Choosing the right storage service

Organizing your household moving gives you a unique opportunity to reduce the number of items that are cluttering your home. Whether it is a piece of furniture, camping gear, fishing equipment, or some old electrical devices, you will need a proper storage space to store them in for a later or occasional use. This is where the storage units come into play. The only thing you have to deal with is to think carefully and choose the right storage service according to your needs.

Choosing the right storage service

Storage units are an effective and convenient solution for your problem with insufficient space. No matter if you are looking for a temporary or permanent solution, renting a storage unit provides many benefits. Especially when it comes to storing sensitive possessions. Before making the final decision there is a couple of things to know which can come in handy.

• What possessions do you need to store?
• Which storage service should you require?
• How big storage do you need?
• Taking a tour to the storage facility
• Complete services

What possessions do you need to store?

If there is moving on the way the best approach would be to categorize all your items. You will have to decide how many things you are going to keep with you. Always aim to get rid of as much as you can. There is no need to clutter your new home, especially with this new given opportunity. So, sort the items you plan to store and group them in similar categories. If you are storing some electrical devices it wouldn’t be convenient to pack them with dishes. Just use common sense because the choice of your storage facility will depend on the size and the number of boxes and the type of items you plan to store.

What is the right storage service given your circumstances?

There are a few varieties when it comes to storage units. Your paintings do not require the same conditions as your old fishing gear. Therefore, you will have to choose the service appropriate for even the most sensitive possessions. Not all professional moving companies provide the same services, so it would be best to consult them about your choices.

Indoor storage units

Indoor storage units are inside the buildings and are not as big as the outdoor storage. However, they offer a higher level of protection for your sensitive and valuable items. Besides security, the environment inside these units is usually climate controlled. Most commonly, they are found in urban areas and have higher prices.

Outdoor storage units

If you need a lot of space you can go for outdoor units. Usually used to store a lot of old household possessions, vehicles, and as temporary storage during the move. They are cheaper than indoor units and may provide you drive-up access which can be very convenient.

Units with temperature control

Many of our items are sensitive to temperature changes which can easily damage them. Things like leather furniture, electronic devices, artwork, and instruments tend to expand and shrink on extremely high and low temperatures. Both extremes can cause micro-fractures inside the materials and damage them for good. That is why you need to choose the storage unit with a controllable temperature.

Climate controlled units

Besides temperature control, sometimes you will need to control the humidity inside the unit. For example, old important documents require a certain amount of air humidity. That can be accomplished only with complete environmental control. Not only humidity, but air ventilation is important because it will prevent the dust from piling up on your items. Therefore, in these cases, you will definitely need climate-controlled storage units.

How big storage do you need?

Since the price of the storage is in direct proportion with the size of the unit, you need to be precise about it. You don’t want to rent huge storage just for a couple of things and waste money that way. Nor you wish to get too small storage and then later end in a position to require an additional one. Think carefully and measure everything.

The usual size of units:

• Small size units: The usual size of a small unit is from 25 – 50 square feet. Convenient for sporting gear or not too big amount of documents. Maybe even some clothes or gadgets.
• Medium size units: Size vary from 100 to 150 square feet. Usually convenient for storing the entire room, sometimes entire apartment, tables, shelves, maybe piano, or even a motorcycle.
• Large size Units: From 200 to 300 square feet, this storage unit provides more than enough place to store your entire household along with a vehicle.

Taking a tour to the storage facility

Once you decide the type and size of the storage you will need to deal with the details like location, accessibility, and the quality of your future storage. The good way is to take a tour to a couple of companies so you can have a better picture of the condition of the storage service they provide.

The location of the storage

The location is a very important factor when choosing the right storage. Think about how often you plan to use it because you don’t want to go too far every weekend just to get your sports gear, for example.

Accessibility to storage

Another thing is if the storage is accessible only on some days or you are free to use it whenever it fits you. Also, if you plan to use it often then check if it has drive-up access or some other conveniences that work for you.

Quality of units

By taking a tour to the unit you will make sure everything is in perfect condition for your items. There are some dishonest companies with unmaintained storage, which lacks a lot of important things, from security to service.

Complete services

Just upon your first contact with the company, you will have a pretty good impression if they are professionals or not. Pay attention to their customer service. Because, if a company that doesn’t treat its customers well, you can expect poor treatment of your possessions as well. Don’t hesitate to do online research and read any reviews you can find. There is a lot of pieces of information you can gather that way. Also, the security measures they provide to your storage units can be a crucial factor when deciding to rent or run. High tech measures, on-site personnel, and a lot of cameras are just some, for example.

Choosing the right storage service can be fun if you think about it as an opportunity to deal with all the unnecessary items in your home. A perfect way to start anew.