Along with tax season and divorce, moving is widely recognized as one of the most stressful experiences a family can go through. It’s difficult even if you’ve moved quite a bit, but if you’ve been living in the same home with a large family for several years it can be downright madness. You’ve got a packed basement and attic to contend with, overflowing closets to get through, and that’s all before you even get to your new home and go about the process of figuring out where everything is and who your new friends will be. Paying for a storage facility can alleviate at least some of your stress. You won’t have to get rid of everything that doesn’t fit in the new house during the tight timeframe and overwhelming process of closing and organization. But if you choose the wrong facility, you could end up with even more headaches. So here are some tips on how to select the best storage facility when you move.

First of all, consider your storage needs. If you don’t have a clear picture of your requirements, you won’t know the right questions to ask. So take a look at the stuff you have at home, and be honest about the quantity and type of items. Remember that these facilities will charge based on the square footage needed, and you’ll have to factor that into your budget. What you have to store will also require different types of storage facilities. For example, if you have works of art that you don’t want to get rid of but can’t fit in the new house, you’ll probably want a climate controlled facility with a little bit of extra security. The same goes for family heirlooms. If you’re only going to be storing books or a couple of odds and ends from your garage, you could probably use a facility that’s a bit simpler.

Regardless of which facility you choose, you do want to make sure there are a couple of standard features. You’ll want it to be close enough to your new home that you can access it with relative ease. The facility should be protected with an automated gate that requires a code for entry, and there should be at least some security cameras. They should provide service hours that make sense, and personnel regularly available to handle your needs. The facility should be insured against theft, fires and floods, and shouldn’t require a long term contract for renting a space.

All of this is well and good, but a facility can list these things on their website and then not actually follow through when push comes to shove. That’s why you’re going to want to check out some customer reviews. Yelp is a great resource for this process. You’ll find real people offering their unfiltered opinions about each company’s service. The goal is to find a storage facility with at least a four-star rating and consistent praise. No service is perfect, and you shouldn’t allow yourself to be scared away by a couple of negative reviews. But as long as they are generally looked at in a positive light, you can probably rest easy that you’ll get what you pay for. You might also want to look for positive reviews or recommendations from other companies you are using during the moving process. If you did some business on www.ratesupermarket.ca, head back to their website and see if they recommend any storage facilities. They wouldn’t risk their reputation on a subpar service, so you’ll probably do fine with at least checking out the service they suggest.