The CASTER GROUP

Archive for April, 2016

Moving During a Holiday Weekend?

Couple Moving

 

Couple Moving

As busy as you are moving, it may not even come to mind that the holiday could change your plans. Keep in mind that most moving companies will take the holiday off.  Memorial Day weekend is coming before you know it, if you plan to move during that weekend here are tips to consider.

Friends and Family Being Too Busy to Help –  If you’re looking for help on moving day, and plan to move on holiday weekend, you may want to ask friends or family far in advance. Many will have plans that don’t involve spending their day  hauling heavy objects, especially during warm weather holidays. One of the most important moving tips will be to ask early.

Movers may be unavailable – With high demand during holiday weekends many moving companies are either booked on holidays or even perhaps closed!

Many Stores will be closed- Moving day often brings with it a need for last minute moving supplies. If you are moving yourself, stock up for every possible moving supplies, including extra tape, extra boxes, snacks, bottled water, garbage bags, packing paper and furniture pads.

Roads may be closed –  Often times many holiday weekends comes with a lot more traffic on the roads and even road closures.  Don’t forget to plan you route a head of time!

Hotels may be unavailable – Holiday weekends their often a lot of people traveling. If you plan on staying in a hotel the night before your move, book your room well in advance.

If you are moving this upcoming Memorial day weekend don’t forget to plan ahead!  Have a fun and safe holiday weekend.

 

Continue Reading

Is Your Home Ready For the Summertime?

Backyard BBQ Grill Party Scene.Chalkboard With Sign Party Here BBQ, Flaming Grill, Wood Outdoor Furniture, Garden Decoration, Wine, Picnic Basket

Backyard BBQ Grill Party Scene.Chalkboard With Sign Party Here BBQ, Flaming Grill, Wood Outdoor Furniture, Garden Decoration, Wine, Picnic Basket

Summer is almost here! It’s time to get your home off to a good start this season. Once summer rolls around there is nothing better than lounging outdoors surrounded by beautiful weather, and family and friends.  Just use these simple tips to help get your home ready for the summertime.

Stock Up For Summer – Stock up on summer essentials. Fill your medicine cabinet with sun block, aloe and insect repellent beach towels. Also stock up on summer toys and games for the little ones to keep them preoccupied this summer.

Install Out Door Lighting- Lights are a must for backyard entertaining. Luckily they aren’ t too hard to install! Don’t call it a night just because the sun has set. Add lanterns, twinkle lights or even a portable fire pit to your backyard to make it a nighttime friendly.

Prepare Your Patio – Pull your patio furniture out from storage if you haven’t already, and give it a thorough cleaning. If your seat cushions have seen better days, consider replacing them with new bright fun colors!

Reseal Your Fence and Deck – Wooden fences and decks take a beating in all the types of weather, so give them a little TLC. Check that no boards need to be replaced, and give them a fresh coat of sealer to protect them all summer long.

Eliminate the excess – Clear your home of all the clutter. Consider packing away your knickknacks to give your home a lighter feeling. Consider rolling away extra rugs and blankets. Just some simple changes can help lighten up your home!

Check Your Air Conditioner – When the A/C sits idle for months it collects debris so a little bit of maintenance is often needed to get it running properly. The last thing you would want is on the first really hot day of summer you go to turn the A/C  only to  find that it doesn’t work.

Don’t wait any longer! Get your home ready for the summer heat.

Continue Reading

Summer Storage for College Students

iStock_000079174307_Full      As the spring semester is coming to an end, it’s time to start thinking about packing up for whatever opportunity awaits for you during the summer. For some students packing up their dorm room and hauling all of their belongings back home isn’t a practical solution. Instead, storage units for college students are convenient and affordable.

Do research on facility – The first step of finding storage unit is to find a quality facility. When looking for a student storage unit, its important to find a facility that offers affordable prices and security. Also consider a storage facility  that is near your college campus.

Consider Size of the Unit – The size of storage unit is another factor to consider when finding summer storage. Your storage facility should offer plenty of space to fit all of your belongings. If you plan on hanging on to any pieces of furniture it may be a good idea to rent a storage unit that offers a spacious floor plan. Our two most popular sizes  for students are 5×5 and 5×10.

5×5 unit- The typical contents of a dorm room are a desk, chair, TV, twin bed, and a few boxes.  This can easily all fit within a 5×5 storage unit, which is the size of a small closet.

5×10 unit- If you have a large bed or desk, or perhaps an extra piece of furniture  such as a futon, you may want to upgrade to a 5×10 unit. You can even consider storing with a friend and splitting costs to save money.

Organize Before You Move –  Once you have found the right storage unit, it’s important to organize all of your belongings. Be sure to clearly label every box with a detailed list of all of the contents. You may want to consider color coding each box with bright packing tape.

Tips & Tricks to remember

  • Start packing early
  • Books should be packed horizontally in smaller box. Storing books vertically can damage the spines.
  • Pack glasses, plates and dishes in bubble wrap. Place heavier items at the bottom of the box  and lighter objects on top.
  • Don’t forget to clean out your appliances before placing them in a storage unit. Leave the door to a mini-fridge open while in storage,this will prevent odor.
  • Do a thorough review of your room before leaving

Don’t wait until the last minute to figure out what to do with all your stuff! Start looking for your summer storage unit now.

To learn more about our student storage options, or to find a location near your school, visit our website at http://www.a1storage.com/student_storage.

Continue Reading

Get Organized for Tax Season

Tax Stickie

Yellow blank note and written 15 April TAX Day  for reminder.

Tax season is here! Getting organized ahead of time to file your taxes can alleviate a lot of the stress involved with meeting the April 15th deadline. Below are helpful tips and reminders to make sure you have all the information you will need when its time to file your taxes.

1. Plan Ahead – To limit last minute stress, create a calendar to plan your tax time to-dos, and aim to have your taxes filed in advance. You will want to have a schedule for keeping your documents organized. Is it that you will file the proper items at the end of the work week? Create a habit, use alarms, and set reminders to help you create this habit. 

2. Designate a Space for Tax Organization –  Whether it be your home office, kitchen table, or even a storage unit, make sure your tax record keeping has a designated spot.

3. Decide on a Filing System –  If you use paper clips, accordion folders, color-coded sticky notes, or some other filing system, decide on how your going hold together important paperwork and documents. If you do everything online and decide to go paperless, be sure to keep electronic records.

4. Gather All Income Statements and Documents Including Receipts – Group together all sources of income, including W-2, 1098 or 1099 forms, as well as paid invoices or any other evidence of income you have received in the past year.  Keep your receipts in a separate folder.

5. Decide How You Will File – Will you be using a tax filing software program, give everything to your accountant, or just file the paperwork by yourself? Whatever you decide, make sure you have everything in order prior to the deadline of April 15th.

6. Shred and Store Smart – To avoid identity theft, shred any papers you saved and didn’t need. Once taxes are filed, store all the paper work you may need in a secure place.

7. Use the Scanner or Smartphone to Simplify – Are looking for easier access to your receipts? You can either snap pictures of your receipts and save to your computer or use a scanner. Some smartphone apps make it easier to store your scanned items, check out the app store for more details.

Tax season doesn’t have to be stressful. Stay organized and plan ahead of time. With these simple tips, tax organization should be easier!

 

Continue Reading

Contact Us

    Your Name:

    Your Email:

    Subject:

    Your Message: