Moving to University

With A Level results out and August fast disappearing, thousands of students are preparing to make their next move - to university. While the transition to university can be both exciting and daunting, the team at Easycrate are on hand to offer advice when it comes to packing up your belongings ready for moving day.

Tips For Moving To University

Don't Rush: Universities will inform you of a start date, particularly if you are moving into Halls of Residence (Mine was September 20th - an unusually hot day!). Don't leave your packing until the night before - give yourself a few weeks to start collecting bits and pieces. 

Make A List: Work out what things are essential for your move to Uni. Things like kitchenware (pots, pans, plates etc) may seem a boring thing to shop for but they are essential. In my Halls of Residence we had a shared kitchen and I luckily got on great with my hall mates so we didn't mind sharing equipment (even though we had all bought our own). On other floors in our block some people preferred to only use their own stuff and didn't want to share - you often never know who you are going to live with until you get there!

Think Of Space: If you went to the University Open Day you may have been given a tour of the Halls of Residence. This may have stuck in your mind and you know how much space you will have, but if you visited a few universities chances are the memories of each have blurred together! Try and find out how much space you will have in your room. In Halls they often give you a desk, chair, wardrobe and chest of drawers so bear this in mind when working out what to pack.

Don't Overpack: Moving Day into Halls is a very busy time. From signing in and getting your key to finding your room and meeting your hall mates the day is extremely hectic and at the end of it you will be looking forward to unwinding in the Student Union Bar. If you are lucky, you may have parking close to your Halls, but when packing your things consider how easy they are to transport - carrying from the car, up stairs and along corridors can be very tiring, especially if your boxes are heavy. If possible, try to only pack your essentials and a few home comforts. Chances are you will be popping home now and again/have visitors so other items can be taken to and from uni another time. Don't make the mistake I did - I made frequent visits home and each time brought more and more back to my Halls. The end result was a very overloaded car when it came to moving out of Halls at the end of my Freshers year!

Effective Packing: There is nothing worse than getting to Uni only to discover your boxes have been damaged in transit or they break mid carry to your room. While cardboard boxes seem like the ideal solution for transporting your things, they are not always reliable. At Easycrate, our range of hardwearing plastic storage crates are ideal for students on the move. Not only will they protect your belongings better than cardboard boxes, but we can deliver them to you pre uni move, and collect them when you have unpacked: our fantastic rental rates mean you only need to hire them for as long as you need.

We hope our tips have been useful and we welcome any feedback and extra advice.

If you are heading to Uni this year - good luck, work hard and most importantly, ENJOY EVERY MINUTE! 

Removals Discount Offer

With the housing market looking promising again, more and more people are taking the plunge and putting their houses up for sale. House selling can be a slow process (unless you are a lucky quick seller!), but as soon as the sale is agreed the task of packing up our belongings begins, our homes becoming a shrine to bubblewrap and boxes!

Once the boxes are packed and Moving Day arrives, it is often the job of the removal companies to take over and ensure your furniture and belongings are carefully loaded and transported to your new home. In this blog we previously explored the debate of Boxes Vs Crates. While many believe boxes are ideal for house/office moves, in reality cardboard boxes can be cumbersome and if packed incorrectly, can cause breakages. 

Our Fantastic Offer For Removal Companies

If you are in the Removals industry, Easycrate are offering 20% crate hire discount on our hardwearing, multipurpose plastic storage crates during the month of August. Our crates are sturdier than cardboard boxes, offering better protection to the contents inside (and peace of mind to your clients) and can be security sealed. Our crates are easily stackable within a removals van, and come in a range of sizes to suit the needs of each individual client. 

To take advantage of this great offer, contact a member of the Easycrate team on 0800 027 2665 or via our online Contact Form.

Expo and Convention crates

During the year, Expo and Convention centres throughout the UK are host to many events - from wedding fairs and science fiction conventions to motor, home and garden shows. While such events are exciting for visitors, who are captivated by the exhibits on show, the team at Easycrate appreciate the hard work the exhibitors face in the run up to and during these exhibitions. 

Image from Pinterest

How Easycrate can help

As an exhibitor, it is essential that your exhibits travel and arrive without damage. At Easycrate we guarantee peace of mind with our range of sturdy multipurpose plastic storage crates. 

Our crates come in a range of sizes to suit your needs and their hardwearing nature means that they can be reused time and time again without breaking or damaging your items in transit. 

Their stackable nature makes our crates easier for transporting, and previous customers have used them as display cases as part of their exhibit. For added security, our crates can also be sealed shut using security seals. 

Our fantastic crate hire service means you can rent our crates for as long as you need, and we can even deliver and collect the crates for you.

Need help moving your crates? Why not visit our Moving Equipment page at our website www.easycrate.co.uk for our transportation aids, security seals and labels. 

Office Moves

When it comes to moving office, whether as a small business or a large company,  it is essential the process runs as smoothly and hassle free as possible. Sufficient time needs to be given to the move to not only ensure that all your equipment is packed, but it is packed safely and securely to guarantee safe transition to its new location. 

Easycrate have a proud heritage in helping small and large companies throughout the UK achieve office moves that are easier, efficient and environmentally friendly.

We offer a great range of environmentally friendly, hardwearing and multipurpose plastic storage crates - ideal for your office files and documents.

Our standard lidded crate - ideal for your office files

Our metre lidded crate - ideal for files, documents and books.

Our computer crates offer secure transportation for your computer and electronic equipment, and for added protection, our computer covers are the ideal solution for protecting delicate computer screens. 

Our sturdy and secure computer crates - designed to hold a computer, monitor and related items.

Our computer screen covers give added protection when moving.

We understand that office moves can be heavy and tiring work. Our previous blog post "Avoiding Injury When Lifting Crates" offers tips and advice when moving, but for added peace of mind the team at Easycrate also have a range of moving equipment to help make your move a bit easier. 

Our Sack Barrow - ideal for moving crates or furniture.

Our Secure Roll Cages - ideal for larger computer equipment.

Our Rubber Topped Skates - ideal for moving our crates.

Our Library Trolley - ideal for moving books and files.

The team at Easycrate work with you to accommodate your office move.

We recommend the right number of storage crates and supply the moving

equipment you require. We will also deliver your crates when you need them and give you the flexibility to increase your hire period should you need to. 

Why not visit our website www.easycrate.co.uk to find out more? 

End of term

The academic year is over and around the UK the educational shift begins. For some children their school journey is about to begin, some are saying goodbye to their teacher and moving up a year, others are moving schools and for older children, the progression to college and university is just around the corner. 

But what happens when the bell rings at the end of term? Do the teachers all head off to the nearest pub? As tempting as that may sound it is often far from the truth. When the schools, colleges and universities are empty of students, the teachers and support staff are still working, emptying classrooms, moving classrooms/departments and some moving buildings entirely. 

As a former teacher I know all to well how the summer holidays have to get divided into "modes" - relaxing mode with family and friends and teacher mode. Is the work/life balance we hear about maintained? I'll have to get back to you on that one!

How can Easycrate help? 

Here at Easycrate we are proud to work in partnership with schools, colleges and universities throughout the UK, offering affordable and hardwearing plastic storage crates to suit your storage needs. Whether you are rearranging cupboard space, moving departments and buildings or having a refurbishment over the summer break,  Easycrate are here to help. 

We have a range of multipurpose crates that provide sturdy and secure storage for your equipment. As they are stackable, not only do they protect your items but they are also space saving. If you have IT equipment, we also offer specialist equipment covers to protect your electronic goods. 

Using our crates safely is important to Easycrate. Our previous blog post "Avoiding Injury When Lifting Crates" offers safety tips when lifting and shifting loaded crates, but we also offer moving equipment to assist you when moving the crates. 

Due to fantastic demand, we extended our special offer for schools, colleges and universities until the end of July. Order crates before the 31st July and receive a 35% discount on all crate orders. To find out more about this special offer, click here. 

Crate Inspiration

What do the summer holidays mean to you? Holidays in the UK or abroad? Visiting family and friends? Keeping the kids entertained before they go back to school? 

Could the holidays be the ideal time to have a good declutter? 

Summer days (hopefully blessed with good weather!) are the ideal time to get into cupboards, attics, sheds and garages and have a good sort out, but does this mean everything has to be thrown away? 

A neighbour was recently having a declutter and amongst their items they had some old wooden crates. The contents of the crates had become musty and mouldy as the crates did not have lids, but the crates themselves were in quite good order. I asked them what they were going to do with the crates as they really didn't offer much protection for storing personal items.  My neighbour's reply? "Oh I think I will make something out of them". 

This got me thinking. What could the crates be used for? I had seen some used as decoration in a supermarket, but there must be other ways they could be used. My curiosity led me to do some research on the Internet.....

Upcycling

My research on the internet led me to the wonderful world of upcycling. Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value. I had heard of the word before, but I was amazed to find out just how much could be done - and how fantastic people's upcycling projects were! 

Upcycling Ideas

I wanted to include a few of my favourite Upcycled Crates ideas I found on Pinterest. It was great to see ideas for inside the home, for outside the home/in summer houses or conservatories and for children (perhaps a great "keep the kids busy over the summer" project?)

Image from Pinterest

A great idea for keeping muddy boots and shoes in one place! Ideal for entrance halls or porches.

Image from Pinterest

A feature wall concept for displaying shoes. Great for all the family or for someone with a lot of shoes. Having them all on display can also help us work out which shoes we actually do wear, and can make decluttering easier (plus clears space for any additional shoe purchases in the future!).

Image from Pinterest

An eye-catching crate bookcase that would look great in a child's bedroom or playroom. A friend of mine has something similar to this in her son's bedroom. It was his project to paint the crates and he lined the inside of each crate with superhero wrapping paper. He uses his personalized crates to display his toy models and they look incredible!

Image from Pinterest

A simple, yet effective storage space for a bathroom - keeping the essentials in one place and bathroom clutter free!

Image from Pinterest

This lidded crate makes a beautiful side table. The photograph shows it being used on a porch/patio, but it could easily be used in a conservatory, summer house or lounge. The wheels on the bottom also make it easily movable. Alternative uses could be as a toy box for children/grandchildren or a place to store pet toys for our pampered pets. 

Image from Pinterest

A more grown up feel to the bookcase concept shown previously. Can be used as a bookcase, DVD or CD storage or as a display case for photos and ornaments. 

Image from Pinterest

A stunning large bookcase comprising of 16 smaller crates. The photograph shows it being used outside but it would also look great inside the home where it can be painted to each individual's own colour scheme preferences.

.

Image from Pinterest

This crate table concept is stunning. Not only does it create a beautiful table that could be used in the lounge or conservatory (or even outside!) but the crates have been used effectively to allow additional storage space around the sides. 

Image from Pinterest

A beautiful Ottoman design - the material lid can be lifted to create handy storage space while the padding on the lid also enables it to be used as additional seating space. 

All the images you see were found on Pinterest. The Crate Inspiration board on Easycrate's Pinterest is filling up with wonderful ideas for upcycling crates - take a look!

Have you had Crate Inspiration? If so we would love to hear from you! Tweet us @easycratehire and send us a photo of your upcycled crates!

Upcycling these old crates gives them a new lease of life when their life as storage crates comes to an end. For more practical, longer lasting and secure storage crate solutions, why not visit our website www.easycrate.co.uk or contact a member of the Easycrate team today on 0800 027 2665 or by using our online form. 

Easycrate and Social Media

The use of social media has rapidly grown in recent years. Photos are instantly uploaded, shared and liked on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram often before the holiday/event during which they were taken has finished. News is reported instantly through Twitter and it is often passers by who submit photos/film footage before the news teams have arrived on scene.

Social Media and Business

As well as social media for personal use, many businesses are turning to social media to boost their online profile. It is a great way to build relationships with fellow businesses, attract new customers and keep current customers up to date with the latest news and promotions. 

Easycrate and Social Media

Here at Easycrate we have been working hard to develop our social media links. 

Twitter: Follow us @easycratehire

Facebook: Like our page www.facebook.com/Easycrate

Pinterest: Follow our "pinspiration page" http://uk.pinterest.com/easycratehire

Why not stop by and say hello?