» Self Storage

If you think that you may need to get a storage space sometime in the near future, you may just want to make sure that you are prepared. Since you know a storage space will be in your near future, you should do some research now and do some leg work. Now of course managers will not be happy that you do not need storage right now, but they still will try to take care of you. They do not want to not give you service now in hopes that you will come to them in the future when you need storage. Make sure when you are calling around or checking about storage that you do not just go with the facility with the cheapest prices. There are other things to consider. With just a few tips, you should be able to find a good space at a good price.

 
You should try to find a location that is close to you. No one really wants to drive way out of their way for their storage belongings. So what more people end up doing is on the drive to their favorite destinations see if there is a self storage location on the way. This way, the customer knows that they could have their belongings be conveniently on their normal, daily path. If you end up choosing a self storage facility that is way out of your way, you could spend unnecessary time driving. So you have to decide if the price you are getting on storage worth the drive you have to make to get there?

 
Also, make sure that the site is secure. You are paying someone to treat your belongings like it is their own. You do not want to know that your belongings have the possibility of being stolen or damaged. A facility that has a gate that is surrounding the facility is a start. A facility that has door alarms on your unit that will sound if someone besides you tries to open the door is better. A facility that has surveillance cameras that keep an eye on your belongings when you can’t is even better. There are more bells and whistles that make a facility secure, so make sure you check out what they have to offer.  Security should be your most important thing to look for.

 
Access hours should fit your schedule, as well. Access hours are going to be different than office hours for the most part. The office is going to typically be open a shorter time than you have access to your storage facility. If you need to talk to the property manager about something or need something in the office then you need to see when the office is open. If you just need something out of your unit, then the access hours is what you need to look into. Some facilities offer 24 hour access so you can access your belongings when you need to. Depending on the company they could give you some pretty lengthy gate hours to access your belongings. Some facilities consider it a security option in where they only allow you access when the office is open. This way they can see everyone that comes into the facility. Whatever the access hours, make sure that it fits what you need.

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It is about that time of the year in which people think about storing their cars. The snow will be hitting the ground soon and no one wants to have their cars outside potentially getting damaged from the snow. They also might not want to deal with the idea of shoveling their car out of the snow drifts they could encounter. Whatever their reason, more people look to store their cars that they would normally store on the street in storage. You will have some options in your local area on where you want to store your car and what type of car storage will be available.

 
If you are looking to store a car, there are a few requirements that you will have to fulfill. The vehicle will need to be in running condition in order for you to store. In addition, you will have to have the car titled and registered in your name. Finally, the car will need to have insurance on it. These rules are going to be pretty much universal. The reason for this is because these are laws in some areas and not just rules. Not everyone will be happy with hearing that they have to meet some requirements,  but a self storage facility is not a junk yard. They know that if they didn’t have these rules in place a person could just drop off their car and leave it there. It’s sometimes a whole lot cheaper than getting it towed.

 
Whatever your reason for car storage, make sure that you check with your local facility on the rules and regulations. Some facilities are very lenient when it comes to car storage where other companies will put their foot down. Just know that you have every right not to accept the self storage company’s offer to store you car if the requirements do not fit your situation. You can always check out the facility down the street or across town to see what they have to offer.

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Self storage facilities will do what they can in order to beat out their competition. With that said they will shop their completion by making phone calls, visiting their website and also by simply walking into their facilities. For the confident storage manager this is not a big deal as they know that they have and they know that they will still get the customer they are looking for. They will gain the amount of new renters they had set as their goal. So what do some facilities do in order to grab the attention of potential renters? They give those discounts and specials off of their monthly storage. They can and have sent coupons on a flyer out to the homes of the people in the area.

If you receive a flyer or coupon in the mail or on line for a self storage unit you might want to hold on to it if you need storage later.  You might not need it now, but you never know when it will come time for you to need self storage. We sometimes do not think ahead so we decide to act spur of the moment. We look through our coupon books and find some things that would love to get discounts on the products that we need, then discard them. We do plan on using those discounts but we are not organized enough to keep then on or near our person so we can use them.

When you are offered a self storage coupon or discount, you should hold on to that and put it away for safe keeping. Your job could relocate you, you could have a death in the family and have to move, there are so many reasons to need self storage. In a time of crisis you do not want to have to worry about how you are going to pay for your self storage unit. That’s why it’s good to have your self storage coupon handy for you to use. It could save you a couple of dollars or it could save you a couple of months of rent. Find a safe place for your self storage coupon.

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In any industry it is never nice to get mad or upset at people for no reason. We all have an emotional side, but we do not have to let the angry or frustrated part of our being override out better judgment. We are sometimes upset at something that happened to us earlier in the day and we decide to take it out on the person we are now talking to. It is not that person’s fault we are upset so why are we taking it out on them? Sometimes our rude and irrational behavior can backfire against us.
When you are calling to get storage info, it would probably benefit you greatly to be nice and courteous over the phone. This will allow you to possible get a little better deal or they may hold a space a little bit longer for you than they normally allow. If the manager likes you, they will probably give you the most conveniently located space out of what is left available. They will be less likely to go out of their way to help you out if they do not like you. In most cases it just pays off to be nice to the person you are speaking to. We all get a little put off when someone decides to rip into us.
We should all follow the universal thought that we should treat others the way we want to be treated. If you don’t want to be treated like the scum on the bottom of your shoe, then stop treating other people like that. It is that simple, but yet that complicated. Many things could fall right in your lap if you can keep your frustrations to yourself. You will be surprised at the people you meet, the willingness of people and the attitude of people if you simply treat them with respect and a smiling face.

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What size storage unit do you need?  This question gets asked everyday.  There are people that will just call into a self storage facility or call center that ask what is the price on a self storage unit. Well this question is very hard to answer especially when the self storage manager you are talking to has a list of spaces in front of them with many different prices. They ware going to have to ask you to narrow it down for you.  Now you just have to work with that person in order to find the right size for you.

 
There are a few things that go into the size you might not have thought about.  First you need to determine what you are putting into the space.  If you only have boxes, you can go with a smaller unit.  Also, do you need to get in and out of the unit on a regular basis?  If you will need to go through boxes, you want to make sure to get a unit large enough to accommodate.  There is nothing wrong with getting a larger space than you need if you need to rifle through boxes and have some room. Just check with your self storage manager to see what the next size up will cost you.

 
Finally, consider how long you need it.  If you may need it long term, you might also go bigger in case you want to add things later. Sometimes if you know you will need the space for a long time, you can get a long term deal from the property manager. Since most storage facilities will have a lease that goes month to month, you might be able to find a space that you need at a price that can make you smile. The first step is to tell the manager what you are storing and have them recommend a size that can work for you.

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What do you do if you are working on a home remodeling project, and your furniture is in the way? There are many people who would actually sit there and scratch their heads. They would really take a lot of time trying to figure out this dilemma. It does not really have to be that hard. Unfortunately many people don’t really there are pretty simple solutions when it comes down to need a little extra space to move furniture in order to remodel.

One suggestion would be to get a portable storage unit.  By getting one, you can bring the unit to your home, and put your furniture inside.  Not only are your things close by, but they are out of your way so you can complete your project.  Some might argue that the cost is more, but I like having the peace of mind that my things are safe on my own property. Another advantage to the portable storage unit is that with some companies they will actually take the unit away and bring it back to you when you need it. How convenient is that?

Not every thinks that portable storage is an option that could really help them. They believe that it could be too expensive even if it is very convenient. So they decide to go ahead and go with standard self storage. They won’t mind packing up their furniture, rent a truck and take it over to their local facility if they believe it will save them money. Sometimes when it comes down to it the decision between using portable storage or self storage, is simply how much is your time worth?

What do you do if you are working on a home remodeling project, and your furniture is in the way? There are many people who would actually sit there and scratch their heads. They would really take a lot of time trying to figure out this dilemma. It does not really have to be that hard. Unfortunately many people don’t really there are pretty simple solutions when it comes down to need a little extra space to move furniture in order to remodel.

One suggestion would be to get a portable storage unit.  By getting one, you can bring the unit to your home, and put your furniture inside.  Not only are your things close by, but they are out of your way so you can complete your project.  Some might argue that the cost is more, but I like having the peace of mind that my things are safe on my own property. Another advantage to the portable storage unit is that with some companies they will actually take the unit away and bring it back to you when you need it. How convenient is that?

Not every thinks that portable storage is an option that could really help them. They believe that it could be too expensive even if it is very convenient. So they decide to go ahead and go with standard self storage. They won’t mind packing up their furniture, rent a truck and take it over to their local facility if they believe it will save them money. Sometimes when it comes down to it the decision between using portable storage or self storage, is simply how much is your time worth?

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Not everyone has all of their stuff together. People as a whole attempt to be organized but they are really not. To help their selves out with being organized, people have payments automatically come out of their checking account so if they forget, they will still make the payment they were scheduled to make without a late fee. Of course they have to ensure that they have the money in their account for the payment to be made. If a customer forgets their payment arrangements often, they can set up with the self storage facility to where they can take the payments out automatically. This way you can stay up to date on your self storage facility.

There are so many different methods in order for a self storage facility to take payments for the customer. It is a good idea for the self storage manager to inform the customer on the different ways they are able to pay their monthly rent. The manager will tell the customer that they are able to pay their rent online, they can come by the store or they will be able to call the payment in. Now the customer will have to understand the different ways they are able to make a payment. The truth is not all facilities will allow all the methods of making a payment detailed above.

For some self storage facilities they will tell you they do not want to take payments over the phone because they want to reserve the phone for new customers. If the customers that are only wanting to make a payment call in then that could tie up the lines for new customers to call in. Again, the facility manager would need to ensure they are informing the customers of this procedure. It is good to verbally tell the potential renter and also to put that fact in the renal agreement. This way if the customer has a disagreement, the manager can point out the agreement on the lease.

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Moving into a new home is a great thing. People tend to get the Christmas feeling because of the simple fact that no matter what, you have something new to buy. Not matter how many things you bring with you from the old home, the new homes requires some new purchases whether needed or simply wanted in order to christening  the new home. It is a very happy time especially for those people who love to go shopping.

 
A caller of mine yesterday called in to inquire about a self storage space in her local area. Naturally she called the right place and we chatted about their new home. It was a great time because the customer was still on high about getting their new home so they were completely ok with everything that we were discussing. We got them set up with a self storage unit only for a small amount of time since they will be fully moved within a month.

 
Many people come in to self storage with the idea that they want to store short term. Unfortunately other circumstances do not allow them to move their things out of their storage unit. The good thing is that the facility typically does allow you to store your belongings month to month. So in the case of this customer, they were able to store only for one month until they got everything else done and placed where they wanted. They did not need to deal with all their belongings being in the way.

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Yesterday I spoke with a young lady who needed to rent a very small unit just to store some boxes. Naturally I would recommend a 5×5 that would have been perfect. The smallest unit that we had left at the time was a 5×10 storage space, twice the size and obviously it would cost more per month than the 5×5.  Immediately she said it wouldn’t work, it was too big and the monthly cost was a bit much.

 
She was getting ready to hang up when I stopped her by explaining that there was a one dollar to move in special. Whether she rented a 5×5 or 5×10, it would cost the same for one month of rent. The customer was very excited and wanted to rent the space. Of course she was a little skeptical trying to figure out what the loop hole was to this special deal.

 
It is very common for a customer to feel as if the wool is being pulled over their eyes. They do not want to be taken for a fool so they ask a lot of questions until they feel comfortable renting the space. The manager onsite tries to do all they can to assure the customer about the special deal that is being offered. Now of course the customer most likely will still need a lock, pay some sort of administration fee and maybe insurance. Regardless of the possible additional fees, it is still a good value.

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It would seem that around March and August is when the self storage world is overwhelmed by student self storage. We have found that parents will call in for their child sometimes three or four months before hand to reserve or rent a space. They know that the facilities will fill up quickly and their student will not be able to have a self storage facility. The worst thing that the parents think is that they will have to bring everything their child is storing back home. For many that is not an option due to the sheer distance from their home to the university. So finding student self storage is crucial to the parent.

 
When college students call in looking for storage, as a self storage manager, I always get excited.  After working in storage for over two years, I am well aware that once the school year ends, college students and parents start flocking towards storage.  The primary reason for this increase in rentals is due to the number of students who leave the area to return home for the summer.  Most people do not realize how quickly smaller storage units go during the summer months.  I always advise my callers to make sure there unit is reserved in advance, so they do not have to be the ones calling any place they can for any sized unit they can find.

 
There is nothing like trying to find something last minute, but some of these student storage shoppers that is what happens.  This is especially true for those customers who are shopping for the first time because their student is a freshman. It is assured that in the second year of college for their child, they will be more active to find a self storage unit. Most of the time you will find that self storage facilities are looking to get students into a 5 x 5 space or a 5 x 10. Typically a student can fit everything they are storing from college dorm room in a 5 x 5 space. Of course the 5 x 5 spaces are the first to run out so a self storage manager will typically get them into the next size, a 5 x 10. Hopefully the manager does not have to go any higher than this one because it will be too big for what the student needs and also they do not want the customer paying more.

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