The pros and cons of self-storage units
You’ve got stuff—everyone does. But not everyone has enough space for all of their stuff. That’s where self-storage units come in handy. Self-storage units can be a convenient way to store items; there’s a variety of self-storage options, and they’re offered at a variety of price points. But storage units can have some drawbacks. Are they a solution for you? You need to carefully consider if they’re a good choice for you and the items you’re storing. Here are a few things to think about:
Pro: 24-hour access. Some storage unit companies provide their customers with a key to access their self-storage unit, at any time. For security reasons, some storage unit companies will only allow access during business hours. If you can find a company that does allow 24-hour unit access, it can be a big advantage to have the ability to get to your items in a pinch.
Pro: A variety of size options. Many different sizes, from tiny to gigantic, are available in self-storage. Whether you’re looking for the size of a walk-in closet (5’ by 5’) or something that can hold all of the items from your 7-bedroom house (10’ by 30’), those options, and everything in between, are available.
Pro: Great solution for those in-between times. Life is full of “in-between” times. The time in between home moves is when storage space makes a lot of sense. You can store your items for a few months, and just pay month-to-month for the storage unit rental.
Con: Items can be hard to find. Where did you put that one photograph? Perhaps it’s under this pile of books, or maybe in a box at the very back of the unit. Unless you go through the work of creating some sort of inventory system, it might be a real challenge trying to track down items in your self-storage unit.
Con: Not everything can or should be stored. There are some things that are not permitted in storage units: hazardous materials, unregistered vehicles, weapons, perishables, live animals or plants. And then there are the things you really just shouldn’t have in storage units: things you need to find easily, confidential things, important business or personal records and really valuable things.
Con: Security can be an issue. Yes, these units are locked; but they may or may not be under video surveillance, and the employees may or may not have undergone comprehensive background checks and security training. There have been cases of storage thefts due to inside jobs. It’s something to be a bit wary of, depending on the items you’re storing.
If you’re looking for a place to offload a few household items, self-storage units might be the right solution for you. However, if you’re storing business documents that need to be kept secure and be easily accessible/trackable, then a self-storage unit is simply not the right choice. What sets a records management company like Stevens & Stevens apart is our state-of-the-art barcode tracking system, after-hours and emergency retrieval and delivery, plus virtual delivery using our Scan on Demand service. You can also count on your items staying safe in our 24/7 monitored, secured storage and being handled by thoroughly screened and expertly trained staff. 6363656e
