Due to the huge increase in the number of people either selling their homes or buying somewhere smaller due to financial pressures, self storage companies have seen an influx of custom recently. Its never nice to have to sell treasured possessions, so it makes perfect sense to try and find somewhere safe and secure to store them until you have enough space again. Self storage is not as simple as it might sound though and there are a few things to consider when choosing a storage location.
Security
Probably the number one concern for people choosing self storage, security is of course of the up most importance. A badly secured self-storage company offers thieves a real gem of an opportunity. They are usually in remote locations and neatly collect together lots of peoples valuable possessions such as antiques, paintings, electrical etc. The range of security measures can really vary a lot between companies, from high tech storage virtualization to a overweight security guard who is asleep half the time. Spend a bit of time looking into the security measures that each of your options provide and make sure you ask questions regarding security procedures.
Damp
You may be able to keep thieves out, but in many facilities its harder to keep damp out due to frequently cold and dark conditions in the containers. Its not good enough to be insured against damp when your treasured possessions are concerned, you want them to safe no matter what. Ask to have a look inside some storage containers when you visit and hunt out any signs of damp. If you have any concerns at all, choose another company or insist that dehumidifiers are used in your container.
Fees
The extra fees storage companies can add on to their base rate are not usually considered by customers. You might think your getting a bargain, until that is you receive a bill for things you never thought were an issue. You can be charged extra for accessing your storage at the weekend, and can even incur a fee for having a compulsory container clean.
If you’re looking instead for web storage, check out Joyent, the cloud storage experts
