If you are planning a move into self storage or you are in the consideration and research stage, you are probably already realising just how many facilities there are in your local area, which has probably made your choice even more difficult.
As the demand for self storage has grown so rapidly in the UK over the past ten years, the supply has really tried to match this, with more and more self storage facilities cropping up all over the country. From large brands and chains continually expanding into new areas, through to small and independent firms continuing to evolve, meaning that if you are looking for a place to store your possessions and belongings, the choice really will be yours.
Choice and having a range of options is obviously great as it means you can pick the right place for you, but when you have quite a few local self storage companies to choose from, it can take you much longer to phone around, get the quotes and then ultimately make the decision that is going to be right for you. As most people also like to visit the facility before they commit to storage, you could also spend a few days on the road, trying to make sure that the place you are going to finally pick and store with really is the right option and decision.
But, this is so, so important, as you do not want to end up making a choice that is just not right for you, as although the cost implications will probably be quite minimal as there are generally no long term contracts, having to pack everything up and then move them somewhere else is going to eat into your time, and in all fairness, probably your wallet as well. Making the right choice first time is more important than you may think, as you want the whole experience to be as painless as possible and to be honest, as quick and simple as it really should be.
The first thing you should do is to work out the distance you would be prepared to travel to a self storage facility, as this will then allow you to draw up a list of possibilities in that area or radius and then draw up your first shortlist. Take into account traffic and times of the day when it could take you far longer to drive there, as you do not want to be thinking about a 5 mile journey that can take an hour as you forget to consider traffic levels. If you need access to your unit regularly then you are going to want something a bit closer to home, but if you are off around the world and will not be touching your items for a long time, then you can afford to look a bit further away.
Once you have your shortlist you can then start process of starting to get some quotes and working out how much your storage is going to cost you on a monthly basis. The key thing is to work out how much space you need before you start getting the quotes, as if you have no real idea about the size of storage you need, you are not going to be able to obtain realistic quotes, or at worst, you are going to turn up on moving day and find that most of your possessions will just not fit into you unit. Try to get a good idea of the space you need, as this will then allow the storage facility owners to quote you on the best sized unit they have for you.
Once you have a selection of quotes, the rest should be easy, as you can then work out the best facility for you based on all the things that we have discussed, as although it can be tempting to just opt for the cheapest, you need to take everything into consideration before making this choice. Price should be a factor when choosing a unit, but it should not be the only factor you consider, as quality, location and customer service all play a massive part in just how good the storage will be long term.