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Climate-controlled or non? Inside storage or drive-up? Cargo container or rented space? These are just a few of the many questions that plague people in need of self-storage for the first time.

People have a variety of reasons for needing to store their household furniture and/or personal belongings. Many are down-sizing homes and need somewhere to store excess possessions until they can decide what to do with them. Some are putting a house on the market to sell, and want to get as much clutter out of the house as possible to make it more appealing to potential buyers. Several simply have more stuff than they have house. Most, however, are waiting on a new home to become ready for move-in.

Often, relocating to a new city means living in an apartment or small rental house until the right house can be found (or built) and purchased. Since people's things are very important to them, finding the right environment for things of great personal and/or monetary value is crucial. The most important factors to consider are listed below:

Should I Rent Climate-controlled or Non?

If nice furnishings are going to be stored for a long period of time, always go with Climate-controlled-especially if you live where high humidity, high temperatures or extremely low temperatures are factors. You will always pay more for climate-controlled rooms, but it will still be cheaper in the long-run than having to replace room-fulls of molded or cracked furniture pieces.

For short-term storage, it is almost always okay to store in non-climate controlled rooms. This does not apply to someone like a pharmaceutical rep who needs to keep prescription drug samples stored in cool climates 24/7. I'm only referring to furnishings, clothing and personal belongings of that nature.

What Security Features Should I Look For?

The better the security at a site, the safer your belongings will be. Higher security always means higher prices, but the same principal applies as above. How do you know if a site is secure enough? Ask the following questions to the manager on duty:

1. Does it have electronic gates that require passcodes to enter AND exit?
2. Do the individual rooms have alarm systems?
3. Are there security cameras well-positioned throughout the site to monitor
activity 24/7?
4. Do managers live on site?
5. Is the complex fully fenced, and is the fencing secure against break-ins?
6. Is the complex well-lighted at night?
7. What are the access hours to the property? How many tenants have 24-hour
access?
8. Are

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