How To Find the Right Storage Unit
There is a difference between finding the right storage service and finding the right storage unit. While some of those criteria might overlap, often you will have to go a step or two ahead in order to determine if the storage space is exactly what you need. There are many things that you need to take into account during this assessment, and so, below, we have provided a short guide from Removals France to help you pick the right self-storage unit. These are questions you need to ask the storage facility when selecting a unit.
1. Where is it located?
Good self storage units are essentially sturdy and seldom affected by outside factors, but that is not to say that the fluctuations in the outside climate does not alter the atmosphere inside at all. If your storage unit is located outdoors, it will be even more susceptible to heat, humidity and strong winds. Even indoors, the temperature and moisture content within the unit will depend a lot on whether it is facing that side of the building that receives a lot of direct sunlight or rain. Dampness in walls can leak into the unit and cause growth of mold on your belongings. This is why you need to stack your boxes a bit of a distance away from the wall. Climate controlled storage is recommended for storing items that can be damaged by these factors, such as leather goods, seasonal clothing, vintage cars, antiques, furniture and electrical appliances.
2. Is it secure?
If you have a choice of storage units to pick from, make sure you pick one that has all parts of security – lock, access keypad, burglar alarm – functioning and in good state. The unit should have adequate lighting inside and outside. It is better if it is consistently under the view of one or two surveillance cameras at all times. The area must not be easy to access from the outside in any direction and there must be multiple security steps to access the unit from the outside.
3. Is it properly maintained?
There will be many people who have used the unit before you so you need to make sure that the place is clean before you store your belongings. Even if your items are properly packaged, there should be no spills or leakage in the room that might damage your stuff. Check for damp walls, crevices and cracks or droughts of wind from the outside. Dampness on walls means that moisture can accumulate and cause mildew, cracks and crevices allow insects, rodents and other pests to enter and damage your goods, any open crack from which drought can enter can also bring in dust and other kinds of problems that you will not want to deal with. A clean, pest free zone is important to guarantee secure storage of your belongings, so make sure that active pest-control maintenance is in place at the storage facility you might choose. And, as a further safeguard, you can check to see if the facility sells any products that are designed to counteract moisture buildup in the units.
4. Is it the right size?
Storage units are available in a lot of sizes – 5′ x 5′, 10′ x 10′, 5′ x 10′, 10′ x 20′, 10′ x 15′ and 10′ x 30′. You need to know which one will be able to accommodate all your belongings without over-stuffing. Then again you don’t want to pay for space that you will not use either. There are many storage calculators available online where if you put in the specifications of the items you want to store, it will tell you the amount of storage space you need. Or you can work out the storage space available in your bedroom and use it as a standard to guess which size of unit you would need. Beyond these guidelines, in the end when you are ready to reserve storage, the facility staff will also be able to help you narrow down the best size for your needs.
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