Renting self storage unit is something you might consider if you have a lot more stuff to store then you have unit. There are many options when it comes to choosing what kind of storage unit you want to rent. The most important thing to consider is does the rate for the storage unit fit your budget and is the size of the unit going to accommodate what you are tiring to store. Obviously, you want to make sure your renting a unit that will fit everything that you are trying to store but you want to make sure you don’t go overboard either. If you shoot for a fairly large unit and pay a little extra this could be very convenient but if you never use more than half of the unit then your conveniently throwing away money and with this economy who needs that. Also you want to think about what you are storing and how long you are going to be storing it for before you are going to need it again. It would not be very smart to choose a location where you would have to drive a far distance if you’re going to have to go back in forth a lot. If what you are storing is something you might not need to retrieve for a year or longer then having a location further away might not be so bad especially if you can save money on a storage facility that might be a little cheaper.
Archive for July, 2009
Renting a storage unit
Friday, July 24th, 2009Climate Controlled Storage Units
Thursday, July 23rd, 2009Climate controlled storage units can be a great place to store items you want to store that may be affected by extreme heat or brutal cold temperatures. Since units are all closed up all the time until you open the unit the heat can become a very serious problem. If the sun is out all day long then your unit is going to be exposed to the sun all day long, with no ventilation by the end of the day the unit could reach anywhere from 10 to 20 degrees more on the inside. If it’s extremely cold it probably will not be much colder on the inside but coldness can be a very threaten weather condition to certain items you might put in the unit. Automobiles are probably one of the reasons most used for a request of a climate controlled storage units, and since this is true there are storage units around the United States that are dedicated only for the use of storing automobiles. These units are usually well priced especially if you are going to reserve a unit year in and year out. But maybe you don’t have a car but an expensive drum set or other music equipment or electronics. The best way to know if your items you want to store should be stored in a climate controlled environment is do your research, read the owner’s manuals, consult the company, or research the internet, if the item you are trying to store can be effected by unfavorable temperature then you will be able to find this type of information somewhere.
Car Storage
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009So you have that special car and it means so very much to you, but because of the weather or just due to inconvenience the car sits a lot more then you would like it to. This is a good way for that beautiful paint job to get unwanted nicks and dings and sun damage which can cause cracking of the interior including seats and dashboard. Sun damage also can cause the paint to fade and pile leaving a very expensive car look like it is worth practical nothing. Other weather hazards such as hail storms, extreme cold and snow can all cause you a lot of headaches when it’s finally time to get your car out and cruise it. Of course to store a car the car does not have to technically be the one thing that you love more than your wife, it could be just a car that is not in use at the moment and you just need the extra space. Some car storage units can be a little bit expensive but if you do some looking around you will find what you need to fit your budget. If you are trying to store a car for reason of space then may be an outdoor storage unit would be more reasonable for you, just remember to take a couple of steps before storing your car to help get a speedy and pleasant spring start up. First take out the battery or it will die, and then make sure the right mixture of anti-freeze is in the radiator and the right gas treatment is in the gas tank. If you are going to look for a special storage unit for a car you really care about then you should look for a indoor storage unit that is clement controlled, this will insure that your battery does not go bad and gas lines and water hoses do not freeze and break. I would also look into the company and find out how long the company has been in business, check and see if there security is up to date and that there storage unit does not get broken into frequently, they really should not have any stolen cars on their track record at all or maybe you should think about using a different storage unit. Also check into what kind of insurance the company offers, the storage company should offer you reasonable insurance for a small fee, plus I would still keep fire and theft coverage on your car and notify your insurance company to let them know where the car is being stored. If you are trying to store a classic, vintage or sports car you should look into a storage facility that specializes in storing these types of cars they might have custom plans that might fit your needs better, let’s face it you don’t go to subway and ask for a hamburger and you don’t go to a hamburger joint and ask for a sub. So free up some space in your yard, drive way or garage without selling the car you want to save, instead store it.
Preparing your RV for storage
Monday, July 20th, 2009First open any faucets and anything else the electric water pump might be connected to and drain the water pump dry. Next pump RV regulated anti-freeze in to the pump but make sure it is RV anti-freeze. Once the water pump has some anti-freeze in it turn on each faucet one by one and let the faucet run until you see the color of your anti-freeze coming out and proceed to shut them off, also poor some anti-freeze into the toilet and then flush it down then poor a little more in there and leave it set. After that is done you should consider spraying fogging oil in to the intake and generator of the RV this will help protect some vital components of the RV throughout a long winter store. And just like all items that you store for the winter you should always take your battery out and store it inside or for best results of a good healthy spring start up you could leave the battery in the RV but only if you will be able to start it up about once every two to three weeks for about three to five minutes, this will keep all parts moving and in motion and will really help from any unwanted seizing or real slow starts in the spring. Last but not least always give the RV a complete clean inside and out especially any food or crumbs or anything that can go bad if unoccupied for months at a time.
Boat Storage
Wednesday, July 8th, 2009You need to do some research when thinking about where and how you want to store your watercraft no matter if your watercraft is a boat or a yacht or even Jet skis. First you have to find out if you are able to store your watercraft at your place of residence, depending on how big your watercraft may be there could be a city ordinance against storing it in the neighborhood. If you decide to use a storage company make sure that the entrance ways are big enough to get your watercraft into the warehouse. Find out if the way they store their clients property is by using racks which means storing property on top of each other. If so, then make sure that your watercraft will fit in the racks and that it won’t be crushed or scratched when it is being stored. A lot of storage companies that store boats or yachts will offer services like, docking and launching, cleaning waxing and detailing, boat rental and Jet Ski or pontoon rental.
There are companies that will bring the storage unit to you, of course you need to check with city ordinance and make sure that you are able to have one without breaking the law. But if you’re lucky enough to be eligible for this option and you have a company around you that offers this service, the company will come and drop off a unit and you can store you water craft under it or in it. There are a couple different types of units, one where there are no sides or doors or you can order one that will have only two sides or one with all four sides to the unit. Once you are done with the unit you just call the company and they will come pick it up.
Storing Electronics
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009Storing electronics can be a little tricky, making sure you have a safe and a climate controlled space for your electronics is the true key. You want to make sure you protect any of your items from moisture as this is one of the major reasons items go in to storage working but come out not working. If you have the option of storing electronics in a climate controlled area with a dehumidifier then this is one great way to feel safe about your electronics. Since moisture is the number one reason for electronic failure just having a climate controlled storage area is not always enough, you are going to want to make sure there is some type of dehumidifier where your electronics are going to be stored. Make sure when storing you do not wrap anything in plastic, try to use the original box that it came in if you don’t happen to have the box it came in you can use cotton sheets or canvas to prevent dust build up. Another thing that can help keep moisture out is storing electronics on top of a pallet or some type of platform, if you are storing your electronics in a storage unit you can check with management as they might offer pallets to barrow for free. Also anything that is breakable like a T.V. screen or speakers that can be punctured should be stored with card board or bubbles wrap covering the area that is fragile and then labeled fragile. If you stored any electronics in a place where they would be exposed to moisture then you should keep the items at room temperature for at least 48 at hours before plugging in a powering up.
What kind of storage unit do you need: controlled access or self access?
Monday, July 6th, 2009The two different storage unit access options are controlled access or self access, most likely you will see more controlled access facilities because of security issues. Controlled access can make both the costumer and the management / owner feel a lot better about the items that are being stored. A controlled access facility might have some of these types of security measures; security cameras, electronic fences with your own code or possibly a magnetic card or a finger print scanner. Some facilities might have management that lives on the property to keep some type of security presence on the property 24 hours a day. Of course all the security in the world does not guarantee anything, there are still ways that people can get in. So here are some more security tips you may want to try out, make sure you use an industry standard lock, one that cannot be cut off easily by bolt cutters. You can also look into getting an alarm for your storage unit, you never know if someone is breaking into your unit the sound of an alarm just might wake up the bored security guard when he falls asleep. And there’s another reason why storage units facilities like controlled access, it’s because if you don’t pay your bill they can deny you access by shutting your access code down until you pay.
A self access unit can be useful for you if you want to save a little bit of money or maybe more than one person is planning on using the same storage unit or maybe you will need access to the units at all times of the day or night, this would be a good reason to seek out self access units.