It is not everyday that homeowners and small to medium scale business owner contemplate renting a temporary storage space. So we came up with a cheat sheet of things to consider when choosing a storage unit. Whether you want to rent a space for decluttering your home, provide space for renovation or for the temporary storage of goods while moving out, these factors will help you a bunch.
One thing to keep in mind is the fact that there is no order of things here. Your individual taste and preference is the main guiding factor. As far as our list is concerned, you are the one to choose what to prioritize depending on what matters most.
- Safety
Whenever safety is mentioned, the first thing that will ring in your mind is theft. Yes, so precious are your goods that you will not even dream about losing them overnight. However, safety in the storage unit goes beyond security and surveillance. It encompasses effective handling of goods to prevent damages, scales of practicability depending on the nature of your good and how the staff handles customers.
From a glimpse, you can know whether the unit is safe for your goods or not by looking for:
- The presence of installed equipment such as CCTVs and fire fighting tools such as extinguishers, sprinklers, alarms and detectors
- The presence of a functional fence or perimeter wall
- The presence of guards on the premises and whether you need to sign with their office before walking in
- The presence of a fully functioning and modern features for storage that suit whatever good you want to store
Secure storage does not allow for any person to walk in without official permission. Ask whether you will be able to check your goods before your storage period ends.
- Cost
Normally, whatever you pay for commensurates the quality of services you will get. For your case, you will realize that the size and duration of storage play vital roles in determining the price of a storage unit. However, depending on your municipality, the prices may vary with a slight margin. This makes it slightly difficult to quote the exact prices that will suit your needs.
Units in rural or small towns are cheaper than those in urban centres. They are better options when looking forward to cutting cost corners and still enjoy the benefits of quality services. An average 20*40 unit can cost you around $100 in the outskirts of most towns. The same size of the unit can cost twice the price in an urban town.
Moreover, there is no fit-it-all size. The larger the unit, the pricier it becomes. You must carefully weigh out the two determinants before deciding on the route to take. Otherwise, whatever size you choose to do with should neither affect your goods, push you beyond your budget plan nor bury the quality of services offered.
- Accessibility
An ideal storage unit should be easy to access the goods at your convenience. You don’t want to walk and find the store closed when you want to move your goods. Before deciding on the best option, ask for the hours of service. Does the store operate in 24-hours or 12-hours time? And, at what time are you free to inspect your goods?
Secondly, you should not traverse miles to reach the location of the unit of your choice. Remember, frequent transport costs can pile and hurt your budget plan. Under a flexible budget, it is prudent to go for a store closer to you. This will enable you to cut down the transport costs when moving your goods in and out of the store.
Thirdly, go for ground floor stores. They come with a lot of conveniences when moving goods in and out of the store.
- Type of service
Two scales of services are common in the most storage unit. It is either self-service plan or full-service plan. With a self-service plan, you will be allowed to access your goods any time of the day. For some storage units, you will be given keys to the store. However, you must notify the management anytime you want to access the goods.
On the other hand, a full-service storage unit does everything for you. They will pack, pick, store and transport back the goods on demand. The amount of money charged for the services may vary depending on the company you are dealing with.
Conclusion
Your choice of storage units should work well with the demands of your goods. Look at the aesthetics in the storage units and ascertain whether they suit your goods. Otherwise, these four factors should help you with choosing your storage unit without any hustle. Anyway, it does not hurt to ask around.