Do
you require a storage unit but don’t know the first thing about finding a good
one? It may come to a surprise that most people in need of self-storage services
don’t give the matter much thought. After all, you’re only leasing storage
space, right?
Well,
that’s not all there is to it, not if you want to make sure that anything you
put inside will be kept safe and in good condition. To do this, you need to
weigh your options against several essential factors carefully. Doing so will
spare you a substantial amount of time, money, and headaches.
How big should your storage unit be?
Among
the first considerations pertains to selecting the size of storage units in Wollongong or wherever you are in
Australia. As a rough estimate, the contents of a single bedroom home will
generally fit inside a small nine cubic meter storage unit. A bigger 2-bedroom
home, on the other hand, will require a storage unit with at least 19 cubic meters
of storage space. Likewise, there are full-sized storage units that offer as
much as 48 cubic meters of storage.
You
will need to size your self-storage unit according to the amount of stuff that
you plan to put inside it. If you’re not sure, a good self-storage company
ought to be able to provide you with estimates. In any case, it’s always a good
idea to choose a storage unit that’s one size bigger than you need. That way,
there’s still room to spare should you decide to put in more of your stuff for
storage in the future.
While
you can always switch to a larger or smaller storage unit, doing so will take
more of your time and energy. Hence it’s generally a good idea to plan ahead
and get a storage unit that offers a bit more space than you currently need.
Storage unit type
Another
element that you would want to consider when shopping for storage rental
near you is
the type of storage unit. Standard storage systems usually can be found in 2
designs; climate-controlled storage systems that are housed internally in a
building or underground structure and garage-style storage systems.
As
you might imagine, temperature-controlled storage units provide a safe and
stable environment for your belongings. That said, you must also consider the
amount of time and energy you’d have to spend moving your property inside the
storage unit. First, you’ll have to transport your property, load it to a cart,
and use an elevator to reach the correct floor. All that work to enter the
indoor storage unit, and only then can you start unloading your stuff for
storage.
Is
all that time and energy spent worth it? Well, the answer depends on three
things -- the type of items that you wish to store, how long you plan to use
the space, and the relative expense of leasing the storage unit.
In
many cases, rental fees for garage-type storage units are much lower compared
to climate-controlled storage units due to its’ simplicity and ease of maintenance.
Also, it is worth considering that most items you keep at home can be safely
stored inside a garage-type storage unit.
That said, if you are looking to save
antique home furnishings, expensive art pieces, and anything else that’s
sensitive to temperature changes, then you would want to insist on a
climate-controlled storage unit.