Every storage facility has its own set of features, and it's up to you to figure out what you absolutely need. There are some options that are unnecessary for certain objects, and you may not want to pay for a full set of features that you won't use. Here are a few things to consider before settling on a self-storage facility, just to make sure you're not spending more than necessary.
Climate-Control Features
Protecting from weather extremes and humidity is important for your more sensitive belongings, so if you plan on storing more than a trash bag full of old clothes, make sure there's heating and air conditioning available.
Climate-control ventilation should be inspected before you sign a contract so you can make sure that the ducts aren't pumping dust and debris and that the filter is clean. If the filter is dirty, ill-fitted, or missing, either choose another facility or be sure to inspect in a few months when the filter should have been replaced. For especially dusty areas, check after a single month has passed.
If there are any leaks in the storage facility, they need to be filled before signing a contract. Air conditioning is nearly useless if air can leak through from the outside either because it counteracts the air conditioning and leaves the room muggy in the summer or because the air-conditioning unit needs to work harder. This could drive up costs in the future. Insects can also enter the leaking areas and create a completely different problem.
Self-Storage Security
Cameras are important but not a guaranteed or foolproof part of security.
Ask to see security-camera footage, and make sure that a few days can be confirmed as recent and legitimate. It's not unheard of for cameras to be installed but not powered on or recording as simple deterrents. Determined storage thieves will check this information as well, so make sure that your storage facility of choice is ready.
It's best to use indoor self-storage facilities if security is a concern because inside there are fewer areas for thieves to escape or simply wander in without encountering a camera. For an added measure of security, guards working at the entrance or at least patrolling at night can make it less likely that your belongings will be broken in by a thief who can take as much time as needed.
Contact a storage-facility representative for secure, air-conditioned and heated self-storage units, and be sure to discuss the different features available.
Share17 January 2017
Traveling all over the world for work often puts me in the lurch; what do I do with all of my belongings? Having a home or an apartment to come home to is great, but if I'm hardly at home, an apartment or mortgage is really not worth it. Thankfully, if I want to move my stuff with me, there are moving companies that will help me pack everything up and put what I don't want and need into storage. I can even ship boxes of my things all the way around the globe, which is a plus when work relocates me for more than a year.