Not All Storage Facilities Are Created Equal

Choosing A Facility


The first question to ask is how old is the facility? Most facilities in the local market are 20 years and older. The age factor will show many differences between an aged facility and new facility. Security is a great example. Many moons ago, storage facility gate access was one code or a simple pad lock. You may ask yourself, what happens when a tenant moves out? What if they left on bad terms? Uggg. They still know the gate code or could copy a key. What will the facility do when someone moves out...change the gate code for everyone? Unfortunately, most older facilities do not change the codes or keys. At new facilities, each tenant has their own unique code. When they move out, the code is immediately removed. A big question is safety and theft. You should consider asking local authorities if there has been any theft at the facility or if it is a safe area of town. It would also be wise to ask the facility manager if there is camera surveillance. If yes, then ask how long they keep the running tape. Most facilities keep 7 days, but a facility can spend more money to install a bigger hard drive on the surveillance system to keep up to 30 days. Another example of modern verses old fashioned facility is offering online reservations. Online services most of the time include bill pay and rentals and bill pay which is essential in our fast-paced society and a great asset. Facilities entering in the new century offer account access through tenant’s desktop, laptop, iPad or even mobile phones. It’s always very helpful to find big building lettering and large unit numbers which allows people to easily locate their units. When looking for a potential facility you may be interested in touring the halls and units, then ask yourself does it appear to be clean and well lit? There are some facilities you will find apply clear epoxy ...


Tiffany Quibodeaux
July 13th, 2021

Size Matters

Choosing A Facility


When you have determined that your situation will require storage you will inevitably come up with several questions. One of the first considerations when looking for a storage facility will usually be cost and location. Once the location and the cost are determined the next question probably will be what size will I need? First, take into consideration what you will be storing and list them and approximately the sizes. Many storage facilities have a storage calculator on their website. These storage calculators are a very handy tool, but sometimes are not accessible. To assist you in determining the size, here are some descriptions of different size storage units: 5x10 is the average size of a walk-in closet. This unit can typically store a mattress, a sofa (which can be set up on one end propped up in a corner) several boxes, and a chest of drawers. 10x10 is the size of a small bedroom, this unit could store the furnishings of an apartment or up to 200 file boxes. 10x15 is the size of a large bedroom, this unit could store the furnishings of a 2-bedroom apartment, other items such as patio furniture, also a washer and dryer, and other misc. items. 10x20 the size of one-car garage. In this unit you would be able to store a 2-3-bedroom house and major appliances, along with several boxes. One very good idea is to visit the storage facility. This will allow you to see the cleanliness and the security of the facility, this will also give you a chance to see the unit and to better determine the most accurate size for storing your items. Careful planning will make the transition less stressful and hopefully be more cost effective. ...


Tiffany Quibodeaux
July 13th, 2021