It often happens in life that when people are moving around that self storage is the only available option for keeping your goods. There can be any number of reasons, but the usual situation is moving into smaller places. Other reasons include de-cluttering and simply creating space. What most people don’t recognize is that storage can be the cheaper, much more cost-effective solution.

Storage basics

Storage involves hiring a space for a contracted term. There’s a set fee upfront in the contract, and hire fees are payable on set terms like a year, a month, etc.

The main issues when hiring storage space are:

• Getting enough space: This is crucial, and it’s advisable to allow some extra space so you can access all your things inside easily.
• Condition of the storage area: Also critically important, the state of the storage space should be clean. It should have adequate ventilation and safety precautions. (Note: This also avoids the typical effects of storing things in garages, which include molds and moisture issues capable of destroying furniture, appliances and other valuables.)
• Good external access: The best storage facilities have easily accessible storage areas, where you can put things in and out without having to perform gymnastics with a hand trolley or by hand. These are also much safer places to work when handling heavy goods.

• Vermin-free storage areas: Good storage areas include precautions against animal and insect infestation.
• Obvious fire safety precautions onsite: Best practice for storage facilities is to ensure adequate precautions against fire, evacuation procedures, and most importantly no “rabbit warren” areas with only single exits where fires can be deadly. A sprinkler system should also be in place, along with other fire safety assets like extinguishers with current dates.
• Good facilities for furniture and big items handling: Furniture removal and moving big items around can be very hard work, and it can be made a lot harder if the storage provider lacks facilities. The best storage facilities provide things like big industrial sized trolleys for moving fridges, big pieces of furniture, etc.

Storage costs- Figuring out the cost benefits

Sometimes storage can save you a lot of money. If you’re thinking of moving into a smaller place, and the prices of the sort of place you’d need to put all your goods are high, storage is the best option.

For example:

• A studio apartment costs $800 a month
• A 3 bedroom apartment costs $1600 a month
• Storage costs $150 a month.

Doesn’t exactly need a calculator, does it? The choice is $950 vs. $1600 per month. Saving $650 a month means saving $7800 a year. Also bear in mind the size of the bonds, and the fact that power usage and other costs will be a lot cheaper in the studio.

The bottom line

Study your situation. If storage shows significant savings, it’s definitely the best option, particularly in the short term. You can always adjust things to suit your preferences and bring things out of storage if you want.