In a perfect world, your house sells the same day you close on a new home. You have plenty of money and time to make the move. When real estate daydreams and realities collide, be prepared with smart options that include short term storage here in Edison Park, IL.

Why Would You Sell First?

Motivation matters when you're selling a house. You may have fallen in love with a dream home or a location that's perfect for work. You might want to downsize for retirement. Sometimes the timing just doesn’t work out.

Your plans depend on cashing in on your home's equity. If you're positioned in a seller's market, a quick closing makes the transition from old to new much easier.

Can You Speed Up the Buying Process?

Perhaps you're not in the market for a dream home. You want to make your move before closing the sale on your current home. These options can speed up the hunt for a new address.

• Limit your search to houses within a 15-mile radius.
• Keep an eye out for home foreclosures and auctions.
• Ask your realtor about properties that are ready for move-in.

Speed shopping isn't for everyone. You might want to slow down, move belongings to a nearby storage unit, and consider an easier relocation strategy.

What Are the Pros and Cons?

If you can plan ahead, you can actually benefit from selling a home before buying a new one. When you sell first, you're free from the obligations of dealing with two loans. Closing on the old house keeps you from overextending as a buyer. You know exactly what you can spend on a new home.

With that financial security, you can afford a short lease on living space and short-term storage for holding things until you make your final move. The downside of this plan is packing and unpacking twice.

On the upside, taking your time offsets the work of a double move. You don't feel pressured to make quick decisions. You can relax and shop with confidence. When you finally settle in a new home, keep your storage unit. Everyone can use extra space on a long-term basis.

Self Storage Will Keep You Ready

Regardless of when the house sells, you can be confident thanks to the safety net of self storage.  Safeguard Self Storage keeps you ready for the move with short-term and long-term storage units in Edison Park, IL and all across Chicagoland. You can count on us to help make your real estate daydreams come true.

You know how convenient it is to have self storage just around the corner. Can it be any easier to enjoy extra space for parking extra belongings? It can when you take advantage of our drive-up storage units here in Bridgeview, IL.

The 8 Biggest Benefits of Drive-Up Self Storage

1. Small, Medium, and Large: You don't have to lease large to enjoy drive-up storage. Unit sizes range from 25 square feet to over 600 square feet of space.

2. Fast Loading and Unloading: Are you in a hurry to catch a soccer game up at Toyota Park? You can load or unload most drive-up units in just a few minutes.

3. Easy Navigation: Imagine relocating the contents of an entire house without squeezing through entrances and navigating hallways. With drive-up storage, even the biggest loads are just a few steps away from your unit.

4. Commercial Equipment Storage: If you run a local business and need extra space for tools of your trade, drive-up storage units offer plenty of room for heavy equipment.

5. Business Inventory Storage: Seven-day access makes drive-up units ideal for holding extra inventory. Add to that the convenience of our Bridgeview, IL self storage facility, just south of businesses inside the Loop.

6. Room for the Winter: When winter blows through Chicago, protect your boat, kayak, and camping gear inside drive-up storage. Save garage space at the house by stashing lawn equipment and the grill in your unit too.

7. Room for Extra Cars: Yes, you can lease a unit big enough to park two cars. Even drive-up storage for one car feels like an extra garage at a fraction of the cost of building a major home addition.

8. High-Tech Security Features Available: Drive-up units are protected by the same facility-wide security systems that take care of indoor storage. Computer-controlled access, high-tech digital video cameras, and individual door alarms keep provide peace of mind while your items are in storage.

Count on Our Storage Solutions

When you store your belongings with us here at Safeguard Self Storage, you can count on our Bridgeview, IL storage solution experts seven days a week. With 15 locations across Chicago and the suburbs, we're always just a quick drive from your home or business.

You don't need a big office to be successful, but your business needs room to grow. From the north end of Miracle Mile to the center of the Loop, desks disappear under clutter and closets explode with boxes. Every office in Chicago, IL can use a little extra business storage, so get ready to bust out the smart moves that keep you organized.

Start with Everything

If your office landscape looks like a reflection in the Bean, it's time to get back on an even keel. Empty each desk one drawer at a time. Clear out closets, corners and shelves. Take everything out of work stations, storage areas and break rooms, and then take stock. If you haven't used that equipment, looked at those records or flipped through that manual in more than a year, box it up for self storage. You now have room in desks, drawers and closets for taking care of business with well-organized space to spare.

Get Tough and Toss

Business storage here in Chicago is always affordable, but don't let that tempt you into keeping things you really don't need. You're making progress with those boxes ready to go, so get tough, and sort through them one more time. Work with a goal of eliminating half the stuff headed for self storage. Scan and convert paper records into digital files. Donate extra equipment and furniture to a local charity, and enjoy a small write-off. Once you've slimmed down the storage stash, an inventory makes it easier to track what you're moving into your unit.

Organize On- and Off-Site

Now that the office is clean and lean, you need more than good intentions to keep it that way. Make sure desk drawers stay tame with inexpensive dividers. Corral computer cables with cord ties and covers, and fill empty corners with floor-to-ceiling shelving. Extend organizing inspiration to your self-storage unit with labeled boxes and specific space dedicated to equipment, stock and records. This strategy saves sorting time whether you're dropping off or retrieving things, and it keeps the unit organized.

Who needs luxury suites on Wacker Drive when you can make the most of your space anywhere in the city? Smart self storage solutions at Safeguard help small Chicago, IL businesses grow with affordable flexibility and dependable security. You're doing fine in your space, so make the most of it -- and you just might wind up on top of Willis Tower.

When you live in an exciting, world-class city like Chicago or New York, you likely have many visitors. Especially this time of year, friends and family enjoy traveling to the big city to enjoy the lights, shopping and festivities of these destination cities. Due to the desirability of these areas, attainable real estate tends to run on the small side. You may not have ample room for guests in your apartment or house, but self storage can help you make space for visitors. Whether you'll be hosting one friend or an entire family, Chicago, IL self storage and Brooklyn, NY household storage will allow you to be a gracious host and show off your town during the holidays.

You can clear out an extra room or area in your house to create a temporary guest room for any visitors. An office, den, or entertainment space can be converted into a comfortable guest quarters with a few simple tweaks. First you will want to move excess furniture and clutter out of the area and stash it in a Safeguard Self Storage unit. Use an air mattress, sofa or futon as a bed for guests. Provide clean linens, towels and a pretty soap for a special touch. It’s not a bad idea to ensure an area for guests to keep their belongings during their stay, such as a small set of drawers or a wicker basket. A vase with fresh flowers will brighten the room.

If seasonal decorations clog your attic, basement or spare room, consider taking this opportunity to simplify all holiday decorating. Gather the year's decorative items, group them by holiday and place them in clear plastic containers. Create an inventory list for each tub and place them in your Safeguard Self Storage unit so it faces outward. You'll be able to see each container's contents at a glance; this practice translates especially well to post-Christmas decoration storage.

Now that you've placed seasonal items in storage and thoroughly cleaned your home, preparing for holiday guests will be infinitely easier. Whether you reserve Brooklyn, NY household storage or Chicago, IL self storage, your organizational efforts will become part of your annual holiday preparations. This affordable option also keeps non-seasonal items secure all year long. Contact Safeguard Self Storage today for secure, convenient holiday or year-round storage options.  

Last year, Chicago experienced a brutal winter, one for the record books. The Old Farmer’s Almanac forecasts another chilly Chicago winter filled with rain and snow. With predictions for colder than normal temperatures and above average snowfall in most of the region, Chicagoans need to prepare for another harsh winter that is expected to extend from December to February.

Preparing Your Home and Vehicles for Winter

Your home is your fortress against the frigid temperatures and heavy snowfall, but it is especially vulnerable to frosty conditions if it is not properly prepared. The City of Chicago provides a helpful pamphlet with tips on how you can protect your house and vehicles, including preventing and fixing frozen pipes, winterizing your car and making a family emergency plan.

You can stop the cold from seeping in by replacing worn weather stripping, loose siding and damaged roof shingles. Scatter de-icer on the driveway and porch steps to deter dangerous slips, and remove built-up ice and snow from the eaves and gutters to prevent damage to your house.

Restock Your Emergency Supply Kit

Frequent power outages from severe winter storms means you must prepare to survive the harsh conditions without modern conveniences. At a minimum, your emergency supply kit should contain water, non-perishable food, candles, a radio and flashlight with extra batteries as well as blankets and extra clothing for staying warm. Keep a duplicate kit in the trunk of your vehicle in case you get stranded away from home.

Storing Items During Winter

Your Safeguard Des Plaines IL storage units and Chicago IL self storage units are a great place to stash extra emergency supplies during the warmer months if space is tight in your home. This option is especially useful for storing bulky backup generators and alternative heating and cooking sources. If your summer camping gear is already packed away in your self storage unit, then make sure it is easily accessible.

A storage unit provides a safe and practical place to secure your seasonal items, such as holiday decorations and outdoor furniture, which you want put away before the blustery storms descend. Air conditioned and heated storage units can keep your valuable, environmentally-sensitive items safe as well since the units do not drop below freezing. This is a great option for protecting precious family heirlooms, valuable musical instruments and prized antiques from severe elements.

Contact Safeguard Self Storage to learn about our variety of options for Des Plaines IL storage units and Chicago IL self storage units. 

Some areas of the country do not have a climate suitable for riding a motorcycle year round, even for the most dedicated bikers. When it is time to store your motorcycle for the winter, it is important to store it properly to maintain good condition. A great way to protect your bike from the elements without cluttering your garage is by using Safeguard Self Storage. Take these steps before storing your bike ensure it will be ready to run on the first day of spring.

 1.    Run the engine until it reaches operating temperature, then turn it off.

 2.    Change the engine oil as well as the transmission and primary chain case fluid.

 3.    Replace the oil filter if it is near the next scheduled oil-change interval.

4.    Restart the engine to circulate the new oil.

5.    Dain the gas from the gas tank.

6.    Remove the battery

Whether you use a garage or one of the many available Chicago storage units, do not place the battery directly on a concrete floor. You should place the bike on a platform so that the tires do not rest on any concrete surface, because it increases the risk of dry rot and flat spots. If no stand is available, ensure that you rotate the tires on a regular basis. Ensure tires are properly inflated. Wash and wax or polish painted and chrome parts. Lubricate the chain as well as the throttle and clutch cables.

Cover your motorcycle with a cotton cover or blanket rather than a plastic tarp that could trap moisture and condensation. Dry, well-ventilated Safeguard Self Storage units which are equipped with computer controlled access, individual unit door alarms and digital video recording are an ideal location to store your bike for the winter. Click on a link below to find your Chicago Self Storage Unit or New York Self Storage Unit.

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