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Self Storage Basics
Self storage facilities allow customers to rent storage space
in which they can store items that they have no place to keep. This
is the perfect storage solution for many personal and business needs.
People often look to self-storage when downsizing or between the
sale of their current home until the closing on their new home.
Students from out of town often look to self storage as a cost-effective way
to store their minimal furniture over the summer. Self storage is also great
for storing seasonal items as well as cars, boats and other vehicles.
Business owners store extra furniture and supplies and often rely
on climate-controlled storage for archiving documents. Self storage
is also ideal for contractors and home-based businesses to store
supplies and merchandise. Storage spaces are available in many different
sizes to suit the customers needs from the size of a gym locker to
a space big enough to store a school bus.
As the phrase might suggest,
self-storage is a do-it-yourself approach to storage. The customer
is responsible for transporting their belongings to the storage facility
as well as loading and unloading in the storage area. Most storage
companies sell packing materials to aid customers in preparing their
belongings for storage. Some will even lend or rent moving blankets
to allow for added protection.
Self storage facilities also offer different levels of security and access.
Most are equipped with closed circuit video surveillance and alarm
systems as well as card-access security gates or doors. Some storage
companies even employ security guards. Furthermore, the individual
units are secured by a lock provided or purchased by the customer
adding an additional element of security by allowing only the customer
access to the unit.
There are generally two types of self storage buildings; indoor
and shed-style. Climate controlled space is usually only available
with indoor storage areas. Indoor units usually resemble small rooms
and are located in a warehouse which may only be open during certain
hours to the public. Some of these warehouses offer garage-type
bays that open to the outside of the building for ease of access.
In these buildings, the humidity and temperature are monitored and
regulated. Outdoor spaces usually resemble large lockers or garage-type
sheds in rows with limited or no access to the inside of the narrow
building structure. These areas usually offer little in the way
of temperature and humidity control but are more likely to offer
24-hour, 7 day per week access.
When choosing your storage company, you should inquire about access
to your unit. Many indoor facilities are multi-level buildings that
may require use of an elevator. Some also have long hallways leading
to some units. Having to use an elevator and walk a fifty foot hallway
will lengthen the time it takes to load and unload your unit. This
can make a difference, especially if you are paying a moving company
by the hour to do this for you.
Self storage units can normally be rented by the month although
some locations rent by the week and even the day. Often, these companies
will offer discounts or incentives based on the length of time the
units are being rented. Usually a deposit will be requested by the
management to cover any damages that may occur to the storage unit
while the customer is moving belongings in and out. This deposit
is often equal to one month's rent of the unit.
Next, it's time to choose the Type of Self Storage that suits your needs.
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