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Mar 25
Love0

KUBOO and Lisbon; Self-Storage and Pastel

By Blog, Uncategorized
Lisbon, city of churches and festivals, of white cobblestone sidewalks that reflect light like no other city, and building facades splashed in clean pastel colours that bounce this white light back in a soft, gentle and diffused manner onto the faces of passers by.

Not anyone can walk Lisbon’s streets. One must be fit, determined and goal driven to climb up the 7 hills made of hundreds of winding streets that become slippery when it rains. Old people live long here and climb those streets like cats holding grocery bags.

Lisbon is also made of houses often too small to fit everything you need. There has been some self-storage solutions around for a few years now, but nothing to match the new familiar and homy approach as well as the high quality service of KUBOO Self-Storage, where people come and feel at home right away; alleviating as much as we can everyone’s moving and storing stress is our noblest goal.

When we look at Lisbon, we see a city being emptied of its people, replaced by tourists and expensive housing. We ache at this trend, a global trend, that strips our beloved old cities of their souls and replaces it with a Disneyland impression that even tourists are not looking for.

KUBOO can’t alter this trend all by itself, but we can help by offering solutions for self-storage in and around Lisbon for those in need of a transitional or permanent safe, clean and easily accessible space for their belongings.

Moving, storing and changing towns is never easy. That’s the part that we built our mission upon: To do all we can to simplify and make this process stress-free, and, as much as we can, pleasurable.

Kids come to KUBOO with their parents, and they usually love it. They love the facility, because for a child a clean, big and safe space like the one at KUBOO is like a dream come true. They run around, play with our small toys laying around in the reception, shoot the football in the loading bay, and get to choose one (no more than one) ChupaChups while their parents get a nice cup of coffee (or two). Sometimes the parents prefer Chupachups, and it makes us smile.

Self-storage in Lisbon is boring in general. Receptions are small and stuffy, KUBOO’s reception is twice as high (at least) and 3 times as big as any other, and it feels like our living-room.

We offer from the smallest locker of 1m3, where you can store boxes and luggage for example to large 30m2 Kuboos where you can store your life! In-between we have garage sizes that will expand your home with minimal cost that you can forget about because it doesn’t dent your wallet.

In the storage world, KUBOO and Lisbon are married in their aesthetics. We are bright and we reflect light, our colour, Orange, what the word Portugal means in the old Moorish language, and our roots go deep under the cobblestones of Lisbon’s sidewalks; Our hospitality is entrenched and we love to help. And just like Lisbon’s buildings, our self-storage hearts are all pastel coloured.

Feb 28
Love0

KUBOO sponsored Gui Gomes is sailing high winds

By Blog, Uncategorized
The Cascais Naval Club is 80 years old, Guilherme Gomes is only 20, but it has been already 12 years since he joined the team!

And this year was highlighted by his 8th time win of the sailor with the Greatest Team Spirit Award!

Guilherme’s enthusiasm for the sea began very early, the boat trips in which his paternal grandfather (A Navy Officer) took him, fed his love for boats and for the sea. Guilherme started sailing when he was only 8 years old and since then his dedication has resulted in excellent classifications and podium awards.

“I’ve already achieved a lot of good results, but the best one was in the International Tournament of Carnival in 2017 (Vilamoura), where I came in 2nd place” he tells us with pride.

But Guilherme is not sailing alone, Rafael Rodrigues, who also started sailing 8 years ago, since the first time he set foot on a sailboat, joins him. Rafael confessed to us, “the trick to be a good sailor is not a simple one, it’s a complex recipe, in which the ingredients are based on concentration, the ability to communicate, the ability to observe, a solid determination and a constant desire to learn and evolve. And obviously the eagerness to be the best”.

With 15 podium prizes, including 2 National Titles, it is clear that this is, without a doubt, the recipe for success!

“For me, the best thing is to represent Portugal in International championships; it’s always great to represent my country”, says Guilherme.

KUBOO is proud to be with Guilherme and Rafael in these moments of personal fulfilment and pride for Portugal! To try to help them in achieving the best they can be, and to grow with them.

Self-storage businesses are usually dry and lifeless. Not KUBOO. Among all Self-storages in Portugal, we pride ourselves at KUBOO to be part of the world around us, to give back as much as we can to the community that sustains us, to do it with young athletes but also with people in need at large. 5% of all our profits go for the causes we feel for.

We also understand that storing your belongings is more often than not a transitional and stressful period, so we are focused on doing our best at alleviating the moving and storing part of it, with a complimentary Chupa-Chups and a nice hearty Portuguese coffee, as well as with a staff so friendly you may feel you’re on vacation. Visit us at KUBOO Self-Storage in Carnaxide and you will see for yourself.

As for Guilherme and Rafael, we are deeply proud of both of them! And we will continue to support them throughout.

Jan 28
Love0

Do i keep this at home? Or do I need a storage?

By Blog, Home Organization
Grandad’s toolbox, mom’s wedding dress, grandma’s sewing machine, uncle’s record collections, aunt’s book collection…sometimes, without knowing how it happened, we inherit everything from the people in our family!

Everything ends up at our house! And then we hold onto these things as if they were part of us. We may keep them because of the emotional attachment we have (or had) to the people that gave them to us, but the truth is that in practical terms we probably won’t be getting married in mom’s wedding dress or making hems with grandma’s sewing machine any time soon.

We need the space that these things occupy in our house, these things that we want to keep. But some might worry that if we put these things away in a storage space, they´ll be damaged.

At KUBOO, we understand your concerns and we guarantee that these concerns will quickly disappear.

1. Cleanliness

The first step in making sure that your items will not be damaged is always maintaining them in a clean storage unit. This is how we hand your unit over to you, a unit which is part of a larger storage facility that holds the same high standards of cleanliness: at KUBOO not one stain is ever overlooked; we clean our facility daily, from top to bottom.

2. Climate-control

In choosing the location and materials of construction for KUBOO, a determining factor was how the space would influence the temperature, the humidity and the environment of our facility.

The walls at KUBOO are 60cm thick and made of cement. This way, much like the humidity, the temperature is regulated naturally so that sensitive objects in our units will not become damaged. Here are some examples:

  • Clothes and fabrics: humidity can affect the colour and the shape of your clothes and your fabrics.
  • Vinyl records: humidity can warp your records. Documents and papers: humidity can blot out information written on documents and papers.
  • Wooden objects/wooden furniture: humidity or excessive heat can change the form of an object/ furniture making the wood crack or rot.
  • Electronic equipment: humidity and the sudden changes in temperature can damage the internal hardware of electronic equipment.
Jan 12
Love0

Renovate to change, change to renovate

By Blog, Home Renovation
The change in seasons is a perfect opportunity to clean your home, organize things and store what  you don’t need at the moment. Each person creates their own rules, but there are rules, in Feng Shui for example, that contribute to a more harmonious and effective method of tidying up.

According to this train of thought, a fundamental aspect of cleaning productively is how we organize the objects within our home. The more things we have, the harder it is for good energy to circulate. This can create a chaotic space.

Beyond this, it becomes more difficult to keep the house clean. This may all seem simple and obvious, but cleaning our home requires choices about where things go, what things stay, and sometimes a moment of panic may ensue: WHAT TO DO WITH ALL OF THESE THINGS?!

The closets are full, the supply room too, nothing else fits into the storage space and the cars can’t fit in the garage with all the things that we’ve stored in there. If you can relate to this scenario, we imagine that what you’re longing for is a storage space, a box, a mini storage unit, or any type of space that’s in good condition and will allow you to store some of your things safely. Don’t despair.

There is a solution to your problem. That solution is KUBOO. Located in Lisbon, in the Carnaxide area, KUBOO is close to both the Cascais and Sintra line, as well as the capital. KUBOO provides you with a facility that is clean, safe and climate controlled, with storage units between 1 and 30 square meters, where you can organize and store your things as you see fit.

All those items that you don’t need at hand will be a short drive away, stored in a space ideal for your needs. Our team will help you choose that perfect storage space. And you can keep this space for the time you require: the contracts at KUBOO are flexible and allow you to change from a larger or smaller storage unit whenever you see fit,  if for example you suddenly realize that some of your stored items need to be closer to you or that you want to bring some new items to the unit. This is all possible at KUBOO.

Whatever your needs may be, at KUBOO we guarantee that your things are safe. We provide a multi-level security system, operated by our team 24 hours a day.

Entrance and exits to KUBOO are controlled by security cameras and personalized entry codes. We will do everything to protect you, we’ll even protect you from the things you’ve amassed over the years! Renovate your home and change for the better.

Dec 28
Love0

My unit’s more organized than yours

By Blog, Storage Organization
Ok, it’s a given…KUBOO will provide you with a spotless storage unit, a space that’s impeccably clean and ready to store your things.

There is another issue though: how to organize everything that goes into your space? How to pack everything into your unit so as to take advantage of every inch of space your storage provides?

We leave you here with a few suggestions:

1. In your Kuboo, always have at hand and in a visible place with easy access, a small box with all the items you need during your move to help store things away.

Labels, scotch tape, scissors,and highlighters are always useful when moving into your storage unit. You may need to open a box or replace something inside and this way you have everything you need right at your fingertips. At KUBOO, you´ll find most of these items on sale at very good prices. Another useful item would be to carry a flashlight with you, although KUBOO has 20% more lighting than any other self storage facility on the market and any unit larger than 7m2 has its own lighting inside.

2. Identify thoroughly all the boxes that you store in your Kuboo.

It may give you more work originally, but you’ll save yourself time in the long run by identifying each box with a label stating what’s inside. This way you won’t have to open up multiple boxes every time you´re looking for something you need.

3. Decorate your Kuboo with shelves and racks

It’s not just to make a prettier Kuboo! The truth is that shelves and racks are very effective for storing items and keeping everything at eye level. And since at KUBOO we have storage units between 1 and 30 square metres, you can adapt your shelves and racks to your storage space. You can bring them from home, rent them or buy them right at KUBOO.

4. Make a treasure map for your Kuboo.

Nothing is more helpful than to create a document that’s always at hand where you’ve written down all the things you’ve stored in your unit. Not just a list but a document telling you exactly where you’ve put a particular box, the shelf or the rack where you’ve put each object. Make a copy of this ‘treasure map’ and hang it up at the entrance of your storage space. Keep another one filed at home.

Good luck and happy moving!

Dec 12
Love0

Until closets do us part

By Blog, Closet Organization
Sharing a house with friends or family can be a wonderful experience, but it can also be a pain in the neck. Either way, it implies an agreement, a load of concessions and sometimes, and more importantly, negotiations. In what concerns the politics of ‘space’, it’s about who can use what, what goes where, what do you put away in this closet or that closet, etc, etc, etc…

KUBOO can help you avoid any unnecessary quarrels: we understand that life is full of demands, but rest assured we will honour all the commitments we make to you. Here we have a few ‘storage’ suggestions so that your married life or life with family members doesn’t turn into a living hell:

If you’ve recently married or are started living with a partner, it’s normal that all your items will multiply by two: from couches to toasters. A good solution for this is to keep one of each item at home and the other in storage. This way, if you happen to damage an item you´re using, you have another one just like it, waiting. At KUBOO, we have a storage unit with the perfect size for your things: from 1 to 30 square meters in size.

Beyond this, you can rent your unit for the time that you need. So when it’s time to redecorate your home, give away what you have and put to use all the items that are in your storage space, KUBOO will be there to support you moving forward.

Children’s toys don’t grow at the same pace as they do… nothing is more evident than that. What this implies is that people that have children end up being witness to their closets, shelves, storage areas and garages being occupied by tricycles, games, stuffies and bicycles; items that begin to ‘shrink’ as children grow. And we haven’t even touched upon clothes.

What to do with all these things? Give them away? That’s an option, but only for those who aren’t planning to have more children. A better idea is freeing up space at home for a short while, to make way for toys and clothes that actually fit. At KUBOO, we have an excellent solution for you: a mini-storage unit where these items can be stored safely and organized, until they’re needed again.

There are some that will fight for control of the TV remote. And then there are others that will fight for closet space. The insidious overtaking of someone else’s closet space can begin with a simple suggestion (e.g., can I hang a few things up on your side?). But if this person has the habit of collecting things quickly, in no time they can become king (or queen) of the closet…

A better solution to this problem would be to request that whoever is occupying too much space to store in KUBOO what they don´t use. And to remind them, so that the argument becomes more convincing, that in a KUBOO box it’s possible to keep their clothes, shoes, belts, purses and wallets well organized and always within view. For example, all they need to do is to buy a few shelves that KUBOO sells at a very accessible price.

Nov 26
Love0

Packed like sardines? No way!

By Blog, Home Organization
It’s one of the more urgent problems facing us today: the increase in the cost of housing. It’s forcing many people to live in smaller apartments. And with that problem another one arises: where to store our things when there’s very little space?

There are a few ways to tackle this issue without having to feel packed like sardines in our own home. Here, KUBOO gives you some suggestions which can also help in deciding what to store in your box:

1. Be realistic and think about your preferences and needs

By opting for a smaller house, you’ll need to make some decisions. The best way to go about this is to look at things you love and things you need. For example, if you can’t live without your shoe collection, partition a part of your closet to make a shoe rack; if your kitchen is your ‘oasis’ you’ll need to make this room very functional.

Take a good look at every nook and cranny in that room and make use of every inch of space. Don’t forget about the walls: the trick is to ‘think vertically’: think shelves, hooks and hangers. You can also opt for furniture that you can fold and put away when not in use. Also think about the ‘invisible’ places in a house, for example, space under the couch, the bed or stairs.

2. Give priority to the things you use everyday

Always have at hand the objects and all the things that you use on a daily basis. Make a list before you move and take note of where you plan to store these essential goods. The rest you can store in your Kuboo, also in list form and with their whereabouts noted.

3. Words to live by: simple and clean

The smaller the space, the easier to end up with a chaotic and dirty area. Therefore, always keep your house simple and clean so that you can take 100% advantage of it. The trick is to never leave anything out of place, cleaning a bit every day. The same logic that you´ll take with you to your Kuboo.

Nov 05
Love0

Winter is coming

By Blog, Home Organization
In the famous television series Game of Thrones they are tired of warning us: “Winter is Coming”. And in fact, it’s true: every year it really does come!

When the cold begins to infiltrate our homes and our bodies, the last thing we want to see are our beach towels, swimming trunks, bikinis, T-shirts and shorts…What to do with all these things, as it becomes ever more difficult to keep our winter and summer attire in one closet only? At KUBOO we have the solution and some suggestions for you.

Separate your summer clothes, store them in boxes that are easy to identify and put them away in your storage unit. Since you’ll only need summer clothes in a few months, opt to put these boxes behind those that contain things that you’ll need in the winter. You can store these too. And remember that at KUBOO, we have all the necessary material to package your things: from labels to scotch tape to boxes.

When you organize your summer items, don’t forget everything that you use during the season: beach mattresses, floaties, towels, beach toys, camping gear, outdoor furniture…

All of this fits into a KUBOO storage space; units with a variety of sizes to fit your needs. And remember: when you store your seasonal things, make sure that your Christmas tree and decorations stay closer to the entrance, as you’ll be needing those first because -and here come a few more famous quotes- time flies and Christmas is just around the corner!

To properly store your summer clothes remember that some of them may need special care. For example:

  • dry beach toys well before storing to avoid humidity or mould.
  • make sure that outdoor furniture as well as camping gear is dry when stored so as to prevents cracks in the wood or that fabrics dry rot.
  • avoid plastic bags as they create a perfect environment for humidity stains and mould.

As you’re in the process of organizing and separating, take this opportunity to make choices. It’s not only your house that needs to be organized and clean, but your Kuboo also. Store in your unit only what you’ll need in the future.