By Richard Farrell
Special to VanLines.com
Using a storage facility for keeping furniture and possessions safe when moving between houses (or just for storing things away that you don’t currently need) can be a great idea. Before you use a storage facility, be sure to ask these questions.
- What’s the Access Like? Can you go around at any time of day (and night) to deliver and collect, and are there enough loading bays? Moving companies charge by the hour when delivering and collecting, and will be unrelenting when it comes to charging for their wasted time.
- How Secure Will My Space Be? This is one of the most important questions since you are leaving your personal belongings in someone elses hands. You should ask questions about the security methods such as if there is a guard, alarms, and whether the facility is gated.
- Do You Offer Insurance? This is perhaps the most important question of all. Most storage facilities work with insurance companies to provide their customers with the best plans. Depending on the value of your items you may want to insure your entire unit or just a few items listed. Ask about the various plans and its terms.
- What's Included in the Price? Prices will vary from facility-to-facility based on size, storage period and the location of a storage company. Read over the contract carefully and ask about hidden fees, security deposits, cleaning fees and notice periods.
- What Help Do You Provide For My Belongings? It can cause chaos when your moving firm arrives to deliver and collect and finds nobody there. A professional firm has a permanent office presence and a skilled person to manage technical interfaces. If not, then what happens if a crook has access as customer too, and nobody else is there?
- What Special Features Do You Offer? Depending on your goods you may need a climate-controlled storage unit or specific temperature settings for your furs or your vintage wine.
When researching and looking for a self storage facility be sure to visit and tour a facility and ask numerous questions. Also, be sure that a facility is registered through the Self Storage Association or the local Chamber of Commerce.