Everything You Need to Know about Storage Units
Storage units are for more than just spare boxes.
Whether you’re getting ready to move or you need a spot for business inventory, self-storage offers the additional room you need without breaking your budget. After you’ve determined you need a storage unit, you may have a few questions—that’s where we come in.
We’ve created this guide to help you understand self-storage, and explain a variety of topics like how to choose the right unit, features to look for, tips to organize your unit and more. All in all, we’re in this together, and we’re going to help you get the space you need.
How You Can Benefit from a Storage Unit
Everyone can benefit from a little more space, right?
Storage units can come in handy while moving, whether it’s across the street or across the country. They can also be used for business storage needs or during major life transitions like marriage, childbirth, downsizing and more.
Moving
If you’re getting ready for a big move, a storage unit is exactly what you need. Self-storage offers additional space during the moving process—from decluttering and packing to staging and more. Store Space offers a variety of units so you can choose the best fit for your move.
Staging
Realtors often want to stage your home before putting it on the market as it can increase home value and help buyers visualize themselves in the space. (WE love the pink couch, but potential buyers may not.) Instead of getting rid of your current furniture, store it at with us to make room for staging items.
Subletting
If you love your furniture, you may want to store it while subletting or renting out your home or apartment. Keeping it in a storage unit is a great solution.
Business Storage
A thriving, growing business is a good thing, but that means you may need more space to store excess inventory, extra office supplies, documents, large equipment and more. That’s where a storage unit comes in.
If your business is outgrowing its current office space, a storage unit is a good alternative to relocating your business, which can result in losing a loyal customer base, paying a higher lease, for instance.
Self-storage can also be used for offsite document storage, warehousing needs, tool and equipment storage and even vehicle storage for contractors. Rather than having a work vehicle take up space in your driveway or in the garage, keep it at a self-storage facility.
Climate-controlled storage is a great option for commercial customers. These units help mitigate damage from humidity and temperature changes, which makes them ideal for storing documents, office supplies, electronics and more.
Seasonal Storage
Winter coats in July? Beach toys in December? Don’t let these items crowd up your home in the off-season—store them! Keep all off-season items in storage and swap them out whenever the weather changes.
Decluttering
Make more space in your home by decluttering and storing items in self-storage. Whether you have an insanely impressive coffee mug collection or your closet is about to explode, decluttering and organizing your home is made easier with a storage unit.
Renovating
Renovating your home is an exciting process, but it’s important to keep your belongings protected during construction. Protect your items from any damage, dust or debris by storing them in self-storage. Keeping your possessions in a storage unit also creates more space for your renovation.
Life Transitions
We can’t always predict what life will throw our way, but self-storage is here to offer additional space whenever you need it. Whether your family is growing, your kids are going off to college or you’re getting ready to downsize—a storage unit is an affordable option.
Choosing the Right Storage Unit Type and Size
After deciding you need a storage unit, you’ll first need to assess your storage needs, then determine the best unit size for your belongings. For example, if you’re just looking to store a few boxes or seasonal items, a closet-sized 5x5 would be a good choice. If you’re looking to store the contents of your whole house, you’ll probably need a garage-sized10x20 or larger.
There are also a variety of storage unit types. Depending on what you’re looking to store, you can choose between climate control, drive-up or even vehicle storage (more on that below).
Here is a quick guide on storage unit sizes:
- Small storage unit – closet-sized 5x5 offers about 25 sq. ft. of floor space, plus ceilings up to 9 ft. tall, ideal for storing boxes and bins, seasonal items, small furnishings, home décor
- Medium storage unit – room-sized 10x10 offers 100 sq. ft. of floor space, plus ceilings up to 9 ft. tall, can hold contents of a one-bedroom apartment, furniture, mattresses, multiple boxes and bins
- Large storage unit – garage-sized 10x20 offers 200 sq. ft. of floor space, plus ceilings up to 9 ft. tall, great for household storage (large items including furniture and appliances), commercial storage needs
Climate-controlled storage
No matter where you’re located, climate-controlled storage is crucial to help combat extreme temperature changes and humidity. These units stay between 50- and 80- degrees F year-round to help protect your sensitive items like furniture, antiques, electronics, paper and more.
Drive-up storage
Will you be visiting your unit often? Are you looking for the most convenient storage solution? Then you want a drive-up unit. Drive-up storage allows you to drive right up to your unit door to make loading and unloading a breeze. Check out our drive-up storage page for more info.
Vehicle storage
Some storage facilities also offer vehicle storage options. Keep your car, motorcycle, boat or RV in our outdoor storage and parking spots. Some vehicles can also be stored in select drive-up units.
What to Look for in a Storage Facility
Every self-storage facility is different, but there are a few things you should always look for when choosing self-storage. You’ll want to consider location, access hours and customer service.
Store Space storage facilities offer a variety of storage options, as described above, along with many features and amenities like bright lighting, computer-controlled gate access, video cameras and more.
Availability varies by location, so be sure to check our facility pages for up-to-date information.
Location
The perfect storage facility should be in a convenient, easily accessible location. Whether you’re planning to visit your unit often or will just need to stop by every once in a while—search storage units near me on your phone or computer to locate your nearest storage facility.
Store Space is constantly growing, and we make it easy to find your nearest location with our storage location finder.
Access and office hours
Make sure you choose a self-storage facility that offers unit access seven days a week. Store Space offers extended access hours from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. That means you can easily stop by your unit before your ski trip or after camping to load or unload your items.
Our office hours are typically 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, so you can stock up on packing supplies or meet with a store manager.
Customer service
Choosing the right storage facility depends on more than just security, location and access hours—you also want to feel like a priority! At Store Space, we strive to give you the best self-storage experience possible. Our Care Center is available seven days a week, just give them a call at 833-786-7366 with any questions.
Tips for Packing Your Storage Unit
After you’ve rented your storage unit, you have to put all your stuff in it! But before you start, we have a few tips to pack and organize your unit.
Label EVERYTHING
Let’s start at the beginning. To effectively pack up your storage unit, you need to effectively pack your items! Be sure to label each box with the room it’s from and everything inside. You don’t want to go rummaging through boxes to find your lucky jersey on game day.
Pack fragile items with care
When packing glassware and other fragile items, be sure to either wrap them in bubble wrap or packing paper to avoid any damage in storage. If you really want to look like a pro, you can use towels and sheets to wrap fragile items! Save space AND keep your fragile items protected.
Make an aisle
Strategically pack your unit and make an aisle to ensure you can access all the items in the back of your unit. Remember to put the items you’ll need most often in the front.
Map it out
Don’t forget to make a plan and map out your storage unit. Create an inventory and write down everything you’ll be storing, and make a rough sketch of where it will be in your unit. No lost items over here!
Check out our blog with even more storage unit packing and organizing tips.
Understanding Storage Unit Cost and Rental Agreements
A few factors that influence storage unit pricing are facility location, storage unit size, additional features, like climate control or drive-up, and more.
Store Space shops the competition to ensure you get our best rates. We offer move-in deals for new customers and competitive web rates. Plus, we only offer month-to-month rentals, so you can store with us as long as you need.
How to Find the Best Storage Unit Near You
Finding the perfect storage unit is just a few clicks away. Use our storage location finder for the nearest Store Space location. You’ll also find other important information on our facility pages.
Ready to reserve your unit? Just click on the unit you’re interested in and complete your rental online. You can rent in-person or by phone at 833-786-7366. If you stop by our store during office hours you can also get a tour of our facility!
Storage Unit FAQs
Q: How much does a 10x20 storage unit hold?
A: A 10x20 storage unit is the size of a one-car garage, and can fit furniture, appliances, boxes and bins, and more, enough space to hold the contents of a small home
Q: How much is a storage unit per month?
A: The cost of a storage unit varies depending on factors like the size of the unit, additional features and amenities, facility location and more. We shop the competition regularly, so you always get our best rates.
