Top 4 Tips For Choosing a Storage Facility
When my parents decided to downsize, my siblings and I spent hours pouring through the house we’d grown up in. Among the treasures were elementary school art projects, high school trophies, and college textbooks. Mom had holiday decorations and family heirlooms. Dad had power saws and other woodworking tools . Deciding what the new house could hold was difficult. And Mom and Dad weren’t ready to give up all their hobbies and wanted to hold on to some things in order to be able to help their grandchildren who would soon be starting lives of their own. Until we could figure out just what to do with all the stuff, our family joined the 1 in 10 adults in the U.S. who rent self storage units. At first we felt like we failed to adequately purge and redistribute the stuff, but the more we thought about it, the more we just realized we weren’t quite ready to let go.
There are many reasons why the 52,500 storage facilities in the U.S. are seeing an increase in business. People have stuff. Lots of it. And they are looking for a storage unit to use for a variety of purposes.
- Vintage cars
- Boats
- Off road vehicles and camping equipment storage
- RV storage
- Vintage car storage
- Housing extra furniture between moves
- Maintaining small business inventory
- Protecting personal belongings and antiques
Whether you are in need of short or long-term storage for a little or a lot, there are some important storage unit tips to consider before choosing a facility.
1. Make sure it’s clean and dry Nothing will ruin your items faster than moisture and mold. A wet and damp facility is actually worse than your basement, attic and garage where you likely were keeping these. Your precious auto will rust if stored in a damp facility.
2. Check out the security If your items have value in resale or if they’re irreplaceable heirlooms, you want them protected just like they were in your own home. Make sure the facility has a gate as well as locks on the individual units.
3. Ensure you have adequate access You want to be able to access your belongings 7 days a week when it’s convenient for you.
4. Fire protection Ask good questions about the fire protection and alarm systems.
Using these storage unit tips, you should be able to successfully clear out the garage or basement or attic and make room for the things you use weekly. Think of your storage unit as your temporary space for seasonal items that you just don’t want taking up room in the garage.
Once mom and dad’s stuff was safely secured, my husband and I applied other storage unit tips we learned for secure car storage. When we found a good deal on an auto for our soon-to-be driver, it made sense to store it until he was ready to drive it. The unit provided easy access and security but didn’t clog up our driveway with one more car. Plus, when a hail storm loomed, all our vehicles had a roof and his brand new baby didn’t see a dent.