Finding a self-storage facility is no longer a problem. There are many of them. You can even see lots of them in the same areas. When you have so many of these businesses to choose from, it is easy to become paralyzed by the sheer quantity of them, or you may just randomly choose one without doing your due diligence. Whatever you do, don’t do that! Read today’s blog to help you make a great choice in a self-storage unit that will protect your precious belongings without stressing yourself out.
Choose What Should be Stored
You probably should not try to store everything. If you stay in any place long enough, you will accumulate things that you think you need but really don’t. Some of it is junk, some of it is useful but only to someone else. You should take a hard and honest appraisal of your belongings and be decisive. This will not only save you money, it will reduce clutter once you are finally relocated. Being choosy will also limit the storage expenses in terms of volume and attributes. You should be trying to reduce the size of the storage unit and the need for any costly extras like climate control, hazmat, etc.
Self Storage Units Near Me
First and foremost, if the storage unit is too far away, then it really does not make sense to use it. You do not want to dread going out to handle your business. It is actually worth it to just pay a little more to find a storage facility that is located where you need it to be, especially if you have to rent moving trucks and replace the gas that is used for the trip.
What to Expect
Try to find a storage place that gives you the most opportunity to access your things when it is convenient to you. Some self-storage businesses have 24 hour access. Another thing you should be able to find is a very secure building with adequate security camera coverage. The entire premises should be fenced in with a tall gate.
Insurance for Storage Facility
Will your homeowners or renters insurance cover storage items? If not, you may want to buy some insurance to cover the items in storage. Many self-storage facilities sell insurance with their units.
Read the Fine Print…
While there are a lot of industry standards, each facility is likely to have a few rules and procedures that differ from the rest. Many self-storage companies will restrict the kinds of things that can be stored on their property. A failure to follow rules can result in a lot of terrible outcomes, including loss of items or even some liability on your part due to anything bad that happens as a result of your rule-breaking.
Be Open to Other Opinions
Most storage companies are online now so you should be able to do a quick search for the “best self storage facilities near me” and read any reviews that have been left for them. Of course, take all negative reviews with a grain of salt – not that you should not believe them, but that in totality, there is a bias in favor of venting when you don’t like something, and remaining pleasantly quiet when you are satisfied. A small number of bad reviews should not scare you off, the content of those reviews are what should give you pause. If their experiences point to poor customer service, that could just be an employee having a bad day or maybe honest miscommunication. If the policies of the company are the cause of the poor review, pay attention to that. You can test the veracity of these reviews with a few phone calls. If the demeanor of the person you speak to is unprofessional, steer clear. If there is a policy mentioned in a poor review that concerns you, bring that up and see if they can explain it in a way that calms your fears. Maybe the business has changed since that review happened.
