Storage Space

Today, we rented some storage space. One disadvantage of flats is that they don’t have lofts or cellars that can be filled to bursting with junk, er, items of great sentimental value. Or, in my case, books. However, because there are a lot of flats around here, there are also a lot of companies that specialise in providing rental storage space, generally in converted shipping containers.

We’ve been thinking about renting storage space for quite some time. In fact, since we moved in, and quite definitely since my books arrived from England about eighteen months ago. Now, with a baby on the way, we want to get things sorted out. In addition, a new storage facility has just opened right next to the bus stop for Mizonokuchi, which means it’s really close to the flat. That is, of course, a great advantage, since I do occasionally need the books that I can’t fit on my bookcases. So, today we went to have a look at the facilities (it’s part of a converted shipping container), and signed up. We attached our lock to the door a couple of hours ago.

The next step is ordering some shelves and boxes, so that we can fit a reasonable amount of material in. Actually, looking at the size of it, if we fill it properly, as is reasonable for storage, we can fit a lot in there. I think I could fit all my books in, and some of them will, in fact, go on the bookcases.

Of course, it won’t all be my stuff. At the moment, most of the things cluttering up the cupboard are mine, but that’s because Yuriko’s stuff is still in Nagoya. And her mother is making remarkably persistent noises about her taking it away now that she’s married nad has her own family. So that will have to fit in as well. I think it probably will, especially as some of it will get thrown out.

I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to get my books to the storage. It’s close enough to just carry them, if I do a few at a time. There’s a good argument for that, because it gives me a chance to sort them out again, and try to get them into a sensible order inside the storage, so that I can get at books that I want to look at. I think that they’ll actually be more accessible that the books in the bottom rear corners of the cupboard in my office at the moment; I should be able to get at the most hidden boxes after moving four boxes full of books, rather than the six it would take now.

Thus, it might make sense to just leave them in the boxes as they are now, but in that case I’m not sure that I can easily carry them over. My exercises have been working, and the facility is close, but it’s still a bit far to be carrying those boxes. So I’d have to borrow a trolley or something. I probably could do that, which is why I’m not sure. I’ll have to think about the best way to do it.

Of course, I can’t do anything until the shelves arrive, so we’d better get on with ordering those.


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5 responses to “Storage Space”

  1. Sheila avatar

    I’m not at all surprised! It sounds as if you need a ‘library catalogue’ system so you know exactly which book is stored where. You could build it on a spreadsheet rather than going to the extent of constructing a database, and add the books a box at a time so it doesn’t seem too daunting. I’d do it for you, had the geography been different!

  2. Dad avatar
    Dad

    I agree. I now have close to 1000 books (OK only 923)so not quite in your league but they are all indexed under a simple X123 system and catalogued in an ACCESS database (although Excel would do just as well). Don’t know how I would keep track of everything if I didn’t have this system (no comments on the memory/age interface please; you’ll be there someday!!). Think about storing them in Letter/Legal boxes, whatever the Japanese equivalent is, (cost about $1.50 each) for protection – they don’t have to be on view if you get them indexed .

  3. Mum - Alison Chart-Key avatar
    Mum – Alison Chart-Key

    Interesting to know that you’re opening storage space just as I’m making moves to close mine – I’ll send you some more boxes 🙂
    Ray says we’re thinking about putting a shipping container at the bottom of the garden – the loft is getting dangerously full! More seriously we are looking into a small shed to put in the Garden Room area for my bird seed and other things I need for the garden.
    How expensive is storage like yours?

    Mum 12th June

  4. David Chart avatar
    David Chart

    Dad & Sheila: Everything will be going in boxes (the boxes should come today, in fact, while the shelves aren’t due to arrive until the beginning of next week). And I will have a catalogue telling me where everything is, although it will probably be a spreadsheet or even just a text file.

    Mum: Thank you for the offer, but I don’t need any more boxes… Our storage is two square metres, about four cubic metres, and 8,500 yen a month. Not cheap, but not ridiculously expensive, either.

  5. Sheila avatar

    Oh dear! I just counted my books. It comes to a little over 1200, not counting computer manuals but including a lot of RPG books (too many of which I have not yet read). I did once start indexing them online with Library Thing but ran out of steam very early on. Perhaps I ought to make more of an effort! As far as I am aware, only have only once bought a book I already had.

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