It’s pretty rare to find a home with an empty bedroom or unused closet. If you’re like most people, you’ve likely accumulated more items than can easily fit in your home. You may have inherited art or furniture that you plan to use in the future, a classic car in need of work, or boxes of clothes you’re hoping will come back into style. If you run out of storage space in your home, your best option is to rent a space in a secure storage facility. This will not only reduce the clutter in your home, but it will also ensure the safety of your items. Here are four tips to help you pick out a proper facility.
Climate Control
When picking out a facility, it is important to find one that offers climate-controlled units. Without climate control, your belongings will be more prone to rust, mold, and rot. A properly cooled and heated facility will ensure that your property will stay safe, no matter the weather.
Updated Security
While many facilities offer locks on the unit doors, you should consider a secure facility with the latest security measures. Cylinder locks are a new form of lock that is harder to crack. Since the hasp of the lock is not exposed, it cannot be broken using basic bolt cutters. Security-conscious facilities will also have alarms wired to individual units and not just the building as a whole, making it more difficult for thieves to target any single unit.
Second Floor or Higher
If your secure storage facility has multiple floors, it is always smart to pick the second floor or higher. This will help to protect your belongings from any flooding that might occur. It is also generally a safer location when it comes to fires, as the ground floor will usually suffer the earliest and most severe damage.
Lock Down Your Rate
Secure storage facilities will often offer absurdly low introductory rates, such as one dollar for the first month, which later increases to the regular amount. What they don’t tell you is that they might raise the rent even more. While looking at different options, make sure to ask what your rental rates will be long-term. Once you have that information, ask for it in writing as well. If the company doesn’t offer it, take your business elsewhere.
If you follow these four tips for using a storage facility, you should be able to ensure the safety of your belongings while making more space in your home.