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Blog, Business Storage
06/05/20220

Start-up Storage 101: Warehouse vs Self-Storage

Planning to start a new business or planning to expand your home business to the next level? Like any business, whether online or operating from a physical store, business owners are always looking at ways to lower their operational costs and find a reliable storage space to store all of their business inventory. However, there’s always a question that business owners will usually ponder: Warehouse vs Self-Storage, which is a better option for their business? Let’s look at how warehouse space compares to self-storage units.

Storage Contracts – Fixed vs Flexible

Most warehouse storage spaces will allow business owners to store their goods with the intent of selling or distributing their inventory over a period of time. However, not all warehouse storage spaces will offer a flexible storage period. Some warehouses will have a lock-in contract period that the business will have to fulfil, while some might provide both short and long-term storage. Thus, it might not be a good option for start-ups to choose and sign a fixed storage contract when the business climate could be volatile.

Like personal storage, self-storage will also come in handy for a business owner. It also provides the user with an additional space to store their business items. By renting a self-storage unit, the business owner will also enjoy 24 hours access to their storage unit, where they can store and retrieve their items any time, any day. Some self-storage providers, such as Extra Space Asia Self-Storage, also provide customers with flexible storage periods from as short as 14 days to as long as they require, without any lock-in period or fixed contracts. This benefit allows the customers to choose how long they need and minimise their overall operational costs.

Storage Space – Huge vs Scalable over Time 

As we all know, most warehouses tend to be huge in terms of space for rent. This luxury of space might, in turn, increase the overall cost of operation for your business. If your business is just starting out, it might not be ideal, especially if you are not planning to scale the business right from the start.

On the other hand, if you were to rent a self-storage unit, you’d have the option to choose the storage size from as small as a locker to a walk-in unit size. Self-storage providers such as Extra Space Asia Self-Storage will also allow you to upsize or downsize your storage size according to your storage needs. This way, you’ll only be paying for the storage size you require instead of overpaying and not utilising the full storage space.

Amenities – Purchasing it yourselves vs in the storage contract

Leasing some warehouse space might also lead to additional costs such as the need to pay for your electricity, insurance, other personnel, and even a security/alarm system for the warehouse area. As the warehouse belongs mainly to the business owner, you must ensure that everything is covered so that your items are safe and secured. By renting a self-storage unit, it might be more cost-effective over time.

Firstly, most self-storage facilities will come with basic security, such as a pin code access or smart card access to the storage area. In terms of the storage unit, it can only access by the storage unit owner as only they have the key to their own unit.

Secondly, most storage facilities will also have 24 hours CCTV monitoring system to ensure that your stored items are in good hands. Thirdly, some self-storage facilities are also air-conditioned or climate-controlled. This function will be a great plus point as businesses tend to spend a fair amount of time in the storage facility packing their business inventory in their storage unit. The air-conditioned facility will also provide business owners with a comfortable workspace.

Lastly, at self-storage providers like Extra Space Asia, there are also Customer Service Executive/Personnel who will be present during operating hours to provide any assistance when needed. They will also provide tools such as trolleys and ladders, which will come in handy should you need to move your inventory around the storage area.

In conclusion, it would be good for all budding and new business owners to weigh the pros and cons before signing a contract for either renting a warehouse space or a self-storage unit. If you have any storage enquiries, you can also contact Extra Space Asia Self-Storage at 3974 6000 today, and we will be glad to assist you through your storage journey.

 

Blog, Business Storage
21/04/20220

3 business ideas to explore as a side hustle

Thinking of starting a side business while keeping your day job? This entrepreneurial journey can be tiring but rewarding if you’re following your passion. Most of these passion projects allow you to start working and operating from home. You’ll also be able to work at your own pace whenever you’re available. Here are 3 business ideas you can explore while keeping your full-time job.

  1. Homemade vs handmade

Are you someone who loves sewing, making handicrafts or DIY projects? If yes, consider turning your hobby into a business. By starting a homemade and handmade business, you’ll be able to create your product anywhere and sell them from the comfort of your home. This way, you’ll be able to save on office rental and the extra travelling time with your new home-based business.

Most people will usually start with word-of-mouth marketing to test if their products are viable. Once you’re ready to expand your target audience group, you can create your Facebook and Instagram page to post and interact with your customers directly. You can also create a simple website to showcase more of your items. Other options include eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce etc.

Here are some examples of homemade products you can sell:

  • Jewellery
  • Candles
  • Art
  • Food
  • Bags
  1. Service or expertise-related business

We understand that not everyone has a set of unique talents. However, this does not mean that the doors are closed. In such cases, you can make use of your creativity to earn some extra cash. This service does not necessarily include any products but more of a service to assist your clients. If your customers are satisfied with your work, it can also lead to a long-term working relationship where they’ll use your services over time. You’ll also be able to work from home or anywhere on the go.

Here are some examples you can explore:

  • Designing – web design or graphic design
  • Marketing
  • Freelance writing
  • Tutoring
  • House cleaning
  1. Content creation business

Love creating content on fashion or even food? If you have a sizable online audience on your social media platforms, YouTube channel, blog channel, TikTok platform or even podcast platform, why not find ways to monetise your following. Through the content creation business process, you might also be able to earn through commission or sponsored posts to give brands a chance to interact with your audience base. It’ll definitely take time and effort to build a loyal fan and audience base. However, if you just started in this line of business, you’d definitely need to take some time to build your following and create interesting content through photos or videos. You might be able to reap some benefits over time.

The best part of owning a home-based business is that you can control most of the factors such as when to upgrade your business, work flexibility and calling the shots on how you want to operate and sell your items. If you’re in the midst of expanding your business or in need of extra space to store your growing business inventory or documents, you can always explore the idea of storing them in a mini-storage facility like Extra Space Asia.

Most of these self-storage facilities allow their customers to visit their storage units round the clock, any time, any day. It’d also be a cost-effective storage solution for your business storage as compared to renting an office or a warehouse storage space. If you’ve any storage queries, feel free to contact us, and we’ll be glad to assist you through the process.

Blog, Lifestyle
09/04/20220

Home Tips 101: 3 Tips on how to keep your home clean during COVID-19

It can be hard to control the cleanliness of what we touch outside our homes, such as on public transport or common surfaces in the shops we visit. However, we can take some steps to protect our family from COVID-19 and other germs within our homes. Here are three simple tips to get us started!

Clean and disinfect the commonly touched surfaces in the home

As seen on most reports, the COVID-19 virus transmits when people breathe in air contaminated by droplets and small airborne particles. Although commonly touched surfaces aren’t considered the common way to get infected, it is good to clean these surfaces to reduce the spread of germs. High-traffic surfaces include our doorknobs, light switches, dining table and countertops. We can simply use a household detergent and water to clean these areas.

As for those highly used areas such as the bathroom, it would be good to clean the toilet and sink areas frequently. You should also remember to use different cleaning clothes on these areas so that the germs do not cross-contaminate. If you are using sprays, do read the directions on how to use them, as some would need to stay wet on the surface for several minutes to be effective.

Keep your home clutter-free 

As the infection rates increase, we recommend staying home more often. Being in a large, crowded area might pose unnecessary risks to your family, especially to kids and older members. As we spend more time at home, it would be good if we declutter our living areas to have cleaner air and more space to move around. Families can start their decluttering process by throwing away items that are not functioning or donating items that are still working well but hardly used. This will help to free up some space in the home.

If you live in a space where the space is limited, you can also try renting a self-storage unit where you can store your seasonal or festive items and those hardly used items. Storage providers such as Extra Space Asia offers a wide range of storage sizes to accommodate the various storage needs. These storage units are also accessible 24 hours, any time, any day. To find out more about Extra Space Asia storage solutions, you can contact them at 3974 6000.

Ensure that your home is well ventilated

Did you know that when you have proper indoor air quality, it can help maintain good health and comfort levels in your home? Thus, it’s important to find ways to improve ventilation or airflow in your home to prevent virus particles from accumulating in the air in the home. If it is safe to do so, you should open doors and windows as much as possible to bring in fresh outdoor air. We can also use fans to move virus particles in the air from inside your home to outside. You should also limit the number of visitors in your home and time spent inside during this time.

Besides keeping our homes clean, it is also important to maintain our personal hygiene, such as washing our hands regularly, wearing our masks, and keeping a safe distance from one another, especially in crowded areas.

Blog, Personal Storage
28/03/20220

Expat Moving Tips 101: 3 Benefits of using self-storage when you move to another country

Relocating to another city or country? Whether you’re relocating due to a new job opportunity or for family reasons, it can be stressful as you are uprooting yourself and your family from one place to another. In these cases, renting a self-storage unit could be more beneficial when you relocate. Here are three benefits of using self-storage that you can consider in your relocation plans.

1. Affordable self-storage rental vs expensive property rental

Some expats own permanent homes in the country. Once they have decided to relocate and move to another country, they will either sell the home or rent it out to earn some extra rental income. Alternatively, those currently renting their homes might be searching for storage solutions to store those items that they do not intend to bring along.

Sound like what you’re planning to do? Consider renting a self-storage unit to store big bulky furniture or family items or even boxes. Renting a mini storage unit might be more affordable and even lower than continuing your home rental, which could cost between 382 and 442 Hong Kong dollars per square meter (as indicated on Statista.com). It could also be easier to rent out the whole house to earn more rental income than renting out one less room just to store their items.

2. Flexible storage period and terms 

Compared to being locked down by a permanent long-term contract to rent a home for a year or so, self-storage providers such as Extra Space Asia Self-Storage offer both short-term and long-term rental. Customers can choose to store from as short as 14 days to as long as needed. There is also a wide range of storage sizes, from lockers to walk-in units within the storage facility. At Extra Space Asia, customers can also store home items, documents, and even business inventory.

If you’re relocating to another country for an extended period, like a year or beyond, you’ll enjoy a better storage deal that will allow you to save more long term. Currently, new customers at Extra Space Asia Self-Storage can enjoy up to 50% discounts if they decide to store for more than one year. This applies to both Sai Wan and Hung Hom storage facilities. Customers can always contact the facilities’ staff at 3974 6000 or WhatsApp 6629 6624 directly to request a free storage quotation or to learn more about the various storage offerings. For customers who are not fluent in Chinese or Cantonese, don’t worry! All staff at Extra Space Asia Self-Storage are fluent in English.

3. Safe and secure storage space for your items

Unlike many mini storage providers in Hong Kong, which is unstaffed, there are always Customer Service Executives present at Extra Space Asia Self-Storage facilities during operational hours from Monday to Saturday, 10am to 7pm. Customers can be assured that their stored items are in good hands, and should they need any assistance at the facilities, a staff will be present to assist immediately.

What’s more, all Extra Space Asia facilities are also equipped with 24-hour CCTV monitoring, and all customers will be provided with a unique PIN code to access the storage area. In terms of storage units, they can only be accessed by the customers as only they have the keys to their storage units. The storage facilities are also climate-controlled with a 24/7 air conditioner and dehumidifier. With all these features in place, all customers can have peace of mind knowing that their items, even temperature-sensitive items, are kept in a safe and secure storage environment.

If you’re searching for a self-storage unit to store all of your home items, family belongings, furniture, etc or would like to learn more about the various storage services, feel free to visit any of Extra Space Asia storage facilities located in Sai Wan or Hung Hom today!

Blog, Personal Storage
08/03/20220

3 smart self-storage tips for seasonal items

Planning to rent a self-storage unit to store all of your seasonal items? A self-storage unit is an extra space to store your family, personal and seasonal items to enjoy more space at home. When you have a storage unit, it is also essential to store your items properly so that they stay in good condition and shape. Here are three smart self-storage tips on how to keep your seasonal items.

Organise items by holiday or occasions

One way to organise your storage unit would be to organise them based on different holidays and occasions. This method will help you know which seasons the items belong to. During the packing period, you should always label your boxes before stacking them up accordingly so that you can find them easily in the storage unit in the future. For example, packing your fairy lights and gift wrapping items together under the same Christmas category makes for easier access during the holidays.

In cases when you are storing items that are odd shapes, such as seasonal holiday décor items like Christmas trees, you should also use packing materials such as stretch films to wrap them up to keep the items dust-free. It will also be much easier to store them when they are packed neatly in a secure manner.

Pack your seasonal items in a proper manner

Storing seasonal clothes do take up a lot of space in our wardrobe. As such, consider storing these items in a storage unit to free up some space in your closet. However, depending on how long you are going to store your clothes, keep in mind the different ways you can pack them. For short term storage, you can utilise airtight and vacuum-sealed bags, which are great space savers. For long term storage, you can store your seasonal items in clear containers with lids. These storage containers will be a great storage option to keep your items dust-free, keep out moisture and mould. If you are storing tall winter boots, you should also remember to include some stuffing in the boots to keep the shape over time.

Rent an air-conditioned storage unit for temperature-sensitive items

At Extra Space Asia Self-Storage, we offer 24/7 air-conditioned and dehumidified storage units where temperatures are kept constant at 25-27 degrees Celsius. A dry and cool storage unit is vital when storing such temperature-sensitive seasonal items and clothing for extended periods. When storing clothing items, you should also utilise clothing racks to store items such as coats, jackets, dresses and suits. By hanging them on a clothes rack, it can maintain their shape over time too.

If you rent a non-air-conditioned storage unit to store these temperature-sensitive items, they might get damaged with time, especially when the weather starts to get warmer over time. So, make sure you visit a storage provider and check out the various storage options available before renting your storage unit to store your seasonal items.

Contact Extra Space Asia Self-Storage today at 3974 6000 to find out more about our storage solutions.

Blog, Personal Storage
03/02/20220

3 Smart Closet Organiser Ideas to Maximise Your Storage Space

Battling with your wardrobe and falling clothes every day due to a lack of space and proper organisation? Here are three ideas on how to keep your clothes, shoes, bags and accessories organised and maximise your wardrobe space.

 Do a proper spring clean of your wardrobe

Before you start organising your wardrobe, you should declutter and consider donating your clothes that you no longer use or wear. We recommend this routine every quarter if you have a small wardrobe space. This will help create more space in your wardrobe for your new clothing or those clothing lying on your floor and around your room.

Trying the KonMari folding method

If you hastily fold your clothes before putting them away in your wardrobe, not only will they look wrinkled, you will also be wasting your precious wardrobe space unnecessarily. When it comes to folding hacks, people would recommend the KonMari folding method. The KonMari folding routine includes folding your clothes into neat bundles that can stand on their own so that you will be able to see everything at one glance. Her space-saving techniques will be a lifesaver if you have many clothes but insufficient space to store everything. This folding system includes many tutorials on folding various clothing like tops, socks, sweaters etc., that you can try out.

Get creative with organising your wardrobe 

You should try organising and arranging your wardrobe based on your personality and personal habits. For example, you can organise your clothing based on colours, seasons, garment type or even the order of how you get dressed.

For those seasonal items that are bulky and take up a lot of space, you can also try using a clothing vacuum bag that will help to pack your items into tightly sealed bags and minimise the overall storage space required to store them.

If you are looking for extra space to store your seasonal items or items that you hardly use, try storing them in a self-storage unit. Some perks of using a self-storage unit include the freedom to store more than your personal belongings. This dedicated space can also be used for your collection hobby, business inventory — you can even share spaces with your family members to fully optimise the storage unit.

It is also like your home where you can access any time, any day, 24 hours. At Extra Space Asia, we also offer climate controlled and air-conditioned storage units to store your temperature-sensitive items in peace. For more storage enquiries, you can also contact Extra Space Asia Self-Storage today at 3964 6000 to learn more about our various storage solutions.

 

Blog, Lifestyle
27/01/20220

3 Hacks For Chinese New Year Spring Cleaning

With Chinese New Year right around the corner, most people are planning to start their spring cleaning activities to welcome the lunar New Year. If you still have not started your CNY spring cleaning, here are three spring cleaning hacks to speed up the cleaning process.

Create a cleaning plan

Never start without a plan. If you are short of time, gather your family and divide the workload to cover different parts of the home. Each family member can clean and handle their personal room for a start. For common areas such as the living room and kitchen, each family member can handle any one of these cleaning objectives: decluttering, mopping, and vacuuming. They can also plan to do it on different days of the week when they are free.

With a cleaning plan and schedule, you will also know who is in charge and how much time is required. This strategy will help reduce the time needed to figure out who and what to do, especially if you are short of time.

Seek professional help

Really busy (or too lazy) to do the cleaning yourself? Don’t fret. You can always seek professional help. There are many part-time cleaners that you can engage in Singapore. Just check out companies such as Lazy, Toby, Helper Choice etc., who will provide professionally trained housekeepers at an affordable cost starting from HK$85/hour.

Declutter and organise your home

Planning for your small reunion dinner or gathering at home this year? Start decluttering your home so that your loved ones can enjoy more space. It might also be a good time to recycle or donate items of good condition to people or organisations in need, so you can also share the blessings with them while making more room at home.

For individuals or families who are looking to store their seasonal or festive items and hardly used furniture sets, you can also rent a self-storage unit to store all of these items. These self-storage units can come in handy as they are like an extension of your home space which you can access 24 hours, any time, any day.

Exclusive Chinese New Year Promotion

Sign up today for any storage unit sizes at Extra Space Hung Hom and enjoy up to 60% off.

Don’t miss out on this AMAZING Chinese New Year deal!

Call us today at 3974 6000 to find out more or simply click on the Live Chat button and we will assist you.

Blog, Business Tips
06/01/20220

Business Tips 101: 3 smart ways to store business inventory at home

Running a business from your home? We understand that it can be tough when your workspace is also your living space. It will be more challenging if you have a limited space to work with too. Here are three smart ways on how to store your business inventory at home.

Stack vertically

If you have limited floor space, it would be good to stack your boxes of items vertically upwards. This way, you will be able to utilise the space all the way to the ceiling. A good sturdy shelve can also be installed to provide more storage space for home business inventory too. You should also label your boxes as you stack them to minimise the time trying to find a particular item without rummaging through every box.

Organise and categorise by type of inventory 

Compartmentalising your items is also very important as this will be helpful during stock-taking or times when you are packing items for your customers. Sort and organise your business inventory by type and store similar products at the same location or shelve. You should also use numbers or letters on your labels for easy identification. For storage and retrieval, the order of items should also be first in, first out so that your items will not be dusty at the point of retrieval for your customers.

Label your shelves accordingly 

During the initial home business layout stage, it is important to have enough shelves for in-house storage, shipping and also for incoming stocks. This way, you will be more organised on where to store your items should they come in big bulks or when you need to pick up items and prep them for delivery. Store your popular and most frequently sold items in the area that is the easiest to access. This will help to cut time finding them.

Consider a climate-controlled storage facility like Extra Space Asia Self Storage

If you have temperature-sensitive business inventory, it would be better to store them in a climate-controlled storage facility like Extra Space Asia. By storing them here, you can be assured that temperatures are kept constant all day round.

For those planning to grow the business further, renting a self-storage will also be a good call. Firstly, you will be able to enjoy extra space to bring in more goods for your business. If you rent your storage unit at storage providers such as Extra Space Asia, you will also be able to upsize and downsize your storage unit at any time, depending on your storage needs at the point of time.

This will be cost-saving for businesses, and business owners are also not tied to any long-term storage agreement. Secondly, you will also be able to access your business inventory in the storage unit anytime, any day. This will allow you to store and retrieve your items for your clients when needed even at odd wee hours. To add on, by renting a storage unit, you will also be able to enjoy more space at home for administrative work or team and client meetings when needed.

If you have any storage enquiries, you can always call Extra Space Asia at 3974 6000 or visit any of our Hong Kong mini storage facilities located at Sai Wan and Hung Hom to have a physical tour.

Blog, Business Storage, Business Tips
23/12/20210

Business Tips 101: 5 signs it’s time to upgrade to an office space

A home office is an office space at home to run official business functions. Start-ups and entrepreneurs commonly use home offices as their very first office to lower the cost of operation. However, as a business owner, there will be times when you feel ready to move out of your home office to an actual office space.

Here are five good indicators to start packing and move to an office space.

Your business is growing quickly

Take a look around your home space. If you feel like your home space is turning into an office space with business inventory occupying more than 50% of your home space or space to work, it’s time to set up an office elsewhere. You can always start by renting a small office space of a good size to fit your business items and office equipment so that the cost of renting an office space is minimal and upsize accordingly.

You are hiring more employees

As your business grows, you will need more manpower to help you in the daily operation of your business, as it will be hard to do everything on your own. When that time comes, you will need to hire more employees, and it might be hard to fit everyone comfortably in your home. This will be the right time for you to look for a new space that is big enough to fit your team and workflow.

The lack of space to store business inventory

Planning to bulk up on inventory for the upcoming festive sales? If this is causing you a temporary space problem, you can always rent a self-storage unit at a storage provider such as Extra Space Asia Self Storage, where you will enjoy unlimited space to store all of your business inventory. Renting a storage unit is like an extension of your office space where you can access your goods and inventory 24/7, any time, any day. You can also be assured that your items are in good hands with the 24/7 CCTV monitoring in the storage facility area. With a wide storage size available at the storage facility, you will also be able to affordably find a storage space to store all of your items. If you need storage assistance, you can always contact 3974 6000, and Extra Space Asia Self Storage will assist you accordingly.

If this space-related problem is a long-term issue, you can always find an office space near a storage facility. This way, you will be able to enjoy ample space for your goods and also a comfortable room to operate your business.

The lack of space to hold client meetings

When you just started your business, most of your client meetings might be at home or a local coffee shop. However, as your business grows, it might look unprofessional to hold all the physical meetings in your home. Firstly, there might be limited space to move around. Secondly, it might be hard to speak about confidential matters with all the employees in the same room. As such, it’s good to consider renting an office space with some rooms so that each function can have room to operate clearly.

Too many distractions at home

We can all agree that working at home is comfortable and ideal for most as everything is within reach. However, it’s not always the best place to work as distractions are too many at home for us to work in peace. Especially if you have kids or rowdy pets at home, distractions make it challenging for us to engage in deep work and stay focused during a meeting.

Blog, Personal Storage
02/12/20210

3 Self-Storage Benefits For Personal Collectors

Many people love to collect toys, figures, wine, shoes or even books. Some people will also go the extra mile to find that one piece missing to complete the whole collection. Some would even spend a fortune on their toy collection. However, as much as these collectors love to collect and expand their collections, they might face the issue of lack of space at home.

To resolve this space limitation issue, one solution that commonly gets overlooked is the option of storing in a self-storage facility. Here are three benefits you can enjoy when using a self-storage for your precious collection.

Extra space to grow your personal collection 

By renting a self-storage, you will be able to expand your personal collection to your heart’s content. With the flexibility to upsize your storage unit at any time, you can choose to rent a storage unit based on your current needs and upsize at a later time when needed. This way, it will be a cost-effective storage solution as you will only be paying a storage rent based on the space you rented and not more.

If you were to rent a storage unit at an FSD compliant self-storage providers such as Extra Space Asia Self Storage, you would also be assured that your items are in safe hands. By choosing Extra Space Asia, you will also be able to choose from a wide range of storage unit sizes from 7sqft to 500sqft (Locker to Walk-in storage units).

Free up space in your home for other purposes

Most of us are either staying in a small home (it’s never big enough!) or in a shared living space. This is why the use of self-storage can also go beyond just using for our collection. If you need to store some seasonal items or items that your family no longer need, you can also rent a bigger storage unit to store all of these items. This way, we will be able to enjoy extra space at home.

Here’s a storage tip to maximise your current storage unit:

You can always purchase a shelf from Extra Space Asia’s Box Shop and place it in your storage unit. In this case, it will also be more organised, and you can further optimise the storage unit. With a shelf, you can also split the racks for either your personal collection use or for your family storage use.

24-Hour Access with your personal PIN Code

In Hong Kong, we will usually choose to rent a storage unit that is close to our home for convenience. As such, having a mini storage unit is like an extension of our home space. With Extra Space Asia, you can access your storage units 24 hours any time, any day you prefer, with your very own customised PIN code. Unlike other storage providers, which require you to purchase a storage access card, you will receive a complimentary PIN code when you rent a storage unit at Extra Space Asia. 

By having a PIN code, it will also be more convenient as you no longer have to worry about losing your storage access card. Remembering your PIN is the only thing you need to access your storage unit.

Staying near Sai Wan and Hung Hom area? Feel free to visit any of our Extra Space Asia storage facilities to experience and check out the wide range of storage sizes. Our operation hours are from 10am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday. You can also call us at 3974 6000 to find out more about our various mini storage services.  

©2025 Extra Space Asia. All Rights Reserved.
Superbrands is a registered trademark

©2025 Extra Space Asia. All Rights Reserved.
Superbrands is a registered trademark