Halloween is just around the corner and that means that we DIYers have some very busy times ahead. Halloween decorations for the fam should promptly be followed by Thanksgiving decorations. Quickly trailing behind for many families are the Christmas, Channukah, or seasonal decorations! And, beyond all the decorating and redecorating, many of this site’s readers will experience the dreaded annual tradition of undergoing wintry weather when we essentially hibernate for 3-5 months and never go outdoors. In other words, it’s a heck of an important time to be focusing on improving your house in one way or another.
One difficulty that many of my readers face, though, is that they run out of space in their garages to store decorations, tools, furniture, etc as they perform ongoing DIY renovations. Many homes in the US don’t have basements at all, or they run out of room quickly in their attics and garages to store important things. If you’re going through this, don’t worry! There is an answer for you – it’s called “climate controlled self storage” and it’s available in a town near you wherever you are.
Self-Storage facilities are basically like renting out extra garage space for yourself. They tend to be low commitment, month-to-month rentals, and they provide a lot of flexibility for your different storage needs over the course of the year. That being said, some care & effort is needed as you consider the right facility to be renting space from.
Choosing Location: As mentioned, storage facilities can be found across most towns in the US. Even if you live in a low-density region out in farm country, some facilities will almost definitely exist within a short drive of you. If you’re anywhere close to a large city, we’re probably talking about 10 minutes driving distance from you at any given place in the city. So make sure you google around and find a place that’s convenient for you and close to home.
Storage Unit Size: What are you storing? Lots of big wooden furniture and antiques? Maybe get a large 20’x10’ unit. Or is just a bunch of seasonal decorations? If so, maybe try not to overspend and get a smaller 10’x5’.
Climate Control is Critically Important! Mold is not your friend. You don’t want to breathe it in in your own home. And you don’t want it impacting your valuables that you’re storing in a facility that doesn’t control for both temperature and humidity swings. Bad things like Mold and rust happen when the localized indoor air goes through big swings in temperature which in turn causes changes to relative humidity. This is the process the creates condensation, which creates moisture which, in turn, creates rust and mold. If you are storing anything that’s valuable and important and is composed of wood, electronics, certain kinds of metal, porcelain, you really need to be careful about making sure your storage units is climate controlled. Also note that this is particularly important in certain parts of the country that experience big seasonal swings in climate. For example, storage units in Waterville Maine will need climate control more than units in temperate Virginia.
o Also, keep in mind that Climate Control may end up being slightly more expensive. Facility owners have to spend a lot more money to provide electricity to the sites in order to provide this critically important service. Is it worth it? If you care about your possessions because they’re expensive or they have strong sentimental value, then yes we think it’s worth it!
Security: Self Storage facilities are certainly not all created equal. You need to be sure that your possessions are well protected! Always demand a certain level of quality in the security of your storage facility. You need to have 24/7 Video Surveillance, a gate with keypad coded entry, strong facility lighting, and some on-site management.
Closing Thoughts: Enjoy this fun and exciting time of year with your family and nestled inside your homes. When it gets cold out, this is the perfect time to dress up your home for company and to keep making it better. If and when you run out of space to do this, take a minute to google around for local self storage facilities. But make sure to search for reliable places with strong security, climate control, and a convenient location.
We Want to Hear Your Story! If any of you reading have experience with self-storage, we’d love to hear your story! Please send us your comments below!
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