moving supplies – user's Blog!

Here at Stop and Store Harrisburg, we want you to have the best moving and self storage experience you can have. Something we offer that many of competitors may not is a fully stocked retail store at our facility. We want to make it easy for you.

There are several items that we recommend to our tenants. We have a large variety of products that are beneficial, but we wanted to narrow it down to the ones we feel are essential in keeping your belongings safe and secure while stored in your unit, and when being moved around.

Recommended Retail Items For Self Storage

Stainless Steel Disc Lock

We always recommend our Stainless Steel Disc Lock. It is designed specifically for the Storage Industry. It will never rust, so you can use it for inside units and outside drive up units. A big benefit of this type of lock is that it has no exposed metal that can be cut off with bolt cutters. We pride ourselves in safe and secure facilities – however, in the unfortunate circumstance where someone is trying to do harm or burglarize our property – you can rest assured that this lock is not easily cut off.

Another safety feature of the disc lock is that you cannot remove the key unless it is locked – helping to ensure that you never accidentally walk away without locking your unit. No to mention, it is only about $1 more than other brands and lock types. I know I would pay that extra buck to keep my valuables safe! We have a double disc lock set available for those who need multiple storage units as well.

Heavy Duty Storage Boxes.

In addition to the disc locks, our storage boxes are thick enough not to sag after six months when stacked. For just a few cents more, they give you a secure place to store your contents. Our boxes are also specially coated to prevent mildew while in storage for extended periods of time. The last thing you want is to walk into your storage unit and see all your boxes crumpled and damaged just from being stacked up or moving them around from time to time.

Packing Tape and Dispenser.

Our boxes are fantastic, but if you don’t tape them shut securely for storage, how good can they really work? And that goes for any box. The thick tape and quality dispensers we have in stock will help you seal the contents in your boxes safely and keep your valuables clean. If you go to pick up that box of Grandma’s China and the bottom flops open…not only did your box just bust open, but that priceless family heirloom could end up more than just dirty, it could become a pile of broken pieces. Rules of thumb – use quality boxes and tape to secure your belongings.

Mattress and Furniture Covers.

We always suggest plastic mattress covers, sofa and chair covers, and large dust covers to keep the dust out of your fabric or leather items. Let’s face it, no matter how big a clean freak you are, there is always dust around. If you want to keep your furniture’s fabric in good shape and protected, you need to cover it properly. We have a variety of plastic covers available for all types and sizes of furniture and mattresses. When you use plastic covers, you can stack boxes on top of those large items maximizing your storage space inside the unit, without the worry of damaging them or getting them dirty.

Shrink Wrap and Bubble Wrap.

You want to keep your fragile items protected while in storage. Using shrink wrap to seal around your silverware organizers is a great way to keep them clean. When you take that silverware home and plan to use it, you won’t even need to wash it first.

Our crystal and dish protection kits give you the added protection of bubble wrap bags for your China and glassware. These kits come with a small heavy duty box and plenty of bubble wrap bags to cover your breakables. The boxes are the perfect size so you won’t pack too heavy, making them easy to lift and carry as you move them in and out of storage.

Pink Protective Foam Wrap.

Many tenants like to purchase our Pink Protective Foam Wrap that you can wind around just about anything; from flat screen TVs, framed pictures and paintings to oddly shaped items like lamps and collectibles. It is very easy to tape together for added protection if you feel that is necessary.

These are only a few of the items we have available for purchase in our retail store. We offer great prices, quality products and a friendly property manager on site with the knowledge to help you choose the items that are best suited for your storage needs. Stop in and chat with our property manager today to learn more and see our large selection of supplies. A variety of packing and moving supplies on site – another great value that Stop and Store Harrisburg offers to keep your moving day less stressful.

You’ve settled on the perfect self storage unit for your needs, signed the lease and purchased your disc lock. Now it’s time to start packing up all the extra stuff in your attic, basement or garage. Should you talk to the local grocery clerk or call around to department stores asking for leftover boxes from the back? Or, should you purchase the brand new moving kit or separate boxes you saw at our rental office?

Although free boxes can be very appealing (I mean come on, they’re free!), they aren’t the best choice when packing things away for storage. You may end up keeping those boxes in your self storage unit for many months or years at a time – even if you think you will only be using storage for a couple months. You’d be surprised how quickly time flies and how beneficial your self storage unit becomes. You could very well end up keeping it for a lot longer than anticipated.

Boxes you collect from stores are built for short-term use. They may seem sturdy and dependable, but they have been designed to transport goods from one place to another over a very short period of time; then be discarded quickly. Think about how easy they are to break down and flatten. It takes only seconds to reduce them to mere cardboard. They are often much more flimsy than they appear, and won’t stand up to the test of time. You also need to remember that store employees aren’t worried about keeping the boxes in good shape. They will open them – often times using a box cutter and slicing right though the box. Then they empty them, crush them and flatten them immediately for disposal. Food, grease, oils and who knows what else may also have been spilled on them.

There are many advantages when purchasing specialized boxes from the retail shop located inside our rental offices:

Boxes Designed Specifically for the Self Storage Industry.

They are made of superior materials and high-quality liner board that will stand up over extended periods of time.
They are treated to prevent mildew and mold from growing and boast specialized glue to improve durability in high humidity situations.
The edges are crush-tested; meaning they can be stacked up for several months without sagging.

Convenient Retail Shop in Our Rental Offices.

You can get all the boxes you need in our retail shops. No need to run from store to store trying to find enough boxes and different sized boxes. Only need one or two extra-large boxes? Need lots of small boxes for your extensive movie collection? We’ve got you covered. With our large inventory of boxes, you can find exactly what you need to keep your belongings safe and secure, all in one place.
We have boxes of all sizes for you to choose from. Extra-large boxes are great for quilts, pillows, shoes or your Tupperware collection. Large boxes work well for clothes, holiday decorations and kitchen gadgets. Towels, linens or photo albums are a good fit for our Medium boxes. And Small boxes are perfect for DVDs, video games and books – the items that can make a box very heavy if you pack them away in a box that’s too big.
We also stock boxes specifically designed for particular items. You can purchase a dish saver kit that is designed with molded inserts to protect your dishes and glasses during the move. We have boxes made for your framed artwork, pictures and mirrors. We even have wardrobe boxes so you can hang up clothing to prevent damage and creases…you can literally leave your clothes right on the hangers!
By purchasing your boxes from us, there are no worries of having 20 different box sizes that are hard to stack and take up awkward spaces. Storing in uniform box sizes keeps everything evenly stacked and maximizes the available space within your self storage unit.

We Have It All – Not Just Boxes!

Our retail shop is well stocked with everything you need to make packing, moving and storing as easy as possible for you.
In addition to not having to call all around looking for boxes, you also won’t have to visit four different office and department stores looking for the other moving and storing essentials. Packing paper, tape and dispensers, markers and boxes to bubble wrap, locks, furniture covers and DampRid – we have everything to help you pack, move and store your belongings. Everything is all right here at your fingertips, often at better prices than other retail stores.

Knowledgeable Property Manager – Here to Help You.

Our on-site property manager is more than happy to help you figure out how many boxes and what sizes you will need. That task itself can be almost as stressful as the move! Most people don’t even think about how many boxes are necessary, and are often scrambling around trying to find enough boxes in the middle of the packing frenzy. We also offer a handy box calculator to help you decide how many boxes will work best for your needs.

We can help you with much more than simply finding boxes. Our property manager is a self storage specialist, properly trained to help you with all of your moving and storage needs. He can help you find the right self storage unit size and type to best suit what you want to put into storage. He can help you decide which moving and packing supplies from our retail shop are best suited for your needs. He can even help you set up an online account to make payments and manage your account. Our property manager is also willing to give you advice and tips on packing your items, preparing for moving day and making the best out of your self storage experience.

Remember, all boxes are not created equal! If you want to protect your items from damage while in your self storage unit, you should choose wisely and consider purchasing our specialized boxes. We are your one-stop shop for all packing, moving and storing supplies. And, our friendly property manager is here to help you. Stop by our facility today and check out everything we have to offer. If you have questions you can contact us at any time. And, don’t forget to print out the 15% Off Coupon on all retail items!