Renting Your First Storage Unit? 3 Things You May Not Know About
If you need to rent a storage unit for the first time, there are a few things you may not know about working with a storage rental company. The more you know about how storage rentals work and what the storage rental company can offer you, the better rental decision you can make for your belongings.
#1 Reserve a Unit
Don't assume that the storage facilities around you will have room for your belongings. Many storage units operate close to full capacity and like any business, storage units have periods of time where they are extra busy.
For example, a storage facility located near a college campus may not have a lot of extra open spaces during the summer, when nearby college students put the belongings into storage between semesters.
If you know you will need a storage unit in a few weeks or even a few months, call a local storage company and see if you can reserve a unit. This is a great way to ensure that the storage facility has availability when you need it. You may have to put down a deposit to go with that reservation.
#2 Learn About Different Types of Units
Not all storage units are the same, which is why you need to know about the different types of units a storage facility can offer you.
Some storage facilities have drive-up units and walk-in units. If you have lots of big items, you may prefer a drive-up unit where you pull up to the doors and just unload your stuff. Or you may prefer the security that comes from knowing that your stuff is inside of a building, behind multiple doors.
Other storage facilities offer regular and climate controlled storage units. Climate controlled storage units are designed to control the humidity and temperature inside of the storage unit, mimicking similar conditions to your home.
#3 Know What You Can Put in Your Storage Unit
Finally, don't assume that everything from your home can go into your storage unit. For safety as well as legal issues, there are probably various items that you can't put in your storage unit.
For example, most storage units ban or discourage the storage of food products or food-smelling products to keep pests out of your storage unit. Food products usually include animal products as well.
Flammable and hazardous materials are generally banned from storage units as well, for obvious safety reasons. Find out what you can't put in your storage unit, and either get rid of those items or find an alternative storage solution for those items.
If this is your first time renting a storage unit, make sure that you understand the different types of units you can rent, as well as what you can't put inside of your storage unit. Once you know what type of unit you want to rent, see if you can reserve a unit for when you need it.
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