exceptional discounts.

If you find that you need somewhere to hide those special gifts away please feel free to contact us at 1021 Dolsontown Road Middletown NY 10940 at 845-360-2093 and we will be more than happy to help make your holidays even more memorable and as special as we possibly can.

The Calm before the Storms, Storage Station, West Milford, New Jersey

Life here at Storage Station at 11 White Road and 1867 Greenwood Lake Turnpike in West Milford, New Jersey has been hopping!  People are returning their RV’s and campers to their assigned parking spots or renting a new space for the season and getting them closed-up nice and tight for the winter ahead.  The classic cars shows are almost done for the season and the cars will soon be put to bed in their units to wait until Spring arrives again so they can be enjoyed and shared with the world.  Tenants have been coming and going switching their summer goods for their cold weather items. I have seen them putting away patio furniture, lawn decorations and other summer time accessories. The staff has been busy cleaning up after the beautiful and bright colors of the fall leaves that happen every fall. With the cooler temperatures now we all have thoughts of another winter coming soon. 

Self Storage Blog After the ravages of Sandy hit here in the Northern part of New Jersey, many people were forced to re-evaluate how and where they stored their  items.  Many basements were flooded; stand-alone sheds were demolished by downed trees or blown away by the sheer force of the winds.  Peoples’ lives were affected by more than the loss of power and lack of gasoline. I cannot believe it has been two years since Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast and left its mark with a large amount of damage that affected a many of us in one way or another. Thinking back I remember that being an extremely busy time for us here at Storage Station. For many days we ran several of our locations without power to assist those who needed our self storage services because their homes or business received damages with the extreme flooding and the high winds. With all the damage we received through our areas we had also lost power for days and some areas for weeks making the clean up and travel extremely difficult. I look back and remember seeing so much damage with down trees and debris everywhere I went while traveling from one site to another checking the properties for damage or flooding. I had done this as soon as soon as the state of emergency had been lifted and it was safe to travel again on the roads but even then it was difficult because of large trees blocking road ways. It took a very long time for roads to become clear because of the large amount of trees that were down. In some areas they would not remove the whole tree but instead there would be an effort of individuals who need to at least be able to get through that they would make the road passable in order to do so. It was awesome to see so many residents working together at this time of need. It was also heartbreaking to see and hear about the amount of damage Hurricane Sandy left in its wake. As I went from one location to another and hearing the residents in the areas talk about either their experience and loss or what they had see my heart would break because so many families had to relocate because of their large loss. I don’t believe any of us who experienced this storm will ever forget Hurricane Sandy.

And the affects of last winter’s storms are still fresh on peoples’ minds.  How much snow will we get this year? If I clean out the garage can I park in it? Should I buy a snow blower?   Should we invest in a generator?  How much power do we really need?  Just the mention of bad weather sends throngs of people to the supermarkets and home stores to hoard whatever they think they might need. It was difficult to even find salt because there became a shortage because we would only of a few days between each storm. The large mounds of snow just kept growing and growing and we never thought it would never stop or melt away. Many of us like the snow but I believe almost all of us became exhausted with the large amount and the many storms that we had. I hope this winter there are a few less storms and not such a large amount of snow.

We here at Storage Station are here to help customers figure out what options better suit their needs.  How many items are they storing?  What sizes are the items they are putting into the self-storage unit?  Will the customer need climate control to better suit the items stored?  If they are storing a  car, do we have the drive-up capability available for them?  Do they need packing boxes, bubble wrap, tape or special boxes for special items such as lamps, hanging clothes, or Grandma’s china?

Now that you’ve bought all the necessary tools, salt, calcium, shovels, etc. that you will need for the coming winter months, where do you put all the things that are currently blocking your way in the shed?  Or in the basement or garage?  A self-storage unit is a great and convenient idea.  We can help you find the right size, space and means of storing your things so they are easily obtainable anytime you may need them.  No more struggling to get to the back of the shed or garage only to find that the item you need is still in the attic! 

At Storage Station we stock an array of box sizes, special sized boxes, plastic covers in various sizes, locks, moving blankets and more!  We are here to help you make the transition from cluttered rooms, space or even in emergency we you are in need of self storage so please do not hesitate to contact anyone of our 6 locations throughout New Jersey and New York. If you need further information please feel free to contact 973-846-4637 or 973-846-4402 and a knowledgeable and helpful Storage Station associate will be more than happy to assist you. We pride ourselves on trying to meet all your self storage needs.
   

Wayne New Jersey

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See a virtual tour of our Wayne NJ Self Storage or visit us online at http://www.storagestations.com/New-Jersey/Wayne-Storage/

Our address is
2354 Hamburg Turnpike
Wayne, NJ 07470

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862-377-6593

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This Week

A good week at any self-storage facility is plenty of new moved in tenants and no tenants moving out.  This was not one of those weeks.

Hi, my name is Jerry Timmons and I work at Storage Station of Wayne.

Storage Station is located at 2354 Hamburg Turnpike, Wayne, NJ 07470. Our facility is conveniently located South of Terhune Dr. Make a left at the light by the CVS, pass the Dunkin Donuts on the right and we are on the left side of the road just after Commercial Kitchen Cleaning. If you’re coming North from Black Oak Ridge Rd., you will pass Wayne Suburu, then STS Auto & Tire Center both on the right side of Hamburg Turnpike. Storage Station is the driveway on the right, directly after passing St. Moritz PL. You can call us ontelephone number, 862-377-6593, or visit us during office hours. Storage Station of Wayne office hours are Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturdays.

We are closed on Sundays.


Self-Storage in Wayne New Jersey from StorageStations on Vimeo.

When I arrived to work on Monday morning and proceeded to make my daily rounds of the building, I found that a few of our tenants had vacated their self-storage units.  When I got back to the main office, there were a few voice messages on the phone from some of those tenants letting us know they were done with their need for self storage, were very happy with our facility and would recommend us to anyone looking for self storage themselves.

We always like to hear that!

As for the tenants whose units that were vacated and did not leave a voice message letting us know, I called each one just to make sure they were done with the storage unit and were happy with their stay at Storage Station of Wayne.

They all were happy with their stay but the need for the unit was over.  “When it rains, it pours” is a suitable cliché for this particular situation.

Turnover is customary in the self-storage business.  We let our tenants know when they sign their month to month lease, that we need for ten days notice when they are ready to vacate their unit.  Sometimes the span between them moving in and moving out is months or even years, so it’s expected that most people forget this information.  Moving is stressful enough, we don’t want to be the cause of any extra worries.  .  This is why we call the tenants when we find the unit empty and unlocked, to be sure they’re through using the unit; we also give them a friendly reminder about the vacate notice

While the notice is a release for both the tenant and facility, another reason we do ask for the notice is in case a potential tenant is looking for a particular size unit in a climate controlled or non climate controlled environment, if there are none available at the time of their request, we can let them know a particular date when a unit they’re interested in, will be available and get back to them promptly.

In a hypothetical situation, if a customer inquires to me about the availability of a particular sized unit, say a ten by fifteen.  I have none available for them, but I do have a couple of five by fifteen units available.  The two five by fifteens combined with New Jersey state taxes and insurance, will cost a little more.  I may be able to help this customer by offering them the two five by fifteens at a comparable rate to the single ten by fifteen.  I might even throw in the extra lock they’ll need to secure the second door.

We like to be flexible with our customers here at Storage Station of Wayne.  It allows us to be here for their needs and work with them during their move.

There is actually some benefit to having two separate units. 

One of the self storage units can be used for boxes and small containers and the other can be utilized for furniture, both big and small.

The units can be separated in to two categories.  One unit for items meant to keep and the other used for items that are going to be sold or distributed out to family members for sentimental reasons.  After the latter is no longer needed, the tenant doesn’t need to move or transfer.  The tenant can just vacate the second unit.
The units can be split in categories such as work items and home items as well.  Things that would go in to a garage or a back yard shed in one unit and household items in the other.

I always let the customer know that they are paying per square foot.  If the tenant will be using a moving company, they should request that the height of our self storage units be utilized to their fullest.  It’s space that’s being paid for may as well use it wisely.

I hear stories from tenants all the time while they’re moving about how they don’t understand where all this stuff they have had come from.   I have to react like they’re the first ones ever to say that to me... each and every time.   It’s overwhelming to people when they’re moving because the circumstances surrounding the move are not usually happy ones.  There’s the occasional happy couple moving in together after a marriage who’ll be storing HIS things to begin her, I mean their, happy life together.   Usually more times than not, it’s a loss in the family, a separation of some kind, etc.  The last thing I expect them to remember is the vacate policy form I explained to them and they signed months before.  It’s nice when they do, and many people call to ask what the procedures are and we tell them, but if they don’t, at Storage Station of Wayne, we’re the kind of people who won’t dwell on this slight oversight.

Our New Self-Storage Employee

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Self Storage in Middletown NY

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West Milford Self Storage

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Halloween at Self-Storage

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New Jersey Self Storage Location Wayne

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Self Storage Wayne NJ Video

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Spring Forward, But Don’t Trip

It seems like only yesterday that we were shoveling snow, warming up our cars before heading out to work, and praying for warm weather.  But wait, it was only yesterday???  With the crazy weather here in northern New Jersey, we haven’t know from one day to the next what Mother Nature as had in store for us.  Just last week on Monday, it was 61 degrees in the morning, only to be followed up by 31 degrees in the morning two days later.  While the threat of snow storms and blizzards has subsided for now, week-long rain storms and what seems like hurricane force winds are on the horizon.  Don’t be discouraged though, there is a light at the end of the wind tunnel.

As we dodge rain drops and tie down the patio furniture, many of us have started the yearly projects that we all look forward to each and every Spring.  As sunsets get later and later, and the temperature continues to rise, it’s time to get to all of those projects that the cold weather and snow have kept us from, and now our spare time is filled with mowing lawns, painting the fence, and various other things to help beautify out homes. 

One of the most common projects that most people are faced with is the annual Spring clean up.   The winter weather has thwarted our efforts to clean out the garage, and organize the basement.  Leaving for work in the dark and getting home in it as well always seems to take away the ambition to find a home for all of the Christmas decorations and the like.  Over the past few months, many of us have just piled items in the corner of every room we can find with free space, with porches and garages becoming make shift sheds and storage spaces, allowing us to put things out of sight and out of mind.  Each year as we try to dig ourselves out from under the piles of bags and stacks of boxes, we find ourselves saying the same things we said last spring, and the spring before that, and the spring before that, and the spring before that.  We curse under our breathe so the kids don’t hear us, and scream in our head as the box of Christmas ornaments just fell on the ground and we heard every one of them shatter.

We mutter to ourselves that there has got to be a better way than this.   We hate spending the first few weekends of our each Spring with the annual change over from snow blowers and shovels to patio furniture and fire pits.  Most of us spend many hours dragging items down into the basement or up into the attic, just to turn around and drag our warm weather items in the opposite direction and back outside.  For those of you who don’t know, snow blowers are more than a little bit heavy, so trying to drag that down into the basement is a guaranteed back buster.  It’s inevitable that we will drop something and break it, or while packing everything away last fall, we stacked items on the glass table top and the patio table now has a huge crack in it.  We spend half of our time climbing over boxes and tripping over items that we haven’t gotten a chance to put away yet, or that we just have no room for all together. 

With storage space in your home at a premium, find a place for a tool that you’re not going to use for a few months can be an exercise in futility.  We always try to put the snow blower and various other items used in the winter month, away in a place that we won’t have to move them multiple times to get at other items.  It never fails that just when you get the sleds, and plow tucked away in the back of the garage or wherever else you may keep them, you end up needing something directly behind them which involves taking everything out again just to get that one tool you forgot to take out. 

Insanity is the repeated completion of the same task with the expectation of different results.  How can we expect different results each Spring if we continue to do the same thing, year in and year out when it comes to our storage and organization of seasonal and household items.  To quote Susan Powter, a fitness guru from the 1990s, “Stop the Insanity”, and get a self storage unit.

Storage Station is a local self storage company, with multiple locations in Wayne, New Jersey, Toms River, New Jersey, West Milford, New Jersey, and Middletown, New York.  We specialize in providing you that little bit of extra space, or a lot of space depending upon your needs, that will allow you and your family jump off the hamster wheel and get out there to enjoy your Spring.  A self storage unit can be the answer to all of your storage and organizational problems, allowing you to stay organized and save time in your daily lives.  A weekend spending organizing basements and garages is a wasted weekend, and time spent putting boxes up in the attic will never be gotten back.  A self storage unit will allow you to minimize the time spent swapping out the lawn mower for the snow blower, and getting back to the things you really enjoy like taking the kids fishing or getting out there on the golf course. 

The items that are used a few weeks out of the year, or for one season, are exactly what self storage units are here to help with.  There’s no plausible reason to have to deal with Christmas decorations in mid July, other than the fact that you just have no place to store your items so you have to keep moving them around and find new homes for everything.  What could be better than a self storage unit, to hide away that horrible reminder of the brutal winter we just had, and get that snow blower out of the house.  With storage units in multiple sizes and access types, Storage Station can offer you as much, or as little, space as you need to tuck away that ugly sweater you got from crazy Aunt Margie till you see her next Christmas Eve.

Self Storage in Wayne New Jersey

Self storage units are a great way to keeping this organized and out of site, just waiting for the next time you need grandmas Christmas dinner plates or your winter coat to shovel snow with the shovel that’s been tucked away for months.  Stop down at your local Storage Station and see how we can help you get off the hamster  wheel and on the path to enjoying fun in the sun.