Whether you are moving across the country, across town or across the street, using a self-storage option to move may be for you. Moving to a new place is a lot of work, and self-storage can help make this transition easier. This is true whether you are a single person responsible for only your own belongings, a family with many items that need to be stored, or even a business owner in charge of the physical inventory and assets of your enterprise. In all these situations and more, using a self-storage service can save you time and money while giving you convenience and security.
Let’s say for a moment that you are in the process of moving, and are not able to move all of your things to a new place right away. Sometimes lease end and start dates or closing dates on a new home do not always line up exactly, and a self-storage unit or locker can be a great way to close this gap. By moving your things into a self-storage locker, you can ensure that your belongings remain safe and sound while you are not using them. Furthermore, with a self-storage option, you can rest assured that only the people you want to access your belongings will be able to, and they will be ready for you when you want to retrieve them from storage.
Self-storage facilities also offer many different types of units to meet every customer’s need. There is a wide variety of unit sizes to accommodate just a few extra boxes, all the way up to units that can hold furniture and belongings for an entire house. A customer can choose from a variety of other options, such as climate-controlled units, ready-to-go padlocks, where in the building the unit is located and even packing supplies.
Self-storage units are not just for moving either. Perhaps you have stacks of boxes that you want to move out of the basement in order to start a new home improvement project. Or, you have a hobby or collection that has simply outgrown your current home. A small business may need extra space to store inventory that is not ready to sell yet. All of these scenarios, and many others, are great candidates for utilizing the benefits of a self-storage facility. By renting out a self-storage unit, it is possible to find a new use for the space in your home, streamline a cluttered living space, or organize a business from one central location. Self-storage units are more affordable and more economical than adding on to your home or renting out an apartment or office space. This is especially true in large cities or other dense areas where the price of real estate can be very high.
Self-storage pods and spaces are also plentiful in many places across the country. There are usually multiple facilities in the same city, nearly guaranteeing that there will be something convenient and close to you. Facilities that are located in suburban or rural areas often offer drive up units in order to make the storage and retrieval of items as easy as possible. For people living in urban areas, many self-storage facilities are multiple stories tall, and therefore offer elevators to make moving items easier. This is especially helpful, considering it is not uncommon to find an apartment building in a large city without an elevator!
Self-storage facilities aim to be as convenient as possible for their customers. It is common to find amenities such as late access (or even 24-hour access), alarmed facilities, security gates and keys and other features that are included with the monthly rent. Many facilities understand that their customers are in a variety of situations, and therefore can offer short-term leases, such as month-to-month, or can provide longer-term leases (a year or more) for customers who require a longer stay with the facility. While some tenants may choose to protect their items with their own insurance policy, some self-storage facilities can offer a third-party insurance policy on site to make things as easy as possible. Storage facilities can even offer customer access over the Internet, allowing you to keep up to date with your account no matter where you are. This is especially convenient for people who may be storing their belongings someplace far away from where they live, allowing them to know their belongings are being kept safe and sound even when they cannot access them.
As self-storage operators take the satisfaction of their customers very seriously, security is also an important facet of today’s self-storage units. Nearly all locations will offer basic security features such as locked gates that require PIN access or unique security cards in order to keep track of who is coming and going. Of course, individual units will allow for padlocks to which only the tenant has access. But there are many other features beyond these. Smoke detectors and fire suppression systems can protect valuables in an emergency situation. Many facilities have each door or gate of every unit connected to an alarm system. If a door is opened that is not tied to a keycard that has been recently used to enter the facility, an alarm will alert the staff to a possible security breach. Some facilities even have video surveillance systems set up in hallways, main entrances and other common spaces, with the option of monitoring individual units.
As you can see, self-storage is so much more than just an empty locker. Self-storage facilities provide a vast array of options to meet the needs of nearly every customer and every situation. Whether you are an individual consumer looking to store a few personal belongings, or if you are a business owner trying to centralize and coordinate your inventory, self-storage is an option that you need to consider. The variety of storage unit types, sizes, locations, options and security features ensure that you will find what you are looking for in order to keep your important belongings safe, protected and there when you need them.