If you are moving out and don’t have a place to settle down at your destination yet or you are planning on moving back in a short period of time, you may need a self-storage unit. And before you deal with any moving companies, you should make a decision about your near future plans. My Moving Cost Team gathered some information about how to choose the right self-storage unit before moving out.
You are relocating soon but don’t have a place yet
If this sounds like your situation, the best thing to do is to find a moving and storage company. Most of the movers also provide storage services which helps a lot. In this case, you don’t need to deal with a moving company and a storage facility separately. You hire a mover and they take care of your belongings till you are ready to move in.
For a moving and storage company, storage service is a kind of a variable service. The cost will change depending on the duration, location and certainly company procedures.
Also it can be interesting for you: How to make your relocation hassle-free?
Moving Across Country and changes in your plans
- You are planning a cross country move but not certain about your near future plans, or;
- You need to move out just for a couple of months and don’t want to pay the rent in full.
If one of these situations applies to you, then it will be a good option to find self-storage.
Do Not Hesitate To Ask Every Single Detail
You are going to put your belongings there which means you will keep your home in that storage unit for a while. So, it is very important to know every single detail before making any commitments. Here are some important points:
- Rental Office: You called the rental office and asked for some information such as the price, access to the facility, their terms and conditions…etc. If the operator is nice and patient with all of your questions and offers you a tour of the storage facility, it is great! You can go ahead and book an appointment for a tour.
- Storage Facility Tour: This is a really must do thing before renting a unit. If you can take a tour both in day time and night time, it is even better. You should look around carefully if it is really clean or there is a mess on your shoes or your vehicle’s tires.
- Cleaning Routine: How many times a day the facility is being cleaned?
- Access/ Security: Who has access to the facility? Yes, it is a public storage but there should be serious security measures. Are renters given passcodes and are the storage units locked properly?
- Storage Units: Are the doors in good conditions and moving smoothly? Are the tightly sealed against heavy rain or snow?
- Inside The Unit: Are the corners clean? Also make sure there are no holes or cracks on the walls and on the floor. If so, there might be some moisture leak and this will damage your belongings.
Insurance: This is extremely important! You should ask about the storage insurance policy that they provide. Also, it is always a good idea to contact your home insurance company for extended insurance if needed.
Relocation company`s access with a moving truck
There must be a good amount of space in the storage facility to unload the moving truck. Otherwise, the movers will park the moving truck outside the facility and there might be extra charges such as labour cost or long carry charges.
We hope you found all this information useful and now you know how how to choose the right self-storage unit before moving out.
If you need any further information, My Moving Cost Team is always here to help.