Month: June 2020

Water Bottle Label Design Contest

Attention all artists, graphic designers, doodlers and the all around creatives, we need you to design our water bottle! Moving is hard work, that’s why we always have a cold water available to our tenants when they need to quench their thirst. Want to see your artwork on water bottles across all U-Lock Mini Storage locations? Submit your design for a chance to win!

The design is totally up to you! You can create just about anything your crazy imagination can conjure up. 

Contest Rules:

  • Your design must be an original design (do not use copyrighted material, trademarks, service marks, or artwork)
  • Include the U-Lock Mini Storage logo.
  • Please design your artwork using the water bottle template (download below):

    Download the 500ML SMOOTH SHAPE Water Bottle Label

You can either print out the template and hand draw your design or submit any of the following formats:

  • PDF (preferred)
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Acrobat

The U-Lock Mini Storage Water Bottle Design Contest will run from now until July, 15, 2020. Please submit your artwork to contests@selfstorage.ca or drop-off your submission to any U-Lock location. The winner will have their design printed on water bottles that will be handed out across all U-Lock Mini Storage locations and be rewarded with a stainless steel water bottle with their design on it! 

Once all entries are received, our staff will pick and vote for their favorite. The design that receives the most votes will be named the winner. The winner of the contest will be announced on after July 15, 2020.

U-Lock Mini Storage logos!

Need some inspiration to get started? Check out the designs from our last contest winners!

Common Self-Storage Moving Mistakes to Avoid

Are you getting ready to move your belongings into storage? To help you save time and stress, and ensure you get the most out of your storage unit, here are a few common self storage moving mistakes to avoid:

Not labelling your boxes

Amidst the rushing around and chaos that is moving, many people often skip labelling their boxes to save time. Fast forward a month later when you need to grab something from your storage unit, but you have completely forgotten where you packed it. There is nothing more frustrating and time-consuming than having to rifle through every box to find what you came for. Save yourself a lot of time and stress in the future and label your boxes. We recommend labelling boxes by room with a number and keeping a detailed record of all the items that are in each box. That way, you can reference your inventory list and quickly find what you need when you need it.

Trying to reserve a moving truck the day of your move

The most common days people move are the first and last day of any month, which means reservations on moving trucks fill up fast. More often than not, people wait until the last minute to book a moving truck only to be told that there are none available in their city. Don’t wait until moving day to start finding a moving truck. To get the time slot and moving truck you want, start your search 1-2 months before your moving date. 

Not giving yourself enough time

Not giving yourself enough time to organize and properly stack your items in your storage unit will make it a nightmare to access. You want to be able to access your storage unit without having to rearrange it every time. If you leave everything to the last minute on moving day, you’ll likely find yourself tossing boxes and furniture into your unit in a rush – potentially damaging your belongings, hurting yourself, and creating a cluttered disaster. Do yourself a favour and plan your moving day well in advance. Check the hours of the storage office and storage facility and make sure you plan to give yourself and/or movers enough time to get your storage unit properly organized and accessible.

Not getting the right boxes

Whether you’re storing your items short-term or long-term, it’s important to pack your belongings in the right boxes. Using weak boxes that aren’t designed for absorbing weight won’t up stand up well during the move or in storage as they can bulge, tear or collapse. Instead, invest in moving boxes designed for moving and storage. Try to stick to 1-2 different sizes of boxes so you can efficiently stack your boxes and utilize your storage space to the fullest. Use larger moving boxes for lighter items and smaller moving boxes for heavier items. When stacking, be sure to place heavy boxes at the bottom and lighter boxes at the top. 

Avoiding Self Storage Mistakes

Need a few more storage tips? If you’re getting ready to move your items into storage and need some expert advice, contact your nearest U-Lock location and our storage specialists would be happy to answer your questions and set you up with the right storage unit that best fits your needs.