A new school year, a fresh start – over the summer, the newest wave of families arrived in Beijing and many expats decided to move house. Either change can mean a considerable downsize in living space.
Take for instance Eric Williams. Originally from New Jersey, Williams moved to Beijing in March for work. He’s currently the vice president of operations for an American multinational technology company, and lived in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Barbados, and Bangkok before coming to Beijing.
“While living around the world, I managed to accumulate a lot of stuff – not the things that you give or throw away,” he says. “Although I live in a great place now, it is about half the size of what I have grown accustomed to.”
He sought the services of Koala Mini Storage, a self-storage company that rents out containers ranging from 1m3 to 30m3. Williams is currently using the large storage locker (9m3), which according to Koala’s website is spacious enough to fit enough furniture and appliances for a one- to two-bedroom apartment.
When asked why he chose Koala over its competitors, Williams says service was the deciding factor. “I am just learning putonghua and sometimes have trouble telling the taxi driver how to get to the facility. Whenever this happens, I just call them and they are always helpful in getting me there,” he says. In addition, the staff assisted with the logistics of moving his belongings to the storage site.
Security is paramount. Only the customer holds a key to the storage locker and each of Koala’s four locations in Beijing is tightly-guarded, with security cameras, electronic gates, smoke detectors, and fire alarms.
Currently, the company has branches in Sanlitun, the CBD, Ciyunsi, and Wudaokou, with plans for rapid expansion. Lockers can be rented weekly or monthly, with prices ranging from approximately RMB 100 to RMB 1,500 per month depending on storage size and needs. If you’re unsure which size you need, contact Koala to speak to a storage consultant. The company also offers moving assistance at special prices through local relocation partners.
Koala Mini Storage 考拉迷你仓
Daily 24hrs. 1) Bldg 10, 3 Qingnian Lu Xili, Chaoyang District (5206 2431) 朝阳区青年路西里3号院10号楼; 2) B1-B2, 28 Dongzhimen Waidajie, Chaoyang District (6415 8622) 朝阳区东直门外大街B1-B2; 3) B2/F, Huayuan Shiji Commercial Building, 88 Shuangqing Lu, Haidian District (6257 7946) 海淀区双清路88号华源世纪商务楼B2层; 4) Rm A101, B1/F, Unit 2, Bldg 1, 3 Xiadian, Chaoyang District (400 017 8889) 朝阳区下甸甲3号院1号楼2单元B1-A101 www.koalaministorage.com
This article originally appeared on page 18 of the September 2014 issue of beijingkids. To view it online for free, click here. To find out how you can obtain your own copy, email distribution@truerun.com.
Photos: courtesy of Koala Mini Storage