November 11, 2009
Ben Cower

Congratulations! You have decided to rent storage space at a self storage facility. You can look forward to a less cluttered, more organized home; bet you are surprised at just how good your garage floors really look!

While storage spaces are convenient, they can also be quite small. There are also some important things to take note of when you rent out some storage space from the facility, in order to make sure you really get the most out of your rental space. Let’s take a look at six important tips which can guarantee your rental experience is all it should be.

Buy some insurance!

It is more than likely that you have an insurance policy out on your home. Talk to your carrier about extending that policy to your storage unit or space. Odds are that you will have to pay a little more money for the year on your insurance policy, but that money is worth it. While storage facilities are generally well monitored and secure, thefts can happen from time to time, and of course nowhere is immune to acts of nature. Having insurance means you can replace anything that gets damaged or pilfered.

Pack expensive, easily transported items to the back

As mentioned in our first tip, good security is not perfect security. Self storage units will get broken into from time to time, and you want any thieves to take a miss on your more expensive and easy to steal items. Put small items such as cameras, DVD players, and jewelry into boxes, and put those boxes towards the back of the unit. Bicycles, ATVs, and other equipment should go next. Last, and towards the front, put in unlabelled boxes and heavy items such as furniture.

Off the floor!

From spring run off to flooding to pipe damage in the facility itself, the last thing you need is any kind of water problem ruining your items. Put your stuff up on pallets and off the floor; most facilities will have wooden pallets on hand.

Pack boxes tightly!

You want to make sure that any boxes are packed as tightly as possible, to prevent the items from moving around. This is particularly important when you are storing breakable items, such as glasses and dishware. These boxes should also be labeled, so you can put them on top of everything else, and nothing on top of them!

Think like a pack rat

Your main storage item might be an RV, and you are renting space from the self storage facility for it. If so, you might want to think about storing some of your household items out of the way in your RV. Pack these things in for winter storage. That same thought pattern can be applied to an individual unit; fit your items together like a jigsaw puzzle, and you will be amazed at how much you can fit in.

Take advantage of climate control options

Musical instruments, art, and antiques can all be damaged by fluctuating humidity levels. With a climate controlled unit, you can avoid this possibility.