Beginner’s Guide to Choosing a Self-Storage Unit
Choosing the perfect self-storage unit – A beginner’s GuideFor most people the process of moving to a new place can be a very trying and stressful life event. Sometimes we move on our own accord, other times life happens and we find ourselves forced to leave the place we’ve called home for many years.When we asked our tenants what the worst parts of the moving process were, we got a myriad of answers that seemed to run the gamut of moving related stresses. Some of the more common answers include but are not limited to the following:
- -packing/unpacking
- -hiring movers
- -renting and driving a U-Haul truck
- -broken glass/furniture
- -cleaning
- -leaving everything behind (friends,hangouts,work,school etc.)
- -getting acquainted with your new community
- -selling your house/ending the lease
- -renting a storage
At Storage King USA we believe that the process of renting a storage unit should be the last thing you need to worry about. Our user friendly website, convenient locations, and knowledgeable sales staff are all at your service to make the process seamless and trouble free.The fact is at Storage King USA, we know that many of our tenants have never used self-storage before. For most people the only things they know about self-storage, they learned on the show “Storage Wars” and other shows like it. What size would I need, would I need to sign another long term lease? What if I only need it for a few few weeks? How can I insure my valuables? These are all excellent questions and the answers to them may not be so obvious. That is why we have assembled the following tips to help our tenants make the right choices when choosing a unit of their own.
LOCATION
For some people this is a bit more important than others. If you operate a small business from your storage unit, store work tools, or need to frequently access your unit you may want to make sure that the storage facility you choose is conveniently located near your home or place of work. Furthermore some facilities are expansive often spanning many levels and sectors. A person needing frequent access to their belongings may want to consider units with 24 Hr access, drive up units or units on the first floor of the property to lessen the amount of time they spend accessing their storage locker, even if these units cost a little more than the others.Other people store things because they are traveling abroad or a loved one passed and they need to sell the house. For some of these people amenities may prove more important than location as they may not need access to their belongings for extended periods of time. Higher up on their list of concerns would be climate and pest control as well as an affordable protection plan to insure their goods. Again it all depends on your particular needs. Not to worry as your space requirements change you can easily transfer from one unit to the next and your balance will carry over.
PRICE
One common mistake people make when they reserve a storage unit online is they tend to shop by price and completely throw common sense to the wind. If you know that you need to store 2+ bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen would it then be logical to assume you can fit all of that into a $65 dollar unit just because it is on sale? There is a difference between shopping smart and setting yourself up for disappointment and failure.Instead of going for the cheapest unit on the list, a better approach would be to utilize a space calculator like the one found here —>storagekingusa.com/calculator… That way you know exactly what your size requirement is when you start shopping around and comparing prices.As a word of caution one must understand that the cheapest prices do not always translate into the best deals. As with everything else in life, you get what you pay for! A facility may offer you a spacious well lit 10×10 unit with individual door alarms, electrical outlets, climate control and an $8 protection plan for $159/month. Now you call a rival facility nearby and they may offer you that same unit for $99.99/month! What seemingly looks like a better deal could be a ruse to get you in the door and entrap you into a ridiculous contract. If one facility is that much cheaper than another there is probably a very good reason why! At that price they likely wouldn’t be as clean and don’t even expect any of the same amenities as the more expensive facility! Furthermore, while a protection plan may add a few more dollars on the total monthly rent, it is vitally important to have if you do not have homeowners insurance that covers self-storage. No protection plan means that you are storing at your own risk! The facility would not be responsible if anything happens to your belongings. You can complain until you turn blue but they would not be required by law to cough up a penny.So while everyone always wants to get the best deal in town, it should not be done at the expense of logic and sound judgement. Cramming your things into a unit that is obviously too small won’t work either. After you’re done damaging everything, you’ll mostly still need to take it all back out and transfer to a bigger unit. By then you’d owe your movers a fortune, and what an epic waste of time and energy! It is always a better idea to get rid of or donate things you don’t need rather than trying to stretch the limits of a small storage unit. You can further keep costs low by taking full advantage of the many move in specials all Storage King USA facilities offer. Knowing when you’re payments are due and making timely payments will help you avoid late fees or losing your stuff altogether in a storage unit auction. (Yes just like the TV show)The following guide from Storage King USA breaks down some of the typical storage unit sizes and what you should reasonably expect to fit in them. Comparing prices suddenly becomes so much easier once you understand what size you will need.
- Unit Size: 5’x5′ (25 sq. ft.) Accommodates several boxes and other small items. Comparable to a small half bathroom.
- Unit Size: 5’x10′ (50 sq. ft.) Accommodates couch, chair, chest of drawers. Comparable to a walk-in closet.
- Unit Size: 10’x10′ (100 sq. ft.) Accommodates furnishings for a one bedroom apartment with appliances. Comparable to a mid-size bedroom.
- Unit Size: 10’x15′ (150 sq. ft.) Accommodates furnishings for a two bedroom apartment or a small house without appliances. Comparable to a large bedroom.
- Unit Size: 10’x20′ (200 sq. ft.) Accommodates furnishings for a small house with appliances, or a car or small truck. Comparable to a small one car garage.
- Unit Size: 10’x30′ (300 sq. ft.) Accommodates furnishings for a three bedroom house. Will hold the contents of a 40-foot moving van. Comparable to an extra-long garage.
Unit Size: 10’x25′ (250 sq. ft.) Accommodates furnishings for a two bedroom house with appliances, or a car, truck or boat. Comparable to a standard one car garage.
AMENITIES
We touched a little bit on this subject when discussing price but it is a very important part of your decision making process. The fact is that no two people store exactly the same things. For some people storing expensive leather furniture or client records, climate control may be an absolute must however for others amenities like that only sweeten the deal. The following is a list of amenities that Storage King USA offers. Use this as a guide so you too will know what to ask for.
Storage King USA Amenities
- -free truck usage at participating locations
- -commercial truck rentals
- -package delivery services
- -business convenience center
- -month to month leases with no security deposit
- -24 Hr recorded digital security surveillance system, 32 cameras, pin code access gates, and individual door alarms.
- -online account payments as well as a wide variety of payment options from every major credit card to money orders.
- -Accessibility —most of our loading areas are off the street and are designed to protect you from the weather. Additionally we offer interior loading areas and special loading docks for
- -commercial trucks. Our elevators are well positioned elevators and Storage King USA facilities have wide corridors that have been created to allow an easy and efficient move.
- -Boxes and packing supplies available for purchase
- -Extended hours of operation – storage king usa is open 7 day a week and our hours are convenient with some units accessible 24 hours a day!
- -Climate control -We offer climate controlled units so the customer is always comfortable, regardless of the season. Climate control helps keep the humidity out and prevents furniture from
- -warping and growing mildew. We recommend that if you are storing any furniture or valuable goods to use climate control storage
- -Protection plan packages that cover up to $5,000.00 to insure your valuable belongings.
- -Moving equipment – Free use of our equipment, including dollies, hand trucks, rolling carts and pallet jacks is available to you for FREE to make your move easy and your stay an enjoyable one.
SECURITY
Because security is more than just an amenity we will include it as the last but certainly not least feature to look for when choosing a storage unit of your own. The fact is that security is actually a major concern among self-storage shoppers. . We know there’s an enduring stereotype that self-storage facilities are dirty, dingy, dark and generally sketchy places. At Storage King USA we work very hard to keep this line of reasoning just that….a myth! Our facilities are state of the art structures and our staff work very hard to keep our buildings clean.Storage King USA also realizes how important your personal belongings are to each and every one of our customers and we’ve taken the appropriate steps to provide a secure environment for your belongings. 24 hour digital security cameras are positioned throughout the interior and exterior of the facility. Our facilities are also brightly lit, both on the interior and on the exterior. Individual door alarms on the storage units are automatically triggered if a tenant created PIN code is used to enter the facility that does not correspond with that unit. A computerized monitoring system, displayed at our front desk, pinpoints activity within the building. We also provide high security disc locks which are extremely difficult to cut. Signs and intercoms strategically positioned on every floor help give our tenants an added feeling of safety and wellbeing.Congratulations! You are now a self-storage expert. If you made it this far into the article that means you have learned everything you need to know about renting a self-storage unit of your own. The next step is to get over to storagekingusa.com, where reserving a unit is as easy as 1-2-3! All you need to do is choose a location, choose a size and make your reservation! But hurry units are going fast! Don’t forget to ask our friendly sales associates about our many move in discounts and promotions.See you soon.