aplaceforspaceredesign

Spring Cleaning

Wed, 21 May 2025 13:23:31 GMT

1. Make a Game Plan

Before diving in, take a few minutes to plan your approach. Block off enough time—at least a few hours or a full day depending on the size of your unit. Gather your cleaning supplies: garbage bags, gloves, labels, bins, and something to take notes with. If your unit is climate-controlled, great! If not, try to plan for a mild day.

2. Empty It Out

Whenever possible, remove everything from the unit. This gives you a clean slate to work with and helps you truly assess what’s inside. You may be surprised by forgotten items tucked in the back!

3. Sort with Purpose

As you go through each item, use the “Four-Box Method”:

Keep – Things you truly need or want.
Donate – Items in good condition that could help someone else.
Sell – Furniture, electronics, or vintage finds that hold value.
Trash – Broken, expired, or unnecessary items.

Be honest with yourself. If you haven’t used it in over a year, do you really need to keep it?

4. Deep Clean the Space

With the unit cleared out, take this chance to sweep the floor, wipe down any shelving, and inspect the space for pests or signs of moisture. If you notice anything concerning, alert your storage facility right away.

5. Reorganize Smarter

Now that you're keeping fewer things, pack them in clear plastic bins instead of cardboard. They’re sturdier, moisture-resistant, and let you see what’s inside at a glance.

Label each bin clearly on multiple sides and group similar items together:

Seasonal décor
Camping gear
Business inventory
Childhood keepsakes

6. Restack with Purpose

Place heavy items on the bottom and lighter ones on top. Create a small aisle so you can access items without having to unpack the whole unit. Keep frequently-used items near the front for easy retrieval.

7. Update Your Inventory

Create a master list—digital or physical—of everything in your unit. A simple spreadsheet or notes app works wonders and will save you headaches later when you’re trying to remember what’s stored where.

Storage Wars at a Storage Auction?

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:32:59 GMT

What Is a Self-Storage Auction?

When someone rents a storage unit, they agree to pay a monthly fee. If they stop paying and don’t respond to notices, the storage company has a legal right—after a certain time period and process—to auction off the contents to recoup lost rent.

These auctions are usually public, meaning anyone can attend and bid.

How Do They Work?

Delinquency Notice & Lien Process: Most states have laws that require storage facilities to give renters multiple notices before auctioning off their stuff. After a certain amount of missed payments—often 30 to 90 days—the facility places a lien on the unit’s contents.
Public Notice: Facilities must publicly announce the auction. This might be through a local newspaper, online auction sites, or public bulletin boards. These notices typically include the tenant's name and the unit number.
Auction Day – In Person or Online: Some auctions happen on-site (like in the shows), but many are now online via platforms like StorageTreasures.com or Lockerfox.com. You view photos, place bids, and win the contents without ever stepping foot in the facility.
Bidding: In person, you usually get a quick look inside the unit from the outside—no touching, no entering. You bid based on what you can see. Online, you rely on photos. Bidding can start as low as $1, but competitive or interesting units go much higher.
Payment and Cleanup: If you win, you pay immediately and usually have 24 to 72 hours to empty the unit. You’re buying everything as is, with no guarantee of what’s inside. You might find valuables, or you might end up with boxes of old clothes and broken furniture.

Maximize Your Space: Things You Can Store in a Self-Storage Unit

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 13:37:15 GMT

At A Place For Space, we understand that life can get cluttered, and sometimes you need a little extra space to keep things organized. Our self-storage units offer a convenient, safe, and affordable solution to help you store almost anything you need, from seasonal items to household belongings. Here’s a list of items you can safely store in a storage unit:

1. Furniture

If you're downsizing, moving, or renovating, storing furniture in a climate-controlled storage unit is a great way to keep your space clear while protecting your belongings. Sofas, tables, chairs, and even large appliances like refrigerators or washing machines can be stored until you're ready to use them again.

2. Seasonal Items

Seasonal decorations, outdoor furniture, or sporting equipment that you only use part of the year can take up valuable space in your home. Storing these items in a self-storage unit allows you to free up space while keeping them easily accessible when you need them.

3. Clothing and Seasonal Gear

Winter coats, summer clothes, and other seasonal clothing can easily crowd your closet. A storage unit is perfect for keeping seasonal wardrobes organized and your home tidy.

4. Business Inventory and Documents

For small businesses, a storage unit offers a convenient place to store excess inventory, paperwork, or office supplies that are not in daily use. Keep your office organized and your business running smoothly with a secure storage solution.

5. Personal Items & Family Heirlooms

Precious keepsakes, antiques, and sentimental items may not fit in your everyday living space but are too important to get rid of. Our storage units provide a safe environment for storing valuable personal items, ensuring they stay protected and preserved for years to come.

6. Tools and Equipment

For those with hobbies or small businesses, storage units are ideal for storing tools, machinery, or equipment that you don’t use every day but still need to keep in good condition.

At A Place For Space, we offer a variety of unit sizes to fit your needs, as well as flexible rental terms. Whether you're looking to store a few boxes or need an entire unit for furniture or equipment, we’ve got you covered. Trust us to keep your belongings safe and accessible when you need them most! Rent a unit today at one of our 5 locations throughout the Rockford area!

Things Storage Unit Insurance Covers vs. Things It Doesn't

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 13:46:14 GMT

For anybody that currently rents a storage unit or is looking into doing so, getting the unit(s) insured is very important. Today, we are going to go over some things that storage unit insurance can cover and some things it cannot. Hopefully, by the end of this article, anybody who may be unaware of the importance of storage unit insurance can learn a thing or two.

Burglary, Vandalism and Malicious Mischief

Loss of your belongings by burglary or holdup is covered 100% by SBOA Tenant Insurance. However, this coverage only applies when such storage unit is securely locked at the time of the forcible entry. Visible signs of forcible entry must be evident. The mere absence of a lock will not constitute forcible entry.

Covered: Unit door is destroyed or pryed open
Not Covered: Storage unit is left unlocked, leading somebody to enter the unit and rob it. Loss of your belongings by burglary or holdup is covered 100% by SBOA Tenant Insurance. However, this coverage only applies when such storage unit is securely locked at the time of the forcible entry. Visible signs of forcible entry must be evident. The mere absence of a lock will not constitute forcible entry.

Aircraft, Self Propelled Missiles or Spacecrafts

In 2023, a small aircraft crashed into a storage facility in Kent, WA. This would be covered by SBOA Tenant Insurance as long as the tenant is not responsible for the crash.

Covered: If your storage unit is destroyed by an aircraft, missile or spacecraft, this is something SBOA Tenant Insurance can cover as long as it is out of the control of the tenant.
Not Covered: If you crash an aircraft, self propelled missile or spacecraft into your storage unit, SBOA Tennt Insurance will NOT cover that.

To learn more about SBOA Tenant Insurance, visit SBOATI.COM

Rejoice! We Have A Brand New Full Service Kiosk At Our Linden Road Location!

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:51:05 GMT

We here at A Place For Space Self Storage strive to give our customers the convenience and control they deserve with our full service kiosks. With self-service kiosks at our facilities, our tenants always have fast access to exceptional customer service to rent a unit, make a payment or resolve account issues. Recently, we installed a brand new, top of the line kiosk at our Linden Rd location in Rockford!

The new kiosk includes access to 24/7 live video chat customer support, a state of the art driver's license scanner, robust ID verification, interactive maps and it's programmed in English, Spanish, French and Dutch.

Come check out the new kiosk at 5112 Linden Rd in Rockford, IL today!

How To Use Storage Genie For Hands Free Access To Your Storage Unit

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 14:01:18 GMT

Enhance your tenants experiences by utilizing the hands-free secure access from our Storage Genie tenant mobile app. Storage Genie mobile app gives convenience of utilizing beacon technology to securely grant access to your storage property all while keeping your phone in your pocket.

Make payments, track activity & more through the app.

Set-Up Instructions:

Search for Storage Genie on App Store or Google Play
Download and Open App
Follow App Instructions to Set-Up Account
Make sure to Enable Location services to ensure automatic opening.

A Place For Space Properties are the only storage facilities in the area providing this great service to our community!

Download the Storage Genie App today and enjoy!

How A $1,000,000 James Bond Car Went From A $100 Storage Unit And Into Elon Musk’s Possession

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 14:07:23 GMT

Written by: Dylan Michael

How One Man’s Unpaid Storage Debts Led To Another Finding Massive Fortune

In 1989, twenty one years before A&E’s “Storage Wars” first aired on television, a humble contractor in Long Island was soon to discover something arguably bigger than anything seen on that program. He decided to purchase a storage unit for $100 without knowing its contents. Upon opening it up alongside his brother, they saw what they describe as "a giant lump" covered in blankets, and underneath that was a white car with no wheels and a dented roof. Having never seen a Bond movie before, the pair assumed it was just junk at first. The contractor then loaded the vehicle onto the back of his truck with the intention of repairing it. On his drive home, he received a call over a CB radio. The voice on the other end told him what he was hauling was a Bond car. Having no idea what that meant, he decided to rent a copy of “The Spy Who Loved Me” and give it a viewing with his wife. It was then he realized what he had.

Authenticating James Bond’s Car and Sending It To Auction

After getting the Lotus Esprit authenticated by the original builders, the couple put it up for auction in 2013 at RM Sotheby’s. It was sold to a secret buyer for $997,000. That buyer was Elon Musk. “It was amazing as a little kid in South Africa to watch James Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me drive his Lotus Esprit off a pier, press a button and have it transform into a submarine underwater. I was disappointed to learn that it can’t actually transform. What I’m going to do is upgrade it with a Tesla electric powertrain and try to make it transform for real,” Musk told Jalopnik in a statement in 2013.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you are currently renting out a storage unit containing priceless items like iconic movie props and don’t want it to go into the possession of a billionaire…pay your storage bills. If you are currently renting one of our units and need to pay your storage, pay online at this website, over the phone at 815-874-7552 or at one of our kiosks.

Introduction

By the mid 1970s, the James Bond movie franchise was one of the most lucrative in the world. One of the things most synonymous with these movies is James Bond’s cars. So, naturally, by the time the 1977 installment “The Spy Who Loved Me” was in production, many car manufacturers wanted their products featured. There was great competition for the company that would supply Bond's car. Don McLaughlin, Public Relations Manager of Lotus, realized that the best way to win this coveted position was to make the producers chase after him, rather than going begging to them. One day he turned up at Pinewood driving a brand new unreleased Lotus Esprit, with all identifying names covered up. He parked it outside the Bond set, knowing that the producers would see it when they broke for lunch. Once the car had attracted a crowd, all clamoring to know what the car was, McLaughlin nonchalantly got in the car and drove away without answering any questions. As he had expected, the producers were desperate to discover what the car was, and producer Albert R. Broccoli later chose it for this movie. Thus, eight Lotus Esprit cars were shipped to the set to appear in the film. Twelve years after the release of “The Spy Who Loved Me”, seven of those vehicles were still accounted for, leaving one mysteriously lost. What happened?