Look around your home or apartment and be honest. Does your residence simply have too much stuff?
In the event the answer is yes, what can you do about that to ease the burden on yourself, perhaps your family too?
Although you may very well not be a hoarder, some around you might think otherwise. In fact, you might even start thinking that hoarding is your middle name.
In order to get your life’s possessions under control, you do have a few options available to you.
Along with doing a significant amount of cleaning out, you can always turn to the option of putting some stuff in storage. In doing the latter, you can still hang on to most (or all) of your stuff, all the while getting it out of your way for a period of time.
With that being the case, do you know how best to go about picking a storage center near you?
Be Selective to Get the Best
So that you are able to find the best storage center situation for your possessions, here are four tips to make the right call:
- Search – For starters, going about the search in the right way is important. While listening to friends and/or outside family members about their storage center experiences, you can (and should) use the Internet. Doing the latter allows you to visit different storage center websites, ultimately seeing what they all have to offer. While you will in most cases want to see the facilities before putting any money down, use the websites to compare them. Among the areas of interest would be location, size, costs, security, and reputation etc. (see more below). Once you have all the particulars in-hand, compare the different facilities to see which one comes out ahead. Whether searching for a storage units in Arizona or countless other states, do your homework so as not to get stuck with a bad situation;
- Pricing – While you certainly want your possessions to be well taken care of, you also do not want to pay through the roof for such services. Look to see what kinds of deals might be available, especially in terms of a first month’s free rent. Many facilities will use that offer to entice consumers to pay for a unit. Also see if there are deals down the road; including getting a discount on a month’s rent if you successfully refer one or more new customers to the business.
Security Can’t Be Taken for Granted
- Security – Stop for a minute and think about how upset you would be if your possessions were damaged and/or stolen at the center you selected. Now, stop and think, did you choose the right facility? In some cases, you may have overlooked the importance of securing your goods, instead being too focused on saving a few dollars. In selecting a storage center, always factor in the security matter. Things to look for include where the center is located, if it has video cameras and locked front entrances, and whether or not there is visible security patrolling the facility. If anything seems amiss during your initial inspection, consider going elsewhere. Even if you like the facility, make sure you have the proper insurance coverage on your goods, coverage that can help you if there is a fire or burglary;
- Service – Finally, never overlook customer service and its importance to the equation. While many storage centers will do whatever it takes to make you happy, you want to avoid those few where money (your money that is) is their prime interest. Getting feedback from other storage center users (family, friends, co-workers etc.) and even using online resources (websites, social media etc.) is quite beneficial. In the end, that feedback could prevent you from storing up a lot of frustration and anger with the choice you made.
Whether you are selling your home and need temporary storage or want a storage unit for the long haul, getting it right the first time around is important.