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Blog, Lifestyle

3 Tips for staying productive while you work from home during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

With the current outbreak of the Coronavirus disease, also known as COVID-19, many private enterprises, companies and civil servants have adopted the idea of “working from home” or splitting offices to reduce the number of employees in the workplace over a prolonged duration. This flexible workplace idea is largely also an emergency ‘social distancing’ measure that may significantly help to minimise the number of people being affected. However, most of us might not be used to this working arrangement. Worry not! Here are 3 tips to help you stay productive at home.

  1. Establish Constant Communication

With everyone working from home, it can be challenging to communicate with your teammate immediately. In this case, companies and departments can explore the option of setting up video chats and phone calls with the relevant teammate on a regular basis during office hours. Another solution that organisations can try would be establishing teleconferencing and collaboration tools that can help teams to be more productive. These tools include the following free applications that are available on android, iOS, Mac and Windows:

  1. Slack: A collaboration tool where you can send direct message and files to a group or user. You can also easily create a voice and video calls too.
  2. Trello: An online corkboard where you can organize the “cards” into different lists so everyone on your team can be updated on your work progress.
  3. G-Suite: Connect and access all files and documents instantly wherever you are. All your colleagues can also create documents on-the-go, and everyone will be able to see the updated docs on Google Drive too.

 

  1. Find your Work-life balance

Trying to squeeze everything into just 24 hours is hard! In addition, most of us could be quite new to the idea of working from home and would find it hard to work for a straight 8 hours at home, like in our office environment. In this case, you need a clear plan.

With applications like G-suite’s calendar application, it allows all to see everyone’s schedule without calling or messaging. It can also clearly state all the meeting details and time that one has to take note. Considering all of these important timings, start planning your other workload around it with the idea of time-blocking and also including small breaks in between. This can help one to stay productive and not burnt out while working from home. You can also share the list with your team members to get their inputs if they need some projects to be cleared on that day.

With so much time spent at home during the outbreak of Coronavirus, we should all still strive to achieve a work-life balance and to also stay mentally and physically healthy.

  1. Declutter Your Space

Living in a tidy and organised space allows you to be more productive while you work from home. By having a clean home, it would also look good and professional when you are having a video teleconference with your teammates or clients.

Did you know by organising and keeping your home orderly and decluttered, it provides you with a space to focus and be more productive too? Especially during this Covid-19 outbreak situation, having a clean space helps you improve the overall indoor air quality, sleep better and reduce the chances of getting sick. Here are more ways to keep your home clean.

During this period, if you need a storage space to store all those hardly used items or big bulky boxes of personal and family items, come store them all at Extra Space Asia Self-Storage! By storing your items in a self-storage unit, you will be able to enjoy extra space to work and rest. After all the decluttering, it would also be much easier for you to clean, vacuum and sanitize all surfaces at home when necessary.

On top of keeping our home clean and organised, it is also important that we practice social responsibility during this crucial period. This includes observing good personal hygiene, monitoring our own health conditions and staying at home to rest if unwell. Please see a doctor if you have fever, cough and difficulty in breathing. We should also practice and maintain social distancing of at least 1-2 metre between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. Social distancing reduces transmission of the Covid-19 virus effectively and lessen the impact on the already stretched healthcare services. We should abide to social distancing especially at public spaces like our offices, hawker centers, supermarkets, shopping malls etc. where the flow of people tend to be higher.

Lastly, we hope that everyone will continue to stay safe and healthy. Please also be kind and support one another during this Covid-19 period.

Blog, Business Storage, Personal Storage, Storage Tips

4 Useful Tips When Choosing Your Hong Kong Self-Storage Provider

Living in a space-starved country like Hong Kong with a population of over 7.5 million, the chance of owning more space or a bigger new home seems tough. To cope with this space issue, most people would have to rent a self-storage unit to expand their living space without overcrowding their current home or office space. However, with over ten self-storage companies in Hong Kong, which should you choose? And why?

Here’s 4 useful tips when choosing your Hong Kong self-storage provider.

  1. Store with a Safe and Reliable Self-Storage Brand

Being one of the few dominant self-storage brands in Asia, Extra Space Asia has been in the self-storage industry for over 13 years. Today, the company has two storage facilities located in Hong Kong and over 50 storage facilities spread across Asia.

Extra Space Asia was awarded ‘Singapore’s No.1 Self-Storage brand’ for the 3rd straight year. This achievement was made possible by the strong support from its loyal customers, and dedicated staff who strive to deliver the best storage experience.

  1. Select your Preferred Storage Facility

In this era of rapid digital transformation, cutting-edge technologies have opened up opportunities, fundamentally transforming customer experiences.

Today, Customers are able to communicate with our Customer Service Executive team through various platforms both online and offline. Besides calling us directly at 3974 6000, Customers who prefer texting can either Whatsapp or use our Live Chat function on our website to speak to us with us. If they know what you are looking for, the can also simply fill up a form to receive a quick quotation. For those who are more used to communicating via social media platforms, feel free to also send us a direct message (DM) or PM us any time via our Facebook page if you have a storage question or require a storage quote.

  1. Evaluate if the Storage Offerings meet your needs

Over the years, the company has expanded has expanded both Extra Space Sai Wan and Extra Space Hung Hom to cater to the growing lifestyle demands and storage needs.

Personal and Business Storage

Extra Space Asia offers a wide selection of highly secured storage solutions. Apart from personal storage, business owners will also be able to find a cost-effective and convenient way to store their business inventory. Storage spaces ranging from 6 to 500 square feet are available, with rental periods from as short as two weeks to as long as required. In fact, Customers can upgrade or downgrade their storage space any time.

Warehouse Storage

With just $20 per square feet, Customers can now enjoy more space at a more affordable storage rental cost with Extra Space Hung Hom’s Warehouse Storage. Our warehouse storage at Extra Space Hung Hom can accommodate your storage request from as small as 150sqft to as large as 3600 sqft. Simply let us know how much space your business needs, and we will allocate the space accordingly for you. Speak to us today to find out more!

  1. Ensure that there’s an effective ‘After-Sales’ Service

Unlike many unmanned self-storage companies in Hong Kong, we have a dedicated facility team is always present in our facility from 10am to 7pm from Monday to Saturday to answer any queries customers may have. No prior appointment required.

From guiding users in the selection of their storage units to recommending the ideal and storage plans, Extra Space Asia believes in keeping customers happy.

If you are interested in any of Extra Space Asia’s storage solutions, feel free to call 3974 6000 to find out more, or simply visit any of our storage facilities to get a personalized storage tour.

To all our current, past and future customers, thank you for choosing and trusting Extra Space Asia as your preferred self-storage brand. We look forward to sharing the unique Extra Space Asia storage experience with you!

Blog, Business Storage, Personal Storage

Self-Storage FAQ: Should I rent a locker or a walk-in unit

Thinking about renting a self-storage unit due for your growing business or upcoming home renovation? At Extra Space Asia, we know that it can be hard to decide what storage size you might need in order to store all of your home and business items.

Here are 3 useful tips to help you decide whether to rent a locker or a walk-in storage unit.

  1. Gauge by the number of filled boxes

    Prior to finding the nearest self-storage, keep track on the items you’re really going to be stored in a storage facility. You can start by going through all of your items and separate them into the “Throw”, “Donate” and “Keep” boxes. With this process, you’ll not only be decluttering your items but also know how many boxes you’ll be using.

    Once you know how many boxes you’ll be using, this number will determine how much storage space you need. For reference, Extra Space Asia Large box is 55cm x 55cm x 55cm. If you have less than five of these boxes, renting a Locker unit would be sufficient. One thing to note is that most storage spaces are charged by per square feet or per square metre. Therefore, all space rented should be put to good use. Otherwise, you’ll be paying more for space you don’t need.

  2. Making use of the Size Estimator function

    Unsure about what storage sizes are available at the storage facility? Check out the size estimator function available on most self-storage websites or simply click here. The size estimator will usually show a sample illustration of each storage space ranging from the Locker units to all the various different walk-in units sizes. This would show you an estimate of what can be fitted into the storage unit, i.e. how many boxes and items, and the possible arrangement configurations.

    With a size estimator, you can roughly gauge the type of storage size you might need for your items. This will help narrow down the options on whether to rent a locker unit or a walk-in storage unit.

  3. Visit or call the storage facility directly

    If you’re someone who prefers to see the storage unit personally in order to better understand how the storage unit looks like in the various storage sizes, visit the facility instead. Some storage companies might need advance bookings, but storage facilities like Extra Space Asia Self-Storage welcome all customers to visit our Sai Wan and Hung Hom storage facility during operating hours from 10am to 7pm, Mondays to Saturdays. No appointments needed!

    Here are some benefits to visiting the storage facility personally:

    • View different storage sizes all in one day.
    • Understand how much it costs to rent the storage unit on a short-term and long-term basis.
    • Rent spaces immediately, prepay the storage rental accordingly, and you’re good to move your items into your storage unit.
    • Purchase boxes or packing materials like bubble wrap and tapes directly from the storage facilities’ Box Shop to pack all your items.
    • Most importantly, you can check out if the storage facility is FSD compliant with the necessary features. This is important as those storage facilities which are not FSD compliant are deemed unsafe, and they might have to cease their operations or close down due to the mandated renovation. Click here to find out what features are necessary for the storage facility to be FSD approved/FSD compliant.

    Do not have time to visit the storage facility? Call us at 3974 6000 or use the Live Chat function on our website to find out more! Simply let our storage consultants know what items you would like to store, and we’ll be able to assist you from there.

    With the help of our friendly consultants, you’ll be able to find the most suitable self-storage space. With Extra Space Asia, you can also choose to upsize or downsize your space anytime you like!

     

Blog, Business Storage, Personal Storage

Extra Space Asia: The difference between self-storage and warehouse storage

If you’re not sure how to decide between self-storage and warehouse storage, you’re definitely not alone. Both options provide extra space for your personal and business items, but there are four key differences you should take note before making your decision.

1. Rental cost

Most self-storage providers like Extra Space Asia Self-Storage and Cube Self-Storage provide both self-storage and warehouse storage options. They come with flexible rental options and no long-term leases. However, pricing will be the main differentiating factor as the self-storage option would be relatively more expensive.

For comparison, rental at Extra Space Asia Self-Storage costs $20 per sqft, one of the lowest storage prices in the market. A 150sqft warehouse space would cost about HKD$3,000 before discount, at least 50% cheaper than a self-storage unit – ideal for businesses looking to lower operational expenses.

2. Amount of storage space available for rent

Warehouse storage spaces are customised based on your needs, while self-storage units are offered in pre-determined sizes such as the Locker or Walk-in storage unit. Make each option work to your benefit: if you’re storing mostly odd-sized items, the Warehouse storage could be more beneficial for you. If you’re looking for a personal space to store a fixed quantity of precious items, you might want to consider self-storage units.

3. Ideal storage conditions

Having cool and consistently optimal conditions in the storage area is very important if you are storing temperature-sensitive products such as leather goods and perishables.

In this case, preserve and protect your items with air-conditioned self-storage units. Choose self-storage facilities like Extra Space Asia for reliable air-conditioning and dehumidifier to ensure that your items are in tip-top condition all-year-round!

4. Level of accessibility

How often do you need access to your items? For most self-storage units, you can enter via access card or personalised pin code. Extra Space Asia facilities keep storage units safe, secure and closely monitored 24/7, available for you to access any time, any day.

For our Extra Space Asia’s Warehouse storage, only facility staff will have access to your stored items. This means you can only store and retrieve your items during operational hours with the help of facility staff.

As with every other decision, it’s all about weighing the pros and cons and how they impact the way you live and operate.

So, which type of storage do you prefer? If you have any questions, feel free to contact our friendly storage facility consultants at 3974 6000, and we will be more than happy to assist!

Lifestyle

3 Tips to Tackle Your Chinese New Year Spring Cleaning More Efficiently

With Chinese New Year just around the corner, most households would be busy cleaning up their home and sweeping away the bad luck to usher in all the good luck!

Here’s a fun fact, did you know that there is an auspicious date to do your home spring cleaning? According to the traditional schedule for Chinese New Year preparations, the house cleaning should be done on the 24th day of the 12th Lunar month, which happens to be 18th January 2020 this year.

We’ve prepared 3 tips to help tackle your Spring Cleaning more efficiently in a short time period.

1. Focus on the furnishing, appliances and carpets

Chinese New Year is the best opportunity to declutter and organise all the items. Start your spring cleaning routine this year by throwing away those items which you have not used for the past year.

Once you have decluttered, focus on items which are more visible such as your doorway carpet, floor areas and big fixtures like your ceiling fans. Start shaking and washing your carpet to keep them clean so that they can trap all the dirt from your visitor’s shoes before entering your home. After which, vacuum areas under the furniture. Remember to also remove the dust on your ceiling fans and light fixtures with a cloth or a vacuum with a soft nozzle attachment.

2. Engage a helper to aid you in your Chinese New Year Spring Cleaning

If you’re really lack of time or too tired to clean up your home after a long day at work, consider engaging an external help to aid you through the cleaning process! Try Toby, a website that connects you to a part time professional home/ office cleaning helper! They also offer extra services like pest control and even move in cleaning for those who are moving into a new home during this period. You can now relax and enjoy a clean home at the same time when you outsource the cleaning process.

3. Short Term Self-Storage Solution

Planning to host a reunion this Lunar New Year but lack of space to accommodate all your guests? Don’t fret, you can always free up some space in your home with self-storage providers like Extra Space Asia that offers both short-term and long-term self-storage solutions.

Choose to store from as short as 14 days to as long as you need. What’s more, you can start with a bigger storage unit to store all your big furniture, personal items and seasonal rarely used items. And when it’s time to retrieve them, you can always scale down your storage space to a smaller unit anytime!

One key benefit of using a self-storage unit is you can enjoy round-the-clock access to your personal items! That means if you need something urgently during the festive period, you can always visit your storage unit to retrieve them.

Blog, Storage Tips

3 Ways to Maximise The Benefits of Your Mini Storage Space

As houses get smaller and more expensive, mini storage is gradually becoming a necessity. With a mini storage space, we have extra room for miscellaneous items such as seasonal clothing, and personal hobby-related items. Useful as it is, renting extra storage space can get pricey if you store without a proper plan.

Here’s how you maximise the benefits of your mini storage!

1. Pack before renting

Most people tend to get a quote based on roughly how many items they are going to store. Estimates are usually inaccurate. We recommend you declutter first – this means to pack, discard or donate all items – before you request for a quote. This way you’ll have a clearer idea on what you want to store and what to keep at home. This will also help you choose a storage size that best suits your current need.

This process may be tiring, but if you do it once, everything will become more organised! At Extra Space Asia, we always encourage our customers to only store in a storage unit that fits their current needs as we have flexible plans that allow upgrades or downgrades anytime.

2. Plan before storing

If you just store as you go, you might end up wasting space in your storage unit. Plan the packing layout first. Label all your boxes, so that when you move-in to your storage unit, you will know what is in each box and how heavy it will be. Then, stack them according to weight and frequency of use. If you need extra boxes, you can always purchase them at our Box Shop too!

To optimise space, be aware of the vertical and horizontal spaces in your unit. The goal is to make full use of the vertical space first before spreading horizontally across the floor area.

3. Make more room with shelves

Only have a few boxes, but most of them are heavy? For easy and direct access without unnecessary heavy lifting, consider using shelves instead of stacking them.

This method of arranging will be especially useful if you’re a business owner who frequents your storage unit 24/7. Now you can conveniently retrieve and store all your inventory with ease!

When it comes to finding suitable storage spaces and add-ons, you can always count on Extra Space Asia! Contact us today at 3974 6000 to arrange a personal tour and for more advice on what suits you best.

 

Blog, Lifestyle, Storage Tips

Extra Space Asia: Top 10 Christmas Gift Ideas for your Friends, Family and Customers

As we approach the last month of 2019, most of us would be racking our brains to find the perfect Christmas gift for our loved ones.  If you’re still looking for gift ideas, look no further! We’ve compiled a handy dandy cheat sheet for this season of gifting.

For those who just moved into their new home

Some of us are at the age when most of our friends have just gotten married and received the keys to their new home. Now’s the best time to get them home-related gifts – it’ll be functional, and they’ll be super thankful!

Take advantage of on-going holiday warehouse sales, festive sales and the 12.12 sales.

Here’s 3 Christmas gift ideas that can easily double up as housewarming present:

Credits: Google
  • A multi-cooker for someone who loves to cook. All-in-one is useful and space-saving!
  • Easy-care indoor plants like succulents or aloe vera that will sure brighten up new homes.
  • A double layer snack and phone holder for those who love spending time at home watching bingeing on dramas.

For family members

Buying gifts for the whole family can be tricky. Why not get something that can bring your family closer this festive season? That’d be the ultimate family gift!

Some suggestions:

Credits: Google
  • Bond over a game of the latest Pictionary Air and float on with endless fun!
  • Personalised cup with names and pictures – a great way to make everyone feel special.
  • Give them the gift of extra storage space. Suitable for all the collectors and hobby enthusiast in the family to grow and preserve their precious items. 

For our Customers

This season of giving, give thanks to your customers for their support throughout the year. Big or small, this token of appreciation will go a long way for your business.

You can consider:

Credits: Google
  • Sending greeting card with small gift
  • Giving back to the society through charity
  • Offering special member perks during the festive season
Blog, Business Storage

Extra Space Asia’s Smart Business Self-Storage Choice that Gives You Endless Savings!

Looking to expand your online business or starting a new business? At Extra Space Asia, we understand that every business requires quite a fair bit of expenses, especially at the beginning stage. We aim to help your business by providing a smart business storage option that is not only flexible in plans, our storage options also work to give you endless savings!

Here’s why businesses, entrepreneurs and even those working from home should consider Extra Space Asia’s Smart Business Storage today:

1. Wide range of storage sizes under one roof

Save the trouble of finding the next suitable storage size to fit your growing business. At Extra Space Asia, we offer a wide range of storage sizes from Locker units as small as 7sqft to Walk-in storage as big as 500sqft all located in one storage facility; you can choose to up-size or downsize your storage unit any time when you need to.

2. Affordable storage options

If you have a start-up or thinking about expanding your ecommerce business, you should explore the option of using a self-storage to store all your business inventory. Wait, but why not warehouses? That is because unlike warehouses where rental costs can range from $8,000 to over $100,000 monthly for the whole space, the rental cost of using Extra Space Asia self-storage starts from as low as HK$442.50 for your first month with recurring discounts for the following months of rental. What’s more, there is also no fixed storage plans at Extra Space Asia self-storage, unlike other warehouse where you might need to rent for minimum period based on a contract.

All that, in return, will bring about significant cost savings to your business.

3. 24-hour access to a secure storage facility

At Extra Space Asia Self-Storage, you will be given a unique Pin code to access to the storage unit; this is a code that only you have, so that only you can access to your storage unit.

Fun fact about Extra Space Asia Self-Storage’s unique pin code is that it will always light your way to direct you to your storage unit should you decide to come to retrieve something in your storage unit at odd hours like 3am!

Blog, Business Storage, Personal Storage

How Individuals and Businesses Can Benefit From Short-Term Storage

Many of us are no stranger to self-storage. But here’s something you may not know: Extra Space Asia Self- Storage offers short-term space rentals – from as short as 14 days. This solution is ideal for individuals and businesses that require more space temporarily. Here are three key benefits of short-term self-storage.

1. It’s a lifesaver during home and business transition periods.

 

Only those who have experienced will know – buying/selling a home or moving offices is never smooth-sailing as expected. Plans get derailed. Transactions get delayed. What happens to all your items then? Choose short-term self-storage to securely keep your belongings, so that you have peace of mind to focus on your home and business arrangements.

2. It’s cost-effective for your business.

 

Why rent a big, expensive space just to store inventory? We know businesses need more space for extra stocks during the festive sale periods. Instead of expanding your storage space permanently, choose a short-term option with us. This way, you save on storage expenses and rent a space only when you need it. It’s safe, flexible and accessible – you can retrieve or store your items any time, any day!

3. It keeps all your belongings safe and tidy during renovation.

 

Renovating a new place can be exciting, but as we all know, everything tends to get dusty and messy. Having a short-term self-storage unit will be useful. Here, your furniture and belongings will be free from dirt and damage. Plus, more space for you and your contractors to move around and work.

All your belongings will be in good hands at a self-storage facility like Extra Space Asia. 24-hour CCTV monitoring and security ensure that all your items are protected round-the-clock. Only YOU have the keys to your storage unit.

Renovating or stocking up on inventory soon? Call us and arrange for a short-term storage unit today!

 

 

Blog, Personal Storage, Uncategorized

3 Benefits for Renting an Extra Space Asia Self-Storage Unit When You Are Moving

Hey, we know the process of moving into a new home can be daunting with all the planning and packing checklist. The list never ends, and it’s stressful even thinking about it.

Before the moving, there’s always the process of wondering:

1. Do we really need that item?
2. Where to do I keep that big photo frame passed down from my grandparents?
3. Is there enough space for the family’s personal items?

There are plenty of ways you can make the moving process a smooth one. One sure way is to use self-storage, an incredibly convenient service and solution to the questions above.

What is self-storage?

Self-storage companies provide highly secure, self-contained storage spaces to give individuals & families the flexibility to rent a space according to their needs. Storage spaces range from 10 square feet to 450 square feet and the rental period start from as short as fourteen days to as long as you need. You also have the freedom to upgrade or downsize your storage space at any time.

At Extra Space Asia, each storage space is equipped with a locking mechanism that integrates with a 24-hour security system, as well as a personal access code system for customers to access their items 24/7, all year round. Air-conditioned and dehumidified storage spaces are also available and the temperature is maintained between 23°C to 25°C.

How can self-storage help during your moving period?

1) Extension of your living space

Having an Extra Space Asia self-storage unit is like owning more living space where you can store your personal items. The extra space can also come in handy for your furniture while you renovate your new home. In addition, it’s also a safe and secure place to keep your growing personal collection and memorabilia which you might not have space for in your new home. The best part of using a self-storage? Things will be kept in good condition, and accessibility is 24/7, which also means you can store and retrieve any time, any day!

 

2) Cost-effective alternative

Most self-storage facilities in Hong Kong allow you to start renting a storage unit from as short as fourteen days. However, did you know that you can enjoy attractive recurring discounts if you’re storing for a longer period at Extra Space Asia. With over 200 different sizes available in a self-storage space, you can be certain of taking up a storage space that best fits your needs. Most warehouse spaces do not allow 24/7, unsupervised access too. Now, you no longer have to throw precious belongings away due to lack of space, only to repurchase the same things when your new home is ready!

 

3) Flexible storage terms

Using self-storage facility is an excellent option as it offers flexible storage terms. For storage rental period, you can choose to store from as short as two weeks to as long as you need. What’s more, you can rent a bigger storage unit should you require more storage space during the renovation period and choose to scale down to a smaller storage unit as you remove items. Perfect for your private collection or even business inventory!

Bottom line: Using Extra Space Asia Self-Storage’s unit during the moving transition period will smoothen your moving process without you having to worry about your furniture getting dirty or whether you have enough space at home to keep all your personal belongings.Don’t compromise the safety of every item in your storage unit. Choose Extra Space Asia today, Hong Kong’s favourite FSD Approved self-storage facility!