Two basic factors determine the final self-storage service price. First, it’s the duration of your rent. Second, the size of the storage space.
Usually, there are some fixed circumstances and already-made personal plans regarding the concrete time you need storage facilities to accommodate your belongings.
And it’s easy to quickly share with the company’s consultant how much time you would use the company’s services. As to the selection of the concrete storage facilities we require, time and measurements are needed to be done for a concrete answer.
Don’t underestimate this part of choosing the best storage offer, as it will save you both – problems and money.
What storage requirements do you have?
Before you start counting the things you need to put in a storage facility, consider the requirements you might have.
It depends a lot on what you insist on receiving from the self-storage service. For instance, you might have strict and specific requirements you might not have a big choice of storage unit sizes.
On the other side, it’s possible for your pack of items to need some special preservation, conditions, and services, including:
- Climate-controlled storage units where the room temperature and the minimum humidity levels are put under solid 24/7 control;
- Business equipment or industrial machinery with concrete administration requirements;
- Vehicle storage;
- Extra short storage;
- Special safety measures included (a personal locking system, video surveillance, individual parking space, and you name it);
- Many others.
Make a thorough check of your belongings
The most logical way to think of the right storage module size is to know what should be put in it. You might have a whole list of items going around your head, but that’s not a reliable enough source of information.
You need concrete data to provide to your local self-storage company to figure out the concrete unit size. This is why our recommendation for you is to start the process with a detailed inventory check.
While doing that, find the answers to the following questions:
- Do you have boxes to fill your items with and provide them to the company? If yes, how many are there? If not, don’t forget to ask the consultant if you can get some.
- Do you plan to store furniture? How many pieces are there? Can you dismantle some of them so you can create some space?
- Do you have many large items? If yes, be ready with concrete measurements.
What can you store at home?
Let’s consider that your inventory shows many things you should remove from your home and store in a container. At first, you might be shocked by the volume, respectively by the huge price you are supposed to pay to rent the biggest available storage unit.
However, before you break your kid’s money box, consider making some savings before paying a penny. Think about alternative free spaces at home where you can keep some preparation for professional storage items.
Here are some ideas for finding vacant areas if you don’t have any:
- Downsize in the name of your savings and the idea of a simpler and well-arranged lifestyle;
- Go through the inventory again and see if there are things you don’t need, want, or are about to use anymore;
- Consider making donations or gifts to beloved people you’ve got;
- And here’s the most budget-friendly idea: make a garage sale because you definitely possess things you cannot keep at home or take to the storage facility but can get some extra cash from.
How to decide what storage unit you need to pick?
If you have made it to get rid of as many things as possible, let’s move to the actual part of your task: considering the concrete storage space you need. Besides the particular measurements, you should also make some more arrangement tasks.
Check out the SMALL items
Start with them and try to find reliable enough boxes for them. Make sure to gather all the small items in one place and put them all in easy-to-be-lifted units. Of course, you can ask for boxes directly from your self-storage company.
Continue with a review of your MEDIUM items
Some of them might not be possible to put in boxes. Yet, if there are such, consider this idea to minimise the chaos inside the rented storage unit. The better the organisation is, the more items you will fit there. It’s all about de-cluttering and fine packing skills.
Finish with the LAST items
By all means, these items will go directly inside the storage unit. Though, you can still save some more space from them.
Consider dismantling as many pieces of furniture, ski or hiking equipment, as well as electric appliances, machinery, and you name it. It will help you fit in a smaller storage facility at a better price.
Additional tips on how to choose a storage
Last but not least, we have prepared for you a helpful collection of expert-approved tips to find the proper storage unit size for you and your belongings.
Have all of these guides in mind before you sign the contract:
- The easiest calculation strategy for your items is by multiplying the length and the width of all your belongings placed in one place (packed if possible). In case you get a 5×5 pile of them, you definitely need a 25-square feet container.
- Note that the 25-square-foot containers are usually the smallest units you can get. However, different companies work with different resources and measurements. You will commonly be offered the following alternatives: 5×5, 5×10, 5×15, 5×20, 5×25, and 10×5, 10×10, 10×15, etc. The 5x units are suitable for small items, while the 10×30 is the maximum you can get to put large business equipment, all 3-bedroom house furnishing, and other big items.
- Find an online Storage unit size calculator. Your own local storage facilities company might have one, by the way.
- Don’t minimise the final price at the expense of significant extras and features of the service if you have lots of items to store. For instance, insurance is critical to be included in the contract as it guarantees your safety and risk management while using the storage module.
Conclusion
Choosing the right storage unit size is critical. Hence, we would like to remind you that selecting the best company for the service is not worth it to be underestimated, either.
On mandatory, find a team that’s both – reliable and experienced. And make sure that the company provides not just high-quality but flexible and suitable, especially for your top-notched services.
