October 2014 – user's Blog!

What Should I Look For When Choosing A Self Storage Facility?

When it comes time to look for a self storage facility, there are several things to take into consideration. If you are planning to store your items, they must be valuable to you, and you want them to be safe and secure at all times! Be sure to make your decision on the entire storage experience, not on price alone.

Price should never be the deciding factor.

Many people’s first thought is to pick the cheapest storage unit to save money. Trust me, that is not how you want to choose your storage unit. A higher price usually means a few things: there are more security features at the facility like cameras, fencing and keypad access; the facility is newer and in better repair than the competition; there is an on-site manager 6-7 days per week; or the facility has more options and features such as a variety of unit sizes and types and online payments. Basically, you get what you pay for – don’t sacrifice security and safety just to save a few dollars.

At Harrisburg Self Storage, we partner directly with Sierra’s Glen Self Storage. While we have only interior access units, Sierra’s Glen offers only drive-up units. What can’t be found at one facility can be found at the other, providing customers several options when choosing the storage unit that fits them best.

Tour the facility first.

You should make sure the facility you are looking at will fit your needs. The best way to do that is to take a tour of the property. A facility that takes pride in its appearance and keeps everything in good repair and working order is the ideal choice. A facility like this will have better customer service and cares about each and every tenant.

Overall Property Condition

Is the facility well lit at night – inside and outside? If you plan to visit your storage unit early in the morning or late in the evening, make sure you can see everything easily so access to your unit is seamless – no matter what time of day you visit.

Is the facility clean and neat? Is there trash lying about? Trust me, you want a facility that is clean. The last thing you want to do is drive over something that is lying on the road and damage your car, or step on something in the interior hallways and ruin your shoes. A facility that is clean and well-kept shows that the property manager takes care of the property, has pride in the facility and the company, and in turn will take good care of you.

Buildings & Doors

Are the buildings in good shape or are they falling apart with noticeable rust or holes? After all, your stuff will be stored inside the buildings. Holes could mean rodents or leaks. Make sure you look for obvious problems and steer clear of a facility with damage or broken items.

Check the latches on the storage unit doors. Are they rusty or in good working order? You will be placing your lock on the latch to keep your belongings safe and secure – a latch in proper working order is essential.

Are the storage unit doors in good repair? Do they open and close easily? Make sure to have the property manager show you how to open and close a door so you can see for yourself. Is the seal tight when the door is closed? This will help keep water out of the unit when it rains.

Look inside the storage unit and check to make sure the walls are absent of cracks or holes. Also check to see if there is a small gap around the top of the walls to allow air circulation through the unit. Good circulation helps prevent mildew.

Check the floor for cracks or white marks. These could be an indication that moisture may enter through the floor which could damage items sitting on the floor. Is the floor level with the pavement or off the ground a couple of inches for the outside access units? Having a floor that is slightly raised will keep water out of the unit.

Variety of Units

Does the property offer a wide variety of unit sizes and types? You may just need that 10×10 drive-up unit right now, but what if you need a larger interior unit when Grandma gives you her priceless antique living room set? Having the option to change or add a different unit later on is great, just in case you need it! Make sure the facility you select has many sizes from 5×5 to 10×30 and a variety of unit types from which to choose.

Check out some of our previous blogs for more information on the different types of storage units and how to choose the best one: “Inside Storage Unit vs. Drive-Up Unit” and “Take the Guesswork Out Of Selecting The Right Storage Unit”

Security Features

This one is a big one for sure. You want to make sure your stuff is safe when you leave it in your storage unit. Is there a fence that surrounds the entire property? There should be and it should be in good repair, with no holes, cuts or broken poles.

Is there a locked gate or door with keypad entry to access the property? This keeps visitors to only those who have a storage unit at the facility since an access code is required to enter through the gate.

The fence, gate or door also keep unwanted guests outside while you are inside, which is especially important after business hours. You can feel secure knowing you are safe inside the property.

Look up, are there security cameras? This added feature will be sure to capture any unwanted activities on the property, such as an intruder or illegal activity, in the unlikely event that something of this nature takes place at the facility.

Rental Office & Property Manager

Is there a rental office on site with a property manager who is on-site daily? This is very important to any facility, and is essential to offering tenants the best customer service possible. If a problem crops up, you want a property manager who you can turn to for help, and one who is on the property regularly.

Make sure to visit the rental office – is it clean, does it smell fresh? You will probably visit the office several times once you are a tenant, does it have packing and moving supplies for sale? If you are visiting your storage unit and realize you need a box or some tape, it’s very convenient to be able and simply pop into the rental office to get what you need.

Does the manager stand up and greet you as you walk into the office? A friendly property manager is key to having a great storage experience. You want someone who listens to you, treats you as the most important person to them at that moment and has knowledge about the property and the industry. If you have a question, you want to be sure he or she can answer it, and answer it correctly.

There are many things to consider when choosing a self storage facility. Remember, you will be storing your valuables at the facility, and you want them to be safe and secure when you are not with them. Price is important, however it is best to make your decision on the entire experience – from the condition of the facility and the security features to the unit options and the presence of a property manager. If you are interested in learning more about choosing the best storage facility or would like to set up a tour of our facility, please contact us today and we will be glad to help.

Boxes vs. Totes – Which Is Better?

Are you planning to move? Clean out the basement? Organize the garage? Whatever your reason, you will be packing things up to place into your self storage unit. So you ask yourself, “Boxes or totes, which is better for me?”

To make this easier for you, we have listed out the pros and cons of each to help you decide. In some cases boxes make more sense, and in other cases using totes would be more beneficial.

Moving boxes come in many sizes, shapes and types. We sell a large variety in our retail shops inside our rental offices from which you can choose. Here are some things to consider when choosing moving boxes for your storage needs:

QUALITY

The boxes we sell in our retail shops are designed and produced specifically for the self storage industry. They are made of high-quality materials that will last over time and are crush resistant. This means you can stack them up and they will not bend, crush or sag when stored over months and even years inside a storage unit. Our boxes are also specially coated to resist mold and mildew, which will keep the contents from unwanted moisture damage during the changing seasons.

VARIETY OF SIZES

We offer many sizes of boxes to choose from and they are labeled with what items would work best when packed inside.

Small Boxes are perfect for heavy items like book, DVDs and video games – stuff that is small but can quickly become heavy when packed in large boxes. This will help make sure you don’t pack too many in one box and strain your back when lifting and moving.

Medium Boxes work great for towels, linens and photo albums. These are things you can pack more of in one box without the worry of making the box too heavy for safe lifting.

Large Boxes are a good fit for clothing, small kitchen appliances and gadgets and holiday decorations. These items can be awkward shapes and sizes and will easily fit into our large boxes so you can store them safely.

Extra Large Boxes are the best choice for quilts, pillows, shoes, Tupperware and other food storage containers.

Specialty Item Boxes are also available for those hard to pack items like mirrors, lamps, dish sets, microwaves and TVs. They are designed to fit the odd shape and sizes of these items and help prevent damage when moving and storing. We even have wardrobe boxes where you can store delicate clothing on hangers like your leather jacket, evening dresses and silk blouses – all items that are hard to fold and do better when hung up.

You can also read one of our previous blogs, “Are All Boxes Created Equal?” to help you decide which boxes to purchase and use for your storage needs.

Now let’s talk about storage totes. Don’t get me wrong, storage totes can be handy. There are even a few instances where choosing a tote over a box makes more sense. Here are a few things to consider when deciding on storage totes:

SHAPE

Since totes are not perfect squares, they do not stack very well. The bottom of the tote is smaller than the top, leaving the weight in the center of the lid beneath it. After a while, that lid may start to cave in – putting the weight of the top tote directly onto the items inside the bottom tote. This could cause damage to your items inside the tote. Over time, your stack of totes could eventually collapse and fall over as well – again causing damage to the items inside, and even the items inside your storage unit where they may fall.

When stacked up, large gaps exist between each of them due to their odd shape. This wastes precious storage space, compared to using boxes which leave no gaps when stacked together.

Because they are not perfect squares, things like movies, books or photo albums are harder to pack inside without the risk of bending or damaging them – unless you use packing paper and the sort to fill in the gaps. This also wastes packing space compared to boxes.

VARIETY OF SIZES

Storage totes do come in a variety of different sizes, from a small shoe box all the way up to 45 gallons and larger. So, finding the right size to fit your need shouldn’t be a problem.

Often times though, with something this large we get overzealous and pack as much as we can fit in there without thinking of the weight. Then we go to lift it and it’s practically impossible with one person, and difficult even with two people. It’s best to stick with small to medium sized totes for most items, and only use the very large ones for lighter items like pillows and decorations.

CONVENIENCE

Most of us have a few totes in our house already. Let’s face it, at some point over time we have all purchased one on sale for something! If this is the case, you can re-purpose them for storage. They are perfect for items like extra pillows, blankets and stuffed animals – all things that will conform to the shape of the tote.

HANDLES

Depending on the type of tote you have or are planning to purchase, the handles can sometimes be more difficult than you may realize. This is something you will want to check into before packing items into a storage tote. There are many out there where the handles are defined and make the tote very easy to carry. Then there are others that the handle seems to be an afterthought and it hurts your hands when you pick it up.

Now that we have gone over the pros and cons of boxes and storage totes, there are just a few more items to keep in mind when making your decision. If your self storage situation is only temporary, boxes may be the better option. They can be flattened and stored easily for later use, taking up little space. Storage totes are what they are; they cannot be flattened and will take up the same space whether empty or full. However, if you have several of the same brand and size, they can nest inside one another and take up less space that way. But, if you have many different brands and sizes, they may not stack together nicely. Just something to think about before you make your choice.

Depending on your needs and preference, you may choose one or the other. There is no wrong or right answer here. If you would like more help in deciding which to use for your self storage needs, you can reach out to our property manager and he will be glad to assist you. You can also leave a comment below or contact us at any time.