Clearing Household Clutter with a Garage Sale

Doing spring-cleaning once in a while at home is therapeutic for most of us – it keeps you occupied and clears your household with all the clutter that you have accumulated. Some say that by clearing your household with the clutter, you are also giving yourself some much needed space to breathe and be able to have a better and ‘cleaner’ perspective of things. Having some ‘eye’ space – a cleaner and more spacious area for your eyes to roam around in your household, you could think clearly and put things in a better perspective of things.

There are a few of those who would donate to charity some of the clutter that are still in good condition, while for those who are some entrepreneurial spirit in them, although half goes to charity, the other half would be put up for sale. Hence, there comes about the garage sale, which does not only bring about some extra cash, but friends and family members re-kindling friendships and relationships and just have a good conversation!

Garage sales happen mostly when people are moving, apart from just doing your annual or regular spring-cleaning. For those who are relocating, throwing a garage sale before your house move not only clears away the clutter but it can also raise a few dollars to pay for packing materials and removalists. It helps you defray some of the costs of moving, no matter how small the earnings will be.

When moving you always have two options when clearing out your items – to keep them in storage or just do away with it. Garage sales or donating it to charity would be good as you create some space, earn some money, and keep your costs down when it comes to storage. While you will want to keep some items in storage, anything you won't need at your new address can be organised and sold. Once you are done with the sorting, creating some publicity for your garage sale would be the next week. You need to sell these off before your big move; otherwise, you are left with the same dilemma of having too many items on hand.

Here are a few ways to make your garage sale a successful one:

• Create strong signage and add it to poles, fences and notice boards in your local area. If you have a lot of items place an advertisement in the local paper as well. Just try to manage your costs on the advertisement page. One of the objectives you have in mind is to earn at least some cash and if your advertisement costs are higher than your projected income, then it defeats the purpose. Might as well give these items away. 
• Make sure your prices are much cheaper than retail price. Remember, you're not trying to make a profit, just clear your unwanted items.
• Have cheap tables and baskets of $1 and $5 items. If not, request people to bring their own bag, and if they do, you give them $1 off. You are at least doing your part of being environment friendly. 
• Make sure you have a power cord and batteries so people can test any toys or electronic equipment.
• Keep your big money items (or things you really want to get rid of) front and centre just like you would in a store.
• Have some plastic covers in case there is a slight chance of drizzle. It is better to sell items that are dry rather than wet and damp. It might reduce the price you set.

These are just one of the few items you need to note when having a garage sale. Regardles of how big the scale is or not, you still need to publicize it; otherwise, you will end up with more items in self storage, or might as well donate these to charity. It doesn’t hurt to earn a little bit to defray the costs of moving.

What you Can and Can't Put in Storage

Storage units are a great way of cleaning out your home and practically anything can be stored in them, whether it’s books and kitchen utensils or antique furniture and clothes and garden equipment. 

However, this doesn’t mean that everything can be stored; there are some items that can be dangerous if left enclosed for long periods so here is a quick rundown on what kind of things you shouldn’t put into a storage unit.

What not to put in storage:

• Any organic or living materials – although this may sound obvious there have been cases where people actually kept their pets in a storage unit, or even slept there themselves!  Plants need sunlight and water to thrive and will simply die if left in a dark storage space, and people simply shouldn’t be there!
• Any food that can go off – decomposing food will start to smell and attract insects and flies.
• Anything of very high value, or personal documents.
• Substances that are toxic, poisonous and flammable – this includes things like paint, gas bottles, chemicals, medical waste and methane gas as the fumes can build up and be very dangerous within a confined space
• Firearms, ammunition or explosives. There are specialised places for these kinds of items.
• Anything wet as this can cause mould to grow which will affect everything in the unit and could ultimately destroy it.
• Photographs can be put into storage but could get damaged. If you have to, then place them between 2 pieces of cardboards and wrap tape around it as this will stop the corners from curling up and ruining them.
• Illegal items can’t be kept in a storage unit; this means drugs and stolen goods and anything else the law prohibits.

What you can put in storage:

• Furniture items that are properly packed or wrapped
• Kitchen items and silverware that are boxed safely
• Electrical appliances such as refrigerators, ovens, and dishwashers
• Collectable items without a large monetary value
• Books and documents
• Clothes and materials
• Promotional materials and displays
• Patio and garden furniture
• Large items such as canoes, bicycles or surfboards

It is always best to check with the storage company before putting anything you are unsure about in a unit. A good rule of thumb is that if it is in any way perishable, illegal, or potentially dangerous then it should not be placed in a storage unit.

Keep everything in your unit packed well to avoid any damage and make it easier to sort through when you need access later on. There are lots of tips online that help you organize packing your unit so it’s neat and tidy and the things you might want to access at certain times can be reached easily when needed.

What Can You Put into Storage?

It’s taken as the norm these days that most homes simply aren’t big enough to contain all the items a family owns, that’s why more and more are turning to storage units to take control of the chaos in their house.

Storage facilities offer flexible solutions for keeping household and business items safe when you do not need to use them on a daily basis. However, there are some restrictions common to most storage unit providers around the country. This is due to legal and safety considerations on the part of the storage company.

Common restrictions include: 

• Combustible materials such as chemicals, gas and fuel
• Live animals or plant materials
• Firearms - although there are some conditions where these are allowed
• Illegal goods, stolen goods or restricted substances.

Some goods may not be subject to restriction but could require specialised storage, such as wine which requires a controlled temperature.

Large items for weekend and holiday entertainment purposes are common things that end up in storage units as people simply don’t have the space for them. These include things like canoes and small rowing boats, windsurfing and parasailing gear, surfboards and other similar items that take up a lot of space but aren’t used on a regular basis.

There are some people that like to collect cars, or have a spare vehicle that is taking up space outside the home but rarely driven. Everyone has their reasons as to why they don’t want to sell these vehicles and so putting them into storage means they are safe and kept out of the rain and wet, this also applies to motorbikes, and boats that need to be sheltered.

Most things you keep in the house are allowed to be put into storage; this includes furniture and household items, kitchen utensils and carpets, shelving, wardrobes, beds and sofas. Self storage gives the perfect opportunity to declutter the premises, store belongings safely, or put away items that you want to keep but are simply in the way at home.

Facilities generally offer two types of storage services that can accommodate businesses and private clients. Business storage is ideal for archiving sensitive or confidential documents, client records and files, and is generally much safer than keeping them under lock and key in the company office. Excess stock, surplus materials and promotional equipment and literature are also often put into storage until they’re needed again so they don’t take up all the space at the business premises.

People like to put their personal possessions into self storage if they are sharing a house with other lodgers or the house is simply too small to hold all their belongings. It means they can go and look at them whenever they feel like it and don’t have to throw things away that could offer memories from their childhood or some other happy occasion.

Ask your storage provider if you have something that requires storage but are unsure if it is allowed. Most household items will be fine to keep in storage and you will only be limited to the size of the mobile storage module or facility.

Moving Your Mattress Safely

Whilst moving your bed to a self storage facility is more than likely quite easy as it’s able to be separated into easy-to-manage pieces on moving day, you will have no such luck with your mattress. Mattresses are bulky and unwieldy, making them particularly difficult to maneuver and move from place to place if you don't have a large van or truck to accommodate them. This can mean that the only option available is to throw them up onto the roof rack of the car and, while it may not look pretty on the move, it is possible with most standard sized vehicles, as long as you don’t have  a small mini car or something similar in size you should be ok!

Start off by preparing for the move to the storage facility by getting hold of the right materials for the job, this includes a good length of rope or ratchet tie downs, tape, and a big piece of plastic or a waterproof bag large enough to fit your mattress. You could try asking around some of the local warehouses in the area to see if they have any spare heavy duty plastic lying around they might give you for free or for next to nothing. Get help too when moving the mattress especially if it’s a king size – it’s definitely not a 1 man job!

It’s best to wrap the mattress in plastic so that if it rains it will remain dry and clean. Even if the weather is fine, you still don't want to expose your mattress to dirt and exhaust fumes on the road. Leaving a mattress uncovered can attract dirt and gives the possibility of being torn during the moving process, and as they don’t come cheap you don’t want the extra expense of having to replace one.

Once it is wrapped up securely get some help from a friend to lift it up onto the roof rack, if you don’t have a rack and don’t want to buy one just for the sake of one trip then you can actually just strap it onto the roof of the car instead. An important point to mention again is that you need to really secure the plastic tightly with strong packing tape, normal sellotape just isn’t up to the job and if a corner gets loose then it’s very likely to tear and your mattress will be open to the elements and for all to see!

Throw the rope over the top of the mattress and then either under the roof rack, or if you don't have a roof rack, through the car windows. Make sure that you secure the rope going in both directions of your mattress, lengthwise and width ways, as this will prevent it from moving around, and then tie the end of the rope very firmly making sure it’s taut so it can’t come loose.

Protecting Fragile Household Items During a Move

Moving belongings to a new house can be a mammoth task and can be quite stressful for the home-owner, and there is enough going on when moving without the added factor of worrying about things getting broken.
While some household items can be packed without much chance of damage, others need to be packed very carefully if they are to arrive in the same state as they left.

Anything fragile, such as glassware and china, are the most likely items to be damaged in a move. Provide fragile items with plenty of protection by wrapping each piece separately and placing them carefully in a hard box, this can be cardboard as long as it’s tough and good quality, or invest in durable plastic boxes with handles, making sure there is no room for the items to move around. Stuff the empty space around the items with extra padding, newspaper or old magazines are fine and do the job just as well, but if you have bubble wrap then even better.

Padding in-between each item will stop them from banging against each other which could lead to breakages or cracks, plates for example should be packed separately and placed on top of each other at the bottom of the box as they are flat and heavy.

Art pieces can be easily damaged in a move because they are often delicate, large, or irregularly shaped.

These kinds of valuable things should always be kept separate from regular household items; you might even want to take them to the new house yourself by car. For smaller items wrap them well in bubble wrap or similar padding and pack them in sturdy boxes, if they are quite large then a moving blanket might make more sense as it acts as a very effective padding material. Consider hiring an art transport company to do the job if you are really anxious, or at the very least insure expensive artwork before the move.

Always check boxes containing fragile items are labelled accordingly, so that others helping with the move treat them with the care they need. You could even colour code the boxes, a bright colour for the fragile items would make these boxes stand out and remind the movers that there are breakables inside.

Large or oddly shaped furniture can be awkward to move. Ask others to help lift heavy objects to avoid damage to the furniture or physical injury to yourself. If you really do have a lot of things and are daunted by the thought of moving then why not hire the services of a professional moving company and make life easier?

Another good method of saving yourself some trouble is to make the move in little steps, start by moving the larger items to the new property and put other things into self-storage for safekeeping until you’re ready to collect it. This can make a move much more manageable as there is less to deal with on moving day, and as most good storage services will come and pick your things up you don’t even have to worry about getting to the facility for storage in Sydney!

Keeping Excess Inventory in your Business

Planning your inventory sometimes can be very tricky. As an entrepreneur, you base your inventory levels on past sales, inventory movements and projected demand. However, there are so many factors that also affect what is at present – changing tastes, the environment of the business, and other factors that most of the time are out of your control. No matter how you plan it well, it is either you end up with less supply of your products or just too much of these on hand. Having fewer items on hand tends to make your customers unhappy and very impatient, and you are in the danger of losing them. Most of the time, you are inclined to over-order or over stock and you end up with a lot of excesses. But having excess inventory could be answered right away, especially if the kind of products you carry does not have any expiration or non-perishable. All you have to do is to find a temporary self storage in Sydney near your business and you could store these until demand picks up. This is good for seasonal non-perishable items, which you could keep for a period of time.

While many businesses try to clear out excess inventory through sales and other promotions, some items can be kept until the market picks up. This is indeed true if the items you carry are non-perishable like clothing, accessories, or even pieces of furniture. We see a lot of similar businesses that have clearance sales in order to clear out the excesses. If you are in the same business, the first thing that you would usually think is to look at the storage space you have in your warehouse. But while storage space in your shop or warehouse may be incredibly tight, you can immediately consider extending it for a short period of time by simply engaging a self storage facility near you. It is not that expensive to simply hire more storage as a short-term or medium-term solution, given that the self storage facility is near you, affordable and secured. If you are able to strike a deal with the self storage owner that you would need his business’ services every other time so that it can lower the costs considerably, then it is even better. Apart from that, you can pre-pay some months to make the overall cost even lower. Contrary to popular belief, hiring a self storage facility can be advantageous and inexpensive.

Extending your warehouse space thru hiring a self storage facility is great for seasonal products, including clothes that may be out of fashion for three or four months but can be sold again after. It is better to keep the stock safely stored and be brought back into your store at the right time or season. This is not only true to clothing but also to other non-perishable products that have style that are classic and cannot go out of season for a long time. In other words, higher probability of coming back to the sales rack in no time!

With the changing demands of customers and more and more newer and better business sprouting everywhere to meet these demands, it is always better to be at a competitive edge. Customers nowadays have a wide array of choices of products in front of them and if they are unsatisfied with one, they can easily switch. Given this, it is not wise to keep the customer waiting and that it is better to have too much stock than to have too little. Out of stock items can frustrate customers and you may jeopardise the chances that they will shop with you again. Having extra storage space also allows you to snap up bulk discounts without the fear of having nowhere to put everything. Thus, it is best to manage your stocks well and if there is a high likely chance that you will end up having excess inventory, it is just good to have a back up plan of putting it at a nearby self storage facility. It may cost a little bit more, but in the long run, you keep your customers happy and satisfied.

How to manage sellable antiques, comics, figurines and other collectables

Many people have a good collection of sellable items in their garage that they are trying to hold on to sell when the time is right. Eventually, these items will lose their value due to bad maintenance or improper storage. Here are a few tips to help preserve the quality of your valuable collections.
You are planning to sell the set of “Spiderman” comics you collected since you were a teenager, each one still in their cellophane protector, one day. However, the collection has started to pile up in your room, in the garage and in the cupboard and before you know it, some of the books start showing signs of deterioration due to the environmental elements. That loses the comics a whole lot of value which in turn means less money for your collection. Bummer.
Fortunately, this can be easily prevented with a bit of discipline and smart thinking. Here’s how.
1. Get plastic boxes
This is one of the most useful tips things you can get for any collectable. Because plastic boxes are sturdy and durable, and they don’t disintegrate fast, they maintain a relative stable environment inside them. To prevent further moisture damage, a bag of silica gel easily bought from a camera shop in the bag will dry out the interior effectively.
2. Organise
Label, label, label – this cannot be emphasized enough. If you are serious about collecting, labelling will help you in the long haul. It helps you see, at a glance, what is in the boxes, thus eliminating the need to open to check each box few years down the road. An example of labelling would be, “Box A – Toys of 1940 - 1950” followed by a list of the items in the box, such as, “Clapping Monkey” or Blue Toy Car”.
3. Maintain
Every few months, clean up the area the boxes are stored in. Watch out for cockroaches’ eggs, spider webs or the droppings of rats and lizards. Any pests that can sneak into the boxes can be your worst nightmare. A vacuuming and a proper wipe down will turn pests off the area. If pests are a major problem, look into pest control.
4. A self storage facility
If you are planning to move to a smaller apartment or just need that extra space, a Sydney self storage facility might be the best option for your collection. Check if the facility has long term storage discounts and other perks which can save you a whole lot of money. Check also for security features. Many of them have pretty good service.
5. Have a selling plan
Many people overlook this when storing their collectables but a plan to sell should be part of your storage plans. Look at the value of your items on online auction sites or pawn shops and sell those you deem has reached their full value. Get a trusted expert if you are really unsure. That can save you a whole lot of worry and time. A good selling plan means you free up more space for more items for your collection, thus keeping the cash flowing.

Tips on Storing Your Leather Objects Without Damaging Them

While leather products are desired by many people, they often require regular maintenance and proper storage to preserve its best quality. However, storing leather items does not have to be a complicated affair. With a few simple steps, you can keep them away for a long time without having to worry about any wear and damages.
Leather products, if well preserved, last you a lifetime. However, regular maintenance, such as proper cleaning, conditioning and protection is necessary to keep them in the best condition. When it comes to storing leather items, whether at home or in some self storage facilities, there are steps which you can follow to keep them well protected, without causing damage to them by mildew or other conditions.
Applying Leather Moisturizer
Before you move them into a self storage unit, you need to condition the leather by applying a generous amount of leather moisturizer. The substances in these moisturizers, such as oil, lanolin and beeswax, ensure that their skin is kept hydrated and supple, hence preventing it from cracking or mildews from forming. If possible, you should also moisturize it periodically for as long as it is kept in storage.
Wrapping The Leather Objects
Whatever leather objects you are storing, be it leather bags, shoes or jackets, you need to wrap them up before placing them in a box. You may use materials such as dust covers, rags, plain papers or tissues to do so, but do avoid acid paper as the acid will attack the leather and cause irreversible damages to the products. When storing bags or shoes, you may wish to fill the bags and shoes up to their maximum capacity with papers or tissues. This is to prevent creases from developing over time, allowing the products to retain their shape while they are kept away. For leather jackets, shirts and other clothing items, hang these items up; do not fold. Creases will form if you fold them, causing the leather to crack.Storing The Leather Objects
Leather should always be stored in a well ventilated and breathable container and never in plastic or any air tight box as it accumulates moisture and encourages the growth of mildew and bacteria. If you are planning to store your leather items in a self storage facility, make sure you choose one that has storage units that are “breathable”. Some better storage companies in Sydney build containers with materials such as heavy industrial plywood that allows maximum air circulation, hence preventing moisture from building up, and keeping your items dry and fresh. To be absolutely safe, throw in a dehumidifier in the storage unit to absorb any excessive moisture that is still hanging around.
Another big enemy of leather, besides mildew, is sunlight. Direct sunlight dries up the fibres inside the leather and causes cracks and discoloration. So before committing to any warehousing facility, make sure that it is dark and cool, and well away from direct sunlight or any pest infestation.
With a few simple steps, you should be able to preserve and store your leather items properly for a long time without having to worry about wear and damage.

The Advantages of Expanding Your Business Through Franchising

In recent years, the growth rate of franchising has been exponential. The proven success of franchising has prompted many businesses to regard it as a quick strategy to expanding their business. This article weighs the pros of using it to your business advantage and explains why it is so appealing to many companies.

The success of franchising is well recognized in businesses such as fast food, casual restaurants and educational enterprises. However, in recent years, more and more businesses from other industries are also jumping on the bandwagon. From Sydney self storage to signage businesses, many are discovering the advantages of growing their business through this method of expansion.

So why is franchising so appealing? To the franchisor (the owner of the principal business), it offers many benefits that cannot be easily overlooked. Here are just a few of the many advantages.
1. Boosting market share and developing a strong brand equity
Franchising is probably one of the quickest ways to enlarge market share and build a strong brand equity. Consider the amount of investment a business requires if it wanted to increase market share through opening of more outlets. Needless to say, it would be quite substantial. However, by franchising your business to other business owners, not only are you able to open up new markets quickly, you can do so without having to invest money in the outlets yourself.
2. Reaching your targeted consumers
You can also reach your target market more effectively through cooperative advertising and promotion. While your marketing department can come up with fabulous national campaign to build your brand nationwide, there is only so much you can do for local advertising and promotion. With franchising, your franchisees would be willing to chip in and do their part in order to improve their business locally too.
3. Economies of scale through bulk purchasing
Rapid expansion through franchising also means that you are able to reach operating efficiencies and economies of scale quickly. With that, you can engage in more meaningful negotiations with your major suppliers for better deals. This benefits everyone, including your franchisees, allowing them to build their business on more cost effective grounds.
4. Recruitment of motivated owners and operators
One of the most difficult tasks in business operation, particularly in retail, is getting motivated and efficient staff to run the business. Unlike employees, franchisees are highly motivated in making the business a success since they are driven by their own profit margins. By replacing internal personnel with these motivated owners and operators, the probability of success is generally higher.
5. Transfer of risk
Risk exists in every business or investment. With franchising, however, some of the risk is transferred to the franchisee, who themselves would invest their own money into the business. For example, if you franchise a self storage business, your franchisees would rent their own warehouse, purchase their own warehousing and security equipment, and hire their own staff. Instead of incurring these expenditures, they are now transferred to your partners. Of course, you have to share the profit too, but that’s what it is all about.
Considering the many benefits of franchising, it is no wonder why so many companies are employing it as their business expansion strategy. Have you weighed the costs and benefits of your business too?

How to Make Your Small Apartment Look More Spacious

With apartments in cities rapidly shrinking in size, space-starved urban-dwellers are finding it challenging to decorate their small home. However, the task may not be as daunting as it looks. With a few innovative ideas and clever usage of furniture, colours and lighting, you can transform a tiny home into a well-organized living space.
With escalating property prices, making do with small apartments are fast becoming a reality in many cities. Even though apartments are shrinking in size, it does not necessarily mean that your personal living space needs to be compromised. With a few clever use of tricks and innovative ideas, tiny homes can be transformed into super efficient spaces without sacrificing your personal style and taste.
The key to decorating small apartments is to create a design that is functional as well as aesthetically appealing. Sounds difficult? Well, not really, if you have a few tricks up your sleeves. To maximize the space of a spatially-challenged room, you can play with scale and proportion, install lighting that enhances openness, and have customized cabinets so that you can have plenty of room for storage.
Here are a few tips on what you can do:
1. Use of mirrors to reflect light - Light amplify spatial sense. By placing a large mirror or numerous small mirrors strategically, it can make a real difference to the room. If you prefer a modern look, furniture with metal or glass works too.
2. Let the light in – Blinds and curtains create a sense of darkness and crowdedness, making a small room looks even smaller. Get rid of heavy draperies and go for lighter or sheer curtains that let light through. If possible, try to keep the blinds or curtains open as much as possible
3. Use light colours on your wall – I think most people are familiar with this one, but I include it in here because it is absolutely true. Have you seen small rooms that are painted in dark gray or maroon? Well, don’t do that if you are already struggling with space. You don’t have to use white exclusively too because other light colours can also do wonders.
4. Build customised cabinets – having plenty of storage space is very important for small apartment. The last thing you want to do is to clutter your space with personal stuff with no where to hide. If you can’t find cabinets or shelves that fit perfectly in your apartment, it might be a good idea to custom-built some. It may sound like a lot of work, but if you can get hold of a good contractor, he would know exactly what to do to make the cabinets look inconspicuous and even complement the apartment’s overall interior décor. You can also buy baskets or containers, such as those provided in self storage facilities to store any remaining clutter. Other ideas include getting furniture that has storage space within them, such as an Ottoman and bed frames that have drawers underneath.
If you still have problems fitting everything you owned in, try cheap self storage near Sydney. Store whatever furniture or possession you do not need away temporarily until, well, you can afford a bigger apartment, perhaps?

Things That You Should Not Overlook When Moving

There are little details that you often overlook when you move, but should also merit some attention, even if these are found at the bottom of your checklist. It is still good to get these done before you physically move, as these would sometimes cause more inconvenience if not done by then.

When we decide to move, we would normally settle the bigger items on our checklist – things we want to store and items that we want to do away (or donate), identifying and selecting storage solutions, selecting house removal services and the like. But there are a few minute details that we oftentimes overlook, and means a great deal. Some of these things are below, and hopefully will be part of your checklist, and leave this on the last minute. Some take time, while some can be cumbersome to coordinate and settle.

Moving to a new place involves a lot of tasks and items to do. You do a checklist of what needs to be done from selecting storage solutions to understanding whether there are additional benefits like packaging services, but even though you are very careful not to miss out anything, we tend to over look some minor details. These are little details that should also merit some attention, even if they are at the bottom of your list. Otherwise, no matter how minor these are, these details can be a great source of inconvenience for you. At some point, these are details that you should be looking at and get these done.

When you have decided to move, you immediately make a checklist of what you need to do months ahead. Once you have pinned down the date of your move, you back track and identify which items that need more time to accomplish, and items that could be done right before you move or after you have left your old area. You usually make a general list of the ‘bigger’ tasks that you need to settle like the area you would like to move in; selecting a reliable property agent that you would like to work with when looking for the place; identifying a storage solutions service based on friends’ recommendations and your own research, providing you with premium and additional benefits like packaging services, packing materials, and the like; and looking for someone to rent your old place or even looking at selling it, which, again, requires a dependable real estate broker. However, there are a few details that you overlook which could cause some form of inconvenience to you – one way or another. These are items that sometimes could be done less than a week before moving, but chances are, could be overlooked. These details are your bills, important correspondences that you do not want to miss out, and even your friends from overseas who would occasionally send out greeting cards to you.

Hence, these are a few of the items that you could start with:

• Utility bills: when you have identified your moving date, contact your utility service provider on the minimum period of termination and if you have any pending contract with them like your telephone line, cable TV or internet; and how many days in advance do they need for you to call in and terminate and if they allow you to tell to them way in advance and they could set it in the system. If your existing utility service, say a cable TV, has remaining number of months to complete the contract, and pre-terminating it would mean a considerable amount of penalty, try to find someone who needs the service and do a transfer of ownership. This way, you could save yourself from paying the early termination fee. If there is no contract involved, ask your service provider if you need to call again to terminate and how many days prior, so that you will have electricity until the day you move out. Tell them, too, your new forwarding address for the last bill, or if you could just check it online and pay online at the same time.
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• Important correspondences from government regulatory boards: You need to ensure that you update your new contact details of your government social security, health insurance, taxes and the like. It is not only about receiving information, but also avoiding the risk of unauthorized individuals gaining access to sensitive personal information.
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• Membership correspondences: Would you like to be updated with new benefits for new members of your favorite shop? How about sales flyers? These may be nuisance for some, but if you are that type who would like to receive letters about the latest updates of your favorite shops from warehouse sales, to just members’ benefits, it would be great to update them, too.
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• Friends’ greeting cards: In this digital age, it is heartwarming to receive snail mail from friends all over. You know they took the effort to make that trip to the greeting card store, get a pen and actually write with their own hands. There, do not miss them out, too, in your updates. You could announce it in your social media site, or just send them a personal message as a group. But also, be selective, if you are keen to keep it amongst your closest friends.

Include the above items in your checklist. Do not be preoccupied with just sorting your items, skimming over the best solutions storage for your needs, and selecting a self storage facility in Sydney in the end, and arranging these for packaging services and the like. The above list is as important as your bigger and more tangible tasks; yet, these items should not go unnoticed, too. Start with the above, and you could add more as you move along. It is better to start somewhere with these, rather than risk forgetting altogether.