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there any preventions against tail-gating into the property?

If more than two of these are not in place, shop elsewhere.

Should I Rent a Drive-Up or Inside Storage Room?

Drive-ups are for convenience and usually cost a little more. I only consider a drive-up room a necessity if a person has a lot of heavy equipment or machinery like riding lawn mowers or something difficult to maneuver down hallways. And, of course, someone with a classic car to store can't get those down a hallway and through a swing door!

If one lives in a location where heavy snowfall occurs, I always recommend inside storage rooms. When snow piles up against your drive-up storage room, it can become difficult to get to your things and the ice can become treacherous.

Most self-storage facilities have furniture carts and dollies for tenants to borrow to make maneuvering their belongings down hallways more convenient. I almost always prefer inside storage over drive-up.

Is Cleanliness an Important Factor?

Absolutely! If pride is taken in the property, great care is taken to insure the tenant's happiness. If they care enough to keep the property well-maintained, they care about you and your belongings too! I also find that the cleaner properties take greater measures in insect and rodent control, which is very important to the life of your possessions. Ask the management what they do to insure against harmful insects and rodents.

Should I Just Buy a Cargo Container to Store My Things In?

The advantages of cargo containers is that you don't have to move your things twice. When your new home is ready, it's simply picked up and dropped down into your own backyard.

The disadvantage is that once things are stored inside, they're there to stay until you get ready to unload it. With rented self-storage, you can always get to your things during regular access hours. If you need to get to Christmas decorations or winter clothes before your new house is ready, forget it!

Following these guidelines should take the edge off of self-storage decision-making. Also remember that a lot of moving companies have self-storage affiliates, which can help minimize your search. Good luck!

Learn more about this author, Sheila-Ann Bender.
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