Placing your things into storage can often be a large leap of faith. You are trusting that another location is going to be capable of keeping your valued belongings safe and secure. In the UK the storage industry is booming and there is more and more competition on both a local and national level. For this reason, there is no shortage of options to the consumer, this is fantastic because it means that storage companies are now going above and beyond to provide the very best service possible to their customers. This increase in popularity also means it can be difficult to cut through the fluff and find the best unit for your needs.
In this article, we are going to take a look at the top 5 things that can impact your time in storage including how to keep your things safe and secure, how to find the best deals, and what factors are the most important when choosing a storage facility.
Packing Boxes
Packing boxes are arguably the number one way of keeping your things safe, secure and organised whilst in storage. Placing your items into packing boxes will help keep them protected whilst in transport to your storage unit and protect them from dust whilst in storage. In addition to this, boxes are a fantastic way to keep your things organised whilst in storage. You can label your boxes based on the contents of your storage and having boxes means you will often be able to opt for a smaller unit as your items will be stackable.
Security System
Having a good security system is of the utmost importance when selecting the right storage unit for you. At the very least a good storage facility should provide 24/7 CCTV to keep your contents covered and if the facility isn’t manned 24/7 then an advanced alarm system should be in place for the times no one is on site. On top of this many storage facilities now come with high-security fencing and locked doors/gates on the entrances to their facilities, this helps ensure that no one can easily drive to vulnerable storage units.
Secured Unit
Having a secure unit is arguably the number one reason people choose self storage, having a secure storage unit helps ensure that the belongings you place there are going to be safe and protected. Most modern storage units are steel enforced rooms with metal locked doors. Depending on how modern your storage facility is this will either be in the form of a padlock for the door with you as the sole keyholder or a unique PIN code to enter your storage unit.
Location
With so much choice for self storage throughout the UK, location is an important factor for two main reasons, those being convenience and price. There is a balance to be had between convenience and over-paying for your storage. Many heavily populated city centre areas are monopolised by large international storage companies that charge for the convenience of their storage. If you look a little further afield you can often find self storage of the same quality for a fraction of the price and many of these companies will even be able to offer or recommend assistance in moving your things in.
Price & Variety
Price ultimately is what most self storage customers look out for when selecting their storage units. For example, anyone looking for Self Storage Blackpool may be faced with a variety of options and looking online can be confusing. One of the best pieces of advice for anyone looking for storage is to not take the internet price at face value, many storage facilities offer a flexible pricing plan and there is always likely to be space to negotiate when storage providers for the best possible deal.
Variety is also an important factor when choosing a storage facility, many of them offer more than just storage so it’s always worthwhile having a look at what these facilities offer to ensure you get the most from your time as a customer there. Services such as Shredding Blackpool can be super useful to customers using business storage or archive & document storage as an example.
Conclusion
As a consumer, there has never been a better time to find a self storage unit. The benefits of using a unit are endless including freeing up space around your home, storing during a house move or renovation, business storage, student storage and much more. This list isn’t a fully comprehensive one but it is a solid start for looking towards your first storage unit. If you follow the points on this list you will be well on your way to finding the perfect storage service provider for your needs.