Choosing the most appropriate and functional self storage facility for you can be a major weight off your back. Whether you’re moving house over an extended period, storing sentimental things you just can’t bring yourself to bin, or simply using self storage for commercial business purposes, storing stock or equipment, the fact is, self-storage is a fantastic solution to what can be a major headache.
However there are key things to look out for when choosing the most appropriate and suitable self storage facility. Here we run through several key considerations for when you’re choosing where to store your treasured, or at least valued, possessions.
In reality there are a lot of self storage facilities out there that just don’t measure up. Whether it’s lacking in security, accessibility, availability of staff or other key, essential features, you need to know what to look and check for, in order to make sure your possessions are safe, cared-for, and easily accessible to you and nearby.
What Kind of Items Are You Storing?
You’ve got to think, what’s the ideal place for the things I’m storing? Does humidity level matter, as it might for instruments like guitars or violins? Does light exposure matter? For photographs, paintings or artwork? Or simply is the storage area spacious enough. Will you need shelving or are you storing bigger boxes of things? Are your things stackable and hardy, or will you need protective boxes and extra space? All are very important considerations when it comes to making your decision on which facility you use, so make sure you take note of the kind of stuff you’re storing and check out several different establishments, making your needs known when acquiring quotes.
Is The Facility Nearby?
So let’s say you’re storing a variety of things you need regular access to, maybe you’ve moved house and are living in rented accommodation, and might occasionally want to grab a thing or two that you’ve been missing. It makes zero sense using an establishment that’s more than about half an hour away. You do not want to be wasting time ferrying back and forth at an extremely stressful period in your life (moving house is widely acknowledged one of the more stressful life experiences).
This is why you want to make use of a facility near to you, allowing you easier access to your belongings and the safety of knowing all your valued possessions aren’t too far away. Having said this, plenty of the more rural self storage facilities offer generous discounts on account of not having to deal with city overheads. So if you don’t require regular access to your possessions, maybe consider a more distant facility, but if you’re continually going to be dropping in for things, you need to find somewhere local.
As well as this you need to find out opening hours, as not all storage facilities are open 24 hours a day. A good percentage are, with computerised gate and ID systems but it would not be pleasant to discover you’ve left something absolutely vital in your storage unit, and are unable to retrieve it till the facility opens again. It’s something important to look into.
Security Features
It’s a sad fact that this needs to be examined and looked into, but hey-ho, it’s your peace of mind at stake. Making sure the facility you select has excellent security features can be very important, especially considering on the monetary value of whatever it is you’re storing. Things like on-site staff, well-lit areas, good quality, monitored surveillance, and well-alarmed units with a computerised gate/ID system are all essential to creating somewhere people will feel safe about leaving their possessions.
The very nature of self storage hinges on you feeling your possessions are safe, secure and within reach. This is why it can be expensive if you don’t take extensive advantage of offers and deals available. Make sure you check out multiple facilities and compare quotes, to get the best deal out there.