Looking to rent a storage space for your stuff? Before you rent anything, here are some common mistakes to avoid to ensure you have a stress-free experience.
Focusing on Price Only
When looking for a storage unit, one of the first things you’ll likely look at is the pricing. While pricing is important, it shouldn’t be all you focus on. A big mistake is trying to snag the lowest price possible rather than focusing on the best size for your needs or the overall quality of the storage facility.
If you choose the cheapest storage space available, you may be skimping security. If a storage facility doesn’t have cameras, security fences, and/or security personnel, even the cheapest unit available isn’t worth the worry that your stuff will be stolen.
Choosing an Inconvenient Location
Location is important when buying or renting a home, but it’s also crucial when choosing a storage facility as well.
If you only see yourself visiting your unit twice – the day you drop off your stuff and the day you pick it up – then location might not be that essential. But if you need regular access to your belongings, you need to factor in travel time and transportation costs. You don’t want to plan half a day to grab a few things from your unit every weekend. That’s valuable time you could be using for something else! Choose a convenient storage facility, and your future self will be thanking you.
Failing to Assess Your Needs
Accurately assessing your storage needs is vital to avoiding problems down the line. If you guess, you could get your unit and realize it’s too small for all your stuff. That could lead to you trying to fit everything in your unit, potentially breaking something. Or, you could get a space that’s too large, resulting in wasted money and underutilization.
Take the inventory of your belongings and determine the size and type of storage space you need. If you need help figuring out how to choose the right size unit for your needs, size guides illustrate what can fit in each unit. We also have a blog post to help you determine the storage unit size you should rent.
Forgetting to Plan Before Storing
It may seem silly to put a lot of effort into planning how to pack your storage unit. After all, you’re just putting your items in a unit, how complicated can it be? However, not planning ahead is at the top of common mistakes when renting a storage space.
If you’re in a hurry to store items, you’re likely going to put stuff in your storage where it fits. That’s fine for packing, but it will make retrieving anything a complete nightmare. Planning only takes a few minutes and will help the future you immensely. All you have to do is list the items you’ll be storing on a sheet of paper (if they’re grouped by which box they go in, even better). If you do this little bit of planning now, you’ll save yourself time when you’re on the hunt for something specific later.
Failing to Label Boxes
Just like planning, labeling your boxes is essential. It’s a common mistake, but just make sure you don’t make it yourself!
Labeling boxes can help you find the items you want quickly and easily, especially if you’ve stored a lot of stuff inside your unit. Make sure to label the top and a side of the box. This way, you’ll always be able to know what’s in a box, no matter where it’s sitting.
Forgetting About Your Unit
Long-term storage is perfect for just that – keeping your items secure long-term. However, with the business of life, forgetting your unit can happen. One day you put your stuff in a unit only to forget about it and never visit again. Not only would this mistake mean you would be wasting money, but it also means your items could become damaged while away.
Even if you’re storing items long-term, you’ll want to take a visit periodically. Open it up, air things out, and ensure your belongings are still in good condition. If you notice there’s an issue, you can take the necessary steps to fix it now so it doesn’t become an unfixable problem later.
When you’re ready to store your stuff, Bay Street Storage will be here for you.
It’s Never a Mistake to Store at Bay Street Storage
If it’s your first time renting a storage space, follow our tips to avoid these mistakes, and you’ll do just fine! And when you’re ready to store your stuff, Bay Street Storage will be here for you. No matter what size unit you need, we have something to accommodate you. We have two convenient locations in Post Falls for you to choose from, and we’ve got all your storage needs covered. We’re here to make your storage experience easy. If you need any help, let us know!
