Anyone paying for storage services wants to get the most for their dollar. You need to plan a little to ensure that your storage options will match your needs at the desired price point. Customers can address these four things to maximize their use of third-party storage.
Space
The whole point of a storage unit is to have space. How you utilize that space will determine much value your unit can offer you.
People are often tempted to pack as much stuff as possible into a small unit to avoid paying additional fees. However, this can leave your stored items with little room to breathe, potentially leading to damage. Also, a packed unit can be difficult to use. You want to leave enough room that you can access every item in the unit without unpacking everything. If you can't make the unit work without dense packing, then it's time to get a second unit or move up to a bigger one.
Contracts
Your contract is one of your best cost optimizers. If you know for sure that you're going to need the unit for a full year or longer, consider signing a long-term agreement and prepaying at least part of the bill. Most storage services offer discounts for long-term arrangements that come with prepayments. You might also negotiate an add-on like a larger unit.
Items
The worst thing you can do is to use a unit that's inappropriate for a specific item. A material like high-quality leather needs the right environment to store well. Many types of furniture also have storage requirements. There isn't anything wrong with using a cost-friendly unit for some items, but make sure your expensive or fragile items are in units with appropriate levels of climate control. Otherwise, heat and humidity could ruin them.
Also, make sure that items that contain volatile, biological, or perishable materials are drained. If you're storing a car, for example, don't store it with a full tank of gasoline. Clean your items as thoroughly as possible before storing them, too. You don't want to leave something like a fish tank in storage without deep cleaning.
Access
Accessibility is important in some cases. If you're storing heavy items, you want to be able to pull right up to the unit to minimize your labor. Also, ask the storage services company for access to helpful items like packing materials, straps, and hand trucks so you can deal with items safely.
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