No matter whether your clients are storing their belongings for a few months or a few years, they’ll want to ensure their stuff is stashed in a clean, well-run, secure self storage facility.
More than 50,000 self storage facilities are scattered across the country. No two facilities are exactly alike. For instance, some storage facilities have interior walk-up units, while others have exterior drive-up units. Meanwhile, some units may have roll-up doors, while others have doors that swing open.
When your clients are shopping for self storage units, price is a key factor, but it isn’t the only thing they should look at. Some of the questions your clients should ask are:
- Where is the storage facility? How close is it to my home or office? Chances are a client won’t want to make a 10-mile trek every time he or she needs to put something in or take something out of a storage unit.
- How safe is the storage facility? For instance, does it have surveillance cameras and security gates? Is a keypad code required to enter areas where the storage units are located? Always use a heavy-duty lock to protect items in a storage unit.
- What are the office hours of the facility? When will I be able to access my belongings?
- How much space do I need? Storage units come in configurations like 10x10 and 10x20. A 10x10 can fit the contents of a one-bedroom apartment, while a 10x20 can fit the contents of a three- or four-bedroom house.
- Are the units climate-controlled or non-climate-controlled? This matters most if someone lives in a harsh climate, such as a region with extreme heat or high humidity.
- How do a storage facility’s online reviews stack up against its competitors’ reviews? How do current or former customers feel about the facility? Your client probably will want to look elsewhere if a facility has garnered a bunch of poor reviews.
As for the price of a self storage unit, don’t settle on a place without comparing costs for at least three facilities. Storage facilities normally charge customers by the month. Be sure to ask about discounts. For instance, a lot of facilities give price breaks to members of the military.
John Egan is editor in chief at SpareFoot.com, which makes it easy for people to find and book self storage units online, offline and via mobile devices. More than 7,000 U.S. storage facilities are listed on SpareFoot.com. Check out SpareFoot’s size guide for a 10x10 storage unit on YouTube at bit.ly/10-by-10-storage-unit. You can watch SpareFoot’s size guide for a 10x20 storage unit on YouTube at bit.ly/10-by-20-storage-unit.
Great tips! Absolutely something anyone looking at selecting a storage facility needs to take in to account. Thanks for sharing.
I found that it was helpful when you mentioned that you should consider the climate control that a storage facility has before you choose it. We are going to need a unit to store our furniture in while we are moving, and it will be helpful for us to know that it will be protected from the elements, I will be sure to consider a facility with climate-control.