With so many different storage facilities around the country, choosing the ideal one is always the best tactic. However, what if you’ve already started using a self storage provider? In that case you need to look at whether they are meeting your needs, and whether or not they are completely reliable and trustworthy to look after your things.
Remember, it’s your possessions in their hands, and you deserve the best and most suitable storage facilities going.
Here are seven key reasons to possibly considering changing your self storage provider.
Security
If your current storage facility isn’t offering top notch security, including effective, extensive and maintained alarms, lighting, security cameras, and on-site staff, as well as a monitoring system, then you want to consider looking at another facility. You need to check whether the individual units are alarmed, whether all areas are well-lit, allowing for an effective security camera system, as well as the numbers and frequency of staff members being on-site.
Accessibility
Can you currently fit larger vehicles into your facility? Can said larger vehicles go all the way up to your particular unit? If not and you need to be able to, then you should consider looking at other facilities that can offer better accessibility, and therefore better convenience and ease-of-use. As well as allowing larger vehicles in, does the facility offer easy, computerised automated access? This is quickly becoming the norm in high-quality self storage facilities, and if your facility isn’t currently offering it, maybe you should be looking at others that do.
Safety
How well maintained is the facility? Is it clean, well-kept and safe, with no potential hazards? Too often storage facilities are represented by rusty, unkempt and unsafe yards filled haphazardly with aging and unsound storage units. It says a lot about a company how safely and cleanly they run their facility, and as a customer you should expect the cleanest, safest and best environment possible.
Cost
You might think you’ve got the best deal possible for your self storage needs, but with many companies offering to beat the competition on price nowadays, you really don’t know till you enquire. Finding the best deal is mainly just a case of examining, enquiring and comparing your various options till you find the most cost effective, best value storage facility available. There can be massive variance in the quality, cost and convenience of different facilities, so a little research and comparison can go a long way.
Guarantees and Insurance
Does your current facility offer a range of guarantees? Do they have extensive insurance that protects both you and them? You need to enquire and find out exactly what guarantees are offered, and the scale and reliability of the insurance, specifically in regards to you and your stored goods and items. Different facilities might have very different guarantees and insurance policies, so you have to find out whether you’re as protected and safe as you can be.
Distance
While it might seem the best option to go with the nearest facility, it can make a lot of sense to use a more distant one, or vice versa. What it comes down to is how frequently you need to access your things. If you’re needing to access your stored items four times a week, it doesn’t make any sense to use a facility that’s an hour away, because it’s cheaper. Any storage saving is instantly eaten up by petrol costs. But if you only need access to your things every few months, using a facility that’s an hour away, because it’s cheaper, can save you a lot of cash, as well as potentially being more suitable for your storage needs.
Reputation and Reliability
Knowing your self storage company, through extensive online and face-to-face research is essential. Knowing how well they deal with potential problems, and how they help or hinder customers is essential. If you find out your facility isn’t great when it comes to dealing with problems or helping the customer, then it might be time to look at a new storage facility.