Now some of the world’s biggest and most respected companies, their humble beginnings can all be traced back to garages.

Your garage is truly what you make of it!

Disney

Walt Disney has always had a big fascination and love for cartooning, which translated to an interest in being an animator. Today’s highest-grossing media conglomerate started at Walt Disney’s uncle’s house in 1923. The ‘First Disney Studio’ started in the garage, with productions such as the Alice Comedies, part of the original Alice in Wonderland, being filmed on the premises.

Yankee Candle Company

Michael Kittredge made his first candle at 16 years old in 1969 from melted crayons, to give his mother as a gift. As his neighbours started expressing interest, he started to make more and in four years moved out of the garage to a bigger building. The Yankee Candle Company is now the US’ largest scented candle manufacturer.

Apple

Steve Wozniak started developing the baseline for Apple personal computers, the Apple I, with Steve Jobs at the latter’s garage. Assembling the circuit boards, building parts, and constructing everything needed was done from the garage. They managed to build 50 computers by hand in just 30 days.

Google

Now the best search website in the world, Google started in Susan Wojcicki’s garage in 1998. Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Stanford Graduate students, based their operations at the garage for five months while indexing websites and developing algorithms. They outgrew the garage in a year, taking Susan along as their Vice President of Product Management.

Harley-Davidson

William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson worked out of a friend’s wooden shed in 1901 to build their motor-bicycle. The then equivalent to a garage was only 10 ft by 15 ft but they quickly expanded and formed their company in 1903. As the most well-known brand of high-octane and high-quality motorbikes, it seems hard to believe that their first prototype was for a small motored bicycle.

Dell

Beginning the Dell Computer Corporation in his off-campus dorm accommodation in 1984, Michael Dell started building his computers while still at the University of Texas at Austin. When confident that his business would be successful, he dropped out of university and ran his business from his garage. His computers began to sell really well in 1985, making him a gross profit of $73 million just in that first year.

Providing the best possible garages for rent, at Lock Up Garages we’re sure you’ll find what you need. Simply get in touch if you have any questions!

Have you ever wondered about the value of things that you keep in your garage? Or if other people have a hidden treasure hiding in their garage sale that they just don’t know about, perfect for you to discover and make a profit from for yourself? Well, some people have managed to do that by buying some of the strangest objects you might imagine. Not your usual garage sale buys in the slightest.

So, what are some of the weirdest things that people have found in their garages that turned out to be a treasure?

16^th Century Oil Painting

Have you ever watched the comedy series Are You Being Served? British comedy at its finest and the reason one man decided to buy a random painting, because it reminded him of his favourite character from the series. It was only later that he chose to translate a French inscription that he discovered it was actually a 1573 painting by the painter Francois Quesnel. Having it appraised he found that it was worth an estimated £5,000!

Not bad for a painting reminiscent of a sitcom.

Original Avengers Artboard

For comic book fans, this will create a great sense of jealousy. One little girl ventured to a garage sale and discovered some uncoloured drawings, wanting to colour them in she had her stepfather buy them for her. However, before he let a crayon touch paper he had the thought that perhaps the drawings would be worth something. They were: around $48,000. Unfortunately, they had also been reported stolen and arrests followed (though they were later released).

Declaration of Independence

Kind of. It wasn’t the official declaration locked up behind many layers of security, only accessible to the likes of Nicholas Cage, but a version of it. Many writers have a first draft, but the Declaration of Independence is perhaps one of the only documents with around 200 copies. John Quincy Adams commissioned 200 copies in 1820 to ensure it remained intact and independence was preserved no matter what, which this garage sale find just happened to be. Worth a reported $477,000: it seems there is a price for freedom after all.

Ancient Treasure

Looking for a new fruit bowl to act as the centrepiece of your dining table? Well, be careful what you put into your £2 garage sale finds as you may accidentally be using ancient treasure. Instead of a pretty bowl, it was actually a 1,000-year-old Chinese treasure. It’s quality and intact state meant that it sold for approximately £2.2 million… a profit made one million times over.

At Lock Up Garages, we specialise in providing garages for rent up and down the country. If you would like to find out more about any of our services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of our team by calling 020 8882 8575 and we will be more than happy to advise you further.

With temperatures rising, it’s essential that your possessions are safe inside your garage. After all, the heat can ruin them easily and when you put things in storage, you want them to be safe at all times; the last thing you want is to be constantly stressing about whether or not they’re getting damaged!

However, no amount of careful thinking will help if you are storing items that should never be kept in a garage. We have already looked at some of these items, such as books and wood, so what else shouldn’t you store in your garage?

Wine

This beverage always needs to be stored in the appropriate place, which is why many wine lovers invest in their own cellar. However, you don’t need to build a cellar in your home in order to keep your wine safe – you just need to avoid storing it in the garage, especially in summer! When wine becomes too warm, the taste won’t be the same. In addition, both the wine and the wine can expand, which will allow air to enter the bottle and, of course, ruin the wine!

Vinyl Records

You might not have a lot of space in your home for your vinyl collection, but your garage should never be on top of your list for storing records. Mice and other critters nest in celluloid, and mould and mildew can grow on the surface of the vinyl and on the paper case, completely ruining them. Also, the heat will ruffle and coil the materials, rendering your records useless.

Mattresses

Again, it might seem like a good idea to store old or unused mattresses in the garage (out of sight, out of mind), but this couldn’t be further from the truth! Mattresses become exposed to a variety of unpleasant things while there, from rodents and insects to dust and humidity. No matter how insulated the garage is, you still run the risk of damaging the mattress.

Paintings

Storing paintings in a garage is also never a good idea, especially if they’re valuable! With the humidity and heat levels always present inside garages, you would be exposing them to differences in temperature and wetness – this, of course, will not do your paintings any favours. These delicate items should be stored in more appropriate locations, in order for them to not become damaged.

Garages are great places to store (nearly) everything, so take a look at our lock-up garages and how they can help you keep your possessions safe and organised!

Summer is almost here and so you may be beginning to think about all of the things that you will be buying and need to store. Whether it’s a new bike or something a little more exotic, making a room for your summer purchases is an important task. Or you may just want to give your garage a good old clean, either way, you will need a plan of action to get your organisation underway.

Here are some tips to get you started:

Box It

It may seem obvious, but many people struggle to find space in the garage as they have piled items into the space without thought over a long period of time. You may be surprised by how much space you can actually save by putting these ragtag items into boxes. Boxes neatly stack away, hold a plethora of things that you might not want to have just lying around and make moving all of your items that much easier next time.

Start from Scratch

This one is a high effort and high reward method. The idea is that you take everything out of the garage, then meticulously go through and place it back inside in a much more space-saving fashion. This method also means that for a time you have a free garage which you can spruce up in itself to make the space feel new. A bit of paint could be the perfect solution to do just this, especially if its white as it can help your space feel like a much bigger space.

Sort Your Items

Sometimes, grouping your items together can be the best way to sort your garage and make it much more accessible. Group together everything of the same type – i.e. your bikes, files and other similar items – and designate them a particular area of the garage. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous you can even label all of these and put in them in alphabetical order. This is the path to a super organised garage.

Delete the Waste

Of course, a final way you can organise your garage is by eliminating some of the items altogether. Throw away the excess items that you no longer have a need for. Take the time to finally part with that long-forgotten gym equipment, the rusty outdoor benches or other miscellaneous items you forgot you even had. Start throwing and save today!

At Lock Up Garages, we specialise in providing garages for rent up and down the country. If you would like to find out more about any of our services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of our team by calling 020 8882 8575 and we will be more than happy to advise you further.

So, get your gloves and cleaning supplies and get ready to deep clean your garage!

Follow these three simple steps and you’ll be finished in no time:

Decluttering

Garages tend to get cluttered very quickly, which makes it difficult for you to navigate and find what you need. Clutter can become dangerous, as you can trip over something and seriously injure yourself. In addition, if you happen to have any mould in your garage, you might not be able to see it due to having piles and piles of your belongings.

Make sure to remove what you don’t use and don’t need, so that you can have more space in your garage. You can give away items you don’t need to charity, and be sure that someone in need will appreciate them.

Cleaning

After decluttering, make sure to thoroughly clean your garage. Allergens are particularly harmful, and dust or mould need to be taken care of so that you don’t develop or worsen any health issues. With asthma being a big concern, ensure that every object is properly cleaned. You might not have realised that your cardboard boxes have developed mould, so check them all individually.

Sort through your possessions and make piles of what you don’t need. Donate them to charity or to friends, to make sure that they are still utilised and not wasted!

Organising

Take some time to think about how you want to organise your belongings. Do you need shelving? More boxes? How often do you need to access what belongings? An efficient system will ensure that your possessions occupy less space and that you can reach them quickly when you need them.

Label boxes, shelves, and everything else. You’ll find that you’re more organised and the effects will be seen on your mood. An organised garage leaves you less stressed and worried, and you can relax and focus on what matters to you!

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a long process. Start small and work your way up to the bigger items for an efficient organisational method. If you need a garage to storage your growing amount of possessions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us! Our friendly team is always available to answer any questions you might have, providing you with the best possible service.

This could be down to poor drainage, ventilation, and little natural light, all of which are a haven for mould growth, as mould thrives in damp, dark environments.

Mould is removable but you want to be able to prevent it forming as best as you can; here are a variety of ways on how to prevent mould from forming in your garage.

Dehumidifier –  Installing a dehumidifier will lower the moisture levels in your garage. Water is a large factor in what causes mould, and so reducing the water within will reduce the risk of mould. A healthy level of humidity should be between 30-50% of the room, any higher than this will be a danger sign of mould to fest.

Natural light and air – if you can, open your garage door for a couple of hours a day to keep fresh air spreading throughout the space. Adequate ventilation will reduce the risk of mould forming and spreading.

Dry area – you should remove any standing water which you come across in your garage. Wipe any surfaces using a sponge to soak up any moisture to lower the risk.

Shelves – try not to keep your items on the floor and keep them on shelves if possible. This is to prevent moisture infesting your belongings which will spread throughout your garage.

Roof – check your roof is in good condition as if there are any gaps, water will find its way through. On days where the weather is very bad, this can cause a problem. This combined with bad ventilation will be a huge cause for mould to form and that is what you want to prevent. Also check your garage door too, as a lot of the doors rarely have a tight seal to the floor when shut, which allows water to get in.

Replace Cardboard – cardboard and wood are prime objects for mould to form from, this is due to the items insulating and capturing moisture in the air which forms the mould and it spreads from there. Cardboard and wood get damp very easily and quickly which is certainly not what you want in this sort of environment. Replacing these two with plastic will eliminate the risk of that happening, preventing mould from forming.

Waterproof paint – Using waterproof paint on the walls or concrete will stop moisture from sticking and forming, which is another prevention for mould to form.

Mould growth not only damages the structure of the garage but also its containments. If mould has formed it can be removed by scrubbing thoroughly with bleach and warm water, after which, drying thoroughly, but you must take safety precautions if doing so. However, if you take these points into consideration, you should be able to prevent mould from forming in your garage.

Storage units are fantastic for a large number of applications, from helping you make the best garage sale ever to serving as a workshop space. They are also ideal for business! Your lockup garage can give you all the extra room you need to conduct your business, whether in terms of storage or in regard to actual office space. And the best thing about storage units is that they are extremely cost-effective, saving you the money of renting office space somewhere else!

Store Your Office Away

If you’re running a business from home, having extra space can go a long way! If you’re storing desks, documents, boxes, etc., in your own home you might quickly run out of available space – however, if you keep the essentials at home and store the rest (such as equipment) in a separate location, storage units can free up space and allow you to operate your business in a much roomier place. This way, your business won’t take over your home!

In addition, you can keep stock in self-storage, which means that you don’t need to worry about storing products in your home until you sell them. Other items you can store include bulky promotional displays, tools and equipment and archives.

Work from Your Lockup Garage

If, on the other hand, you don’t want to conduct business from home, you also have the option of working from your self-storage unit. The advantages this brings are many. Not only will you have plenty of space for everything you need, but you’ll also have all the necessary peace and quiet to focus on work. Your home-life can get in the way of work, so keeping the two things separate can be more productive!

There are many types of businesses you can run from your storage unit, such as eBay reseller, arts and crafts, mechanic, photo studio, video editing, and much, much more. The options are limitless and can help you achieve the results you’re looking for, whether you’re just starting out, you own a small business or you’re looking to expand.

Many start-ups begin in garages and storage units (and whole shows are even dedicated to them!), which just goes to show the importance these units play in our everyday lives. They might have originated as a way for homeowners to store items that were taking up too much space at home, but now they have a lot of different purposes – using them as an office is only one amongst many!

Take advantage of our amazing prices and fantastic garages to take your business to the next level – we’re always here to answer any queries you might have, so don’t hesitate to contact us.

Everyone is different, and we know that many of our customers use their garages for different reasons. So how much do you have tucked away in your garage? Take our quiz and find out how normal your storage habits are! Just give yourself a point for every item you keep in your garage and tot up your total at the end to find your score.

1. A car.

2. A bike, or maybe even bikes!

3. Tins of paint – may still be just about usable, but it’s fairly likely that you’ll never use it again!

4. Large cardboard boxes – these may be the boxes that your large appliances arrived in, or may just be from when you moved house.

5. An old workbench – it may have been years since you last used it, but you never know when you’ll need to make a set of shelves again!

6. An item of sporting equipment from a long lost sporting dream – this could be anything from a tennis racket to a hockey stick, you may not have used it for 10 years but you can’t face the idea of throwing it away!

7. A very large, heavy television set from the 90s – seriously, who throws a TV set away… and how?

8. Piles of dust sheets – well, where else are you going to store them?

9. Roughly 243 instruction manuals from gadgets you no longer own.

10. An old sweet tin or ice cream tub filled with screws and nails.

11. At least one large piece of old furniture from the 80s that will never see the light of day again.

12. Old Christmas decorations that don’t quite meet the cut for being stored in the attic.

13. An Allen key for every occasion, and probably at least three of each size.

14. A ladder of some description.

15. A selection of cleaning supplies that may be at least 10 years old.

0 – 1: Do You Even Need a Garage?

You have so little in your garage, you might as well not have it! Are you sure a cardboard box wouldn’t do the job?

2 – 4: You’re a Minimalist

You like to keep your garage looking neat and tidy and free of clutter.

5 – 8: Very Normal

You have a perfect balance, making great use of your garage, but you can still move around in there!

9 – 11: You Must be a Hoarder

Your garage is a little on the full side! That’s what it’s there for, keep storing!

12 – 15: You Need a Clear Out Now!

Are you able to even get into your garage?! It might be time for a clear out…

Whether you garage storage habits are normal or not, here at Lockup Garages, we’re not judging. You can find out more about renting a garage from us by getting in touch with us. Just give us a call on 020 8882 8575 or fill out our online enquiry form and we will be in touch.

A garage sale can be fun, a way to declutter your home and best of all, profitable. It can be a fun and rewarding experience for anyone that organises one of these fantastic days. However, it is important that you get the planning right leading up to the event to have a truly great day. Organisation is a key component of a perfect garage sale.

So, how do you organise the perfect garage sale that will get you lots of sales?

Put Up Signs

If people do not know there is going to be a garage sale, rather obviously, they will not turn up to one. There is an element of marketing your sale that is vital for a successful day. It may be a bit of extra effort and time, but it will be worth it to create more footfall to your sale.

Arrow signs can also be a fantastic idea to lead people to the sale, as the easier you are to find, the more people that are likely to actually find you.

Use Tables

No one wants to buy something off of the floor – unless that’s it’s natural placing – so putting a few tables out is the best way to go. You look more professional and it makes browsing much easier for your customers. They don’t even actually have to be tables, you could pile up a few of the boxes you have lying around or make do with whatever table-like objects you have lying around.

Have a Free Section

Sometimes, you don’t actually want to sell everything that you want to be rid of at a garage sale. Or at least you’re not too fussed if they are purchased for the attractive price of £0.

A free section, or a whole box depending on your generosity, also makes people more inclined to make a purchase. It seems a greater bargain to buy something, then get an added extra on top of that for no cost.

Fair Pricing

Don’t overcharge. Of course, you want the most money for your own benefit. But, ultimately people won’t expect to have to pay a huge amount for second-hand goods. Having a pricing strategy that is fair to both you and your potential customers, then, is important. If you want more money for a certain product, try a buy one and get one free strategy in order to ensure value for money.

At Lock Up Garages, we specialise in providing garages for rent up and down the country. If you would like to find out more about any of our services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of our team by calling 020 8882 8575 and we will be more than happy to advise you further.

Spring is the perfect time of year to think about all those things you keep in your Lockup Garage and how you can better use the space. So, if you’re looking to give your garage a good spring cleaning, make sure to take a look at our tips to get you started.

Declutter Your Space

The best place to start is decluttering your garage in order to cut down on what you keep in your garage. You are likely to find a number of items that you no longer need or want, enabling you to clear some space for other, more important things.

Why not move everything out of your garage and take an inventory as this will give you a clearer idea of the things you may want to hold on to and the things to get rid of.

Get Cleaning

Once everything is out of your garage, this is the perfect opportunity to get to cleaning! Sweeping the floor is always a good place to start, especially if you don’t fancy doing much else. Not only will the space look better, it also means that the items you store are less likely to be soiled when it comes time to retrieve them from storage.

Sort Out Zones

Depending on what you want to store in your garage, it may be beneficial to arrange zones for your storage. It is wise to organise things based on how often you are likely to need access to them. The items you need access to the most should be easily reached so you don’t have to re-organise every time you need to retrieve something.

Label Everything

To make things easier for yourself, you could create labels for any boxes you have. This way, you don’t have to go searching for things every time you want to find a particular item.

Have a Sale

If you have items that you no longer need or want, you could make a little extra cash by taking them to a car boot sale. Alternatively, charity shops are often looking for donations – you may need to check what they are willing to accept before making the trip.

Having a good spring clean can make your Lockup Garage feel like new, so why not jump on the season and make the most of it!

At Lock Up Garages, we specialise in providing garages for rent up and down the country. If you would like to find out more about any of our services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of our team by calling 020 8882 8575 and we will be more than happy to advise you further.

You’re probably used to see your garage as a space where you can store anything you can’t, or won’t, have in the house. That’s true to a certain point. There are certain items that shouldn’t be stored in any garage, especially because it’s not a room that is climate-controlled. It also can’t keep critters and pests away.

Take a look at some of the things you should never keep in your garage:

Books

Your garage is not the best place for books. This is because it’s likely the space will be subjected to changes in temperature, poor ventilation, pests and humidity, which will do paper no favours… When placed in a humid environment, books will become weaker and mouldy. If you do not have any other option than to store your books in your garage, make sure to wrap your books in waterproof containers.

Paint

It might seem like a good idea to store leftover paint in your garage, but if you plan on using it again, avoid it! garages are typically warm in summer and cold in winter, and these extremes can ruin the paint – even if it’s properly sealed. If placed on the floor, paint cans will also become rusty very quickly.

Canned Food

Storing food in your garage is never a good idea, but neither is storing canned food. With temperatures higher than 21^oC, your food will have a shorter shelf life and, when they reach 35^oC, the food will spoil very quickly. As for low temperatures, if they happen to freeze they won’t spoil – however, their quality might diminish.

Wood

Objects made from wood, like furniture, should never be stored in a garage. Wood is fragile and susceptible to humidity: the wood fibres swell and contract with the moisture in the air, which can lead to cracks. Wood is also vulnerable to pests, which can ruin your furniture.

Electronics

Also because of the humidity levels in your garage, electronics should not be stored there. No matter what they are, TVs, computers, DVD players, etc., avoid the garage unless you don’t intend to use them anymore.

We love that you want to store everything in your garage, but the truth of the matter is that that’s not possible. If you do, make sure that you can control the moisture and temperature of the room, to avoid finding your possessions ruined! Contact us to learn more about our storage solutions and we’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have!