At some point in almost everyone’s life, they need to use a storage facility for short-term or long-term storage of household or business items. Are all public storage facilities the same? hell no. This article focuses on the top 10 items to consider when selecting a place to store your valuable belongings. After all, whatever you’re storing must have some meaning or value to you or you wouldn’t be storing it, right?
1. Rent: One of the most important factors when considering a storage unit is where it is located. The storage facility should be conveniently located near major highways or roads and be somewhere close to where you live or work (or in between) for easy access. If you’re moving and need short-term storage, consider the advantages of selecting a site that’s closer to your old home or business or closer to your new one.
2.Security: Improvements in technology mean that security should be one of the most important criteria to consider when selecting where to store items for your home or business. Newer storage facilities provide high-tech security systems, such as matching your door access code to your individual storage unit. This means that when you enter the grounds and open the access gate, the same number you use to enter also unlocks your storage unit and then puts it back together when you enter your code to exit the premises.
By the way, the most secure facilities should definitely have access gates and high fences or walls around them. Another important security feature is video surveillance that records activity in and around the units. Finally, the administrators on the site help ensure that your items are stored safely.
3.Insurance protectionNote: Most modern public storage facilities have storage insurance available if you don’t already have your items covered by your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy. Although there is a small chance that you will ever need it, catastrophic and other unforeseen events can happen.
4. Access hours: Most quality storage facilities limit access to certain times of the day. You’ll want to factor this into your decision to have maximum access to your drive. Ideally, you should be able to access your unit seven days a week from early in the morning until well after 5:00 p.m. your drive, which is probably not what you want in a secure install.
5. Pest management: Depending on where you live, you may need to ask about insect, mouse and rat control. Newer facilities tend to have fewer pest problems, but it’s still important to ask the facility you’re considering what their pest management protocol is.
6. Variety of unit sizes: If you have a small number of items you want to store, the last thing you need is a unit the size of a one-car garage. Self-storage facilities typically offer a variety of unit sizes to their customers for small and extra-large needs, such as whole-house furniture, car and boat storage, and business files and supplies. With a selection to choose from to fit your needs, you don’t have to pay more than you need or try to fill a small unit from floor to ceiling. When that happens, it increases the chance that you’ll have to unpack the entire unit just to find an item.
7. Outside storage: If you need to store an RV or other large vehicle, make sure the facility you select has the type of space you want. Some storage lots even offer covered parking for boat and RV storage.
8. Support services: Most storage facilities provide a variety of support services and supplies. They usually sell boxes and ribbons at a minimum, but others also have mattress covers, sofa covers, and chair covers for sale. Similarly, storage companies also have dollies and carts that they lend or rent to their customers. Whether you purchase boxes and covers from your public storage facility or not, make sure you enclose your items well to better protect them from weather, dust, or other related damage.
9. Community Caring and Courteous Staff – The best storage facilities are operated by community-minded people who give back to the communities they serve. Self-storage facilities that offer a discount to seniors, the military, and others who may be more subject to financial hardship say something about their business philosophy. Facilities that accept deliveries are also an added bonus.
As with all services, it’s always best to do business with friendly and professional staff members. While most of your interactions after logging out won’t involve much interaction with facility staff, it’s always good to know that customer service is a top priority for any facility you select.
10.Terms of service: In most cases, renting storage units on a month-to-month basis is the preferred method of storage units. By selecting a month-to-month storage facility, you have the flexibility to set up monthly payments for longer-term needs without having to worry about entering into a contract that you ultimately don’t need.
With these resources in mind, you can find the perfect storage solution to meet your business or home storage needs.