I have a personal story to illustrate how ‘storage’ can be. A few years ago my friend rented the first storage unit she found on Google Maps. It was ‘cheap’ and ‘close to home’. Three months later she went to get her things out of storage to find her grandmother’s armchair floating in a puddle of water in the middle of the storage unit. Apparently the roof of the storage facility had a leak that had been pouring water into her unit for weeks and no one had ever told her about it. And no one seemed to care. I think about this story every time someone tells me they’re ‘just going to find somewhere quick’ to store their stuff. Which, honestly, is most people.
It seems that when people search for short term storage solutions online they straight away sign up for what they see first. I’m trying to highlight to people that they are trusting complete strangers with something important to them and they should take the time to read about and contact storage companies before signing up for any storage solution.
Security isn’t optional
Storage facilities are fundamentally insecure. You’re basically putting your faith in a building, a company, and a lock. Because of course a huge number of people treat storage facilities with very little respect. Often less respect than a hostel. As a result, most people don’t put a lot of thought into choosing a storage facility. They figure it’s not a big deal, and that problems will never arise.
Finding the right storage is a lot more complicated than you think! You’d think that storage units would be simple to find. And you’re right. They are simple to find. But there are a lot of things that you have to consider before you book a unit. First of all, the storage facility itself has to be well maintained and have good security. As mentioned above, there is more to a storage unit than just a locked door and a padlock. A good storage facility is run by people who actually care about the storage units and the people who hire them.
- CCTV coverage that’s active and monitored, not just a dusty camera bolted to a wall for appearances
- Individual unit locks, preferably disc or cylinder locks rather than the kind you could snap with bolt cutters from any hardware store
- Perimeter fencing or controlled gate access, so random foot traffic isn’t just wandering through at will
- On-site staff during business hours, because a warm body on-site changes the calculus for opportunistic theft entirely
Another major thing to check is for a clear outline of security of a storage facility. If someone cannot outline all of the security of a facility when asked then you do not want to store your goods there. The worst case is that they have none and are just pretending that they do.
Cleanliness tells you everything about management
Also, have a good look around the storage facility before signing a lease. Walk through the entrance of the storage facility and then look at the common areas, the corridors and the loading bays. Take note of any cleanliness or disarray. See if there are any cobwebs in the ceiling lights or any debris collecting in the corners. This can give you an idea of how the management of the storage facility operate. And the way they operate the common areas of the storage facility is not the only way they operate. It will also give you an idea of how they operate with maintenance, whether they have any problems with pests, and whether they fix any leaking roofs.
(See: my friend’s armchair.)
Before we go on to think about the terms of the lease, and the size of storage units, it is worth considering the big factor that affects storage, the facility. As you are leaving your precious possessions in a building with possibly someone you have never seen before it is worth checking that the building is going to be okay. It sounds a bit crazy but you trust a complete stranger with a building that they may not even be visiting from time to time with some of your most treasured items. And they are locked in a small space with a padlock on the door. I would personally want to make sure that the building is going to be OK before handing over my armchair. And the roof not leaking would be a good place to start.
Size matters more than you’d think
There are also the two extremes of underestimating the space you need for storage and then booking the largest unit possible to store a few boxes and pieces of furniture. A provider who doesn’t help size the right amount of space for you before you book a unit will cost you in the end. As a rule of thumb, book a unit with just a little extra space than you think you are going to need.
Another thing to look for is for your storage provider to size up the space that you will need to store your belongings. Many people make the incorrect assumption that they have enough space at home for all of their belongings and look for storage until they find a unit. Only to find out that the unit they have rented is far too large. Or worse, that the unit is far too small and they have to do an archeological dig every time they need to retrieve something from the back of the unit. The following are some rough estimates of what the average square footage of a home is and how much space that would be in a storage facility:
| Unit size | Roughly fits | Good for |
| Small (locker/5×5) | A few boxes, small furniture pieces | Seasonal items, documents, sports gear |
| Medium (5×10 or 10×10) | Contents of a one-bedroom apartment | Moving transitions, decluttering |
| Large (10×20+) | Full household furniture, vehicles | Long-term storage, business inventory |
Find storage with a bit of excess space. You will thank yourself when the boxes come to dig through to find that small something you know you packed.
Access Hours
I do need to be able to access the storage units late at night after returning from the shops. I do not want to have to take half a day off work to collect a box from storage hired for just a few months. This means extended hours of access are a must for me and most people. Late night access, early morning access, weekend access – this is a critical storage facility feature.
It’s also worth looking into the extended hours of access that a storage provider has. I was surprised at how important this was until I found myself moving a 6 drawer dresser up two flights of stairs at 7pm on a Saturday night only to find out that the storage facility I was using closed at 6pm on Saturdays. A wide driveway, a trolley to move your things around the storage facility and a lift to take you up to higher storage units on the upper floors of the storage facility are all features that seem minor until they become important.
See also: Creating a Vision for Business Success
Convenience compounds over time
The other thing that is super important is how you are going to access your storage unit. Many storage facilities impose access restrictions around access including only being able to access your storage unit during business hours. So Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Right. So you’d need to take half a day off work just to grab a box. Extended hours of operation, online account access and flexible lease terms are a huge convenience that you won’t realize is important until it is too late.
Rigid storage contracts – You book a 3 month storage rental, and find 3 months later that you need to bring all your stuff back home. Because you signed up for a 12 month contract, this will be a real headache. Ask them about flexible lease terms! So the questions you feel are a little bit awkward to ask, are the best thing to do is to go ahead and ask them!
- Visit in person before booking anything online
- Ask explicitly about lease terms — minimum periods, required notice, price increase policies
- Clarify what’s actually included versus what costs extra (insurance, trolleys, after-hours access)
- Read recent reviews — not just the star rating, but what people actually wrote, because the details are everything
Storage facility choice is similar to choosing a second hand car or holiday home – give it the respect it deserves. Take your time to research thoroughly and don’t be afraid to ask some very awkward questions along the way. Just like with any other decision like this, make sure you inspect the roof for any signs of leaking before you sign anything!
