» Self Storage Units
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What Makes a Good Self Storage FacilityBy joel on October 10, 2011 | No Comments
Customers will try to find out as much about the self storage facility from different sources. They will go online, ask a friend and even call around. Of course some facilities will do their best to put their best feet forward to impress their potential customers. Since not every customer knows what separates a good storage facility from a bad one, we have listed a couple of things to look for below.Is the location is a safe area? This is a question that a lot of new customers do think about. When they are looking around for the best quality self storage facility, it is important to really know where the facility is located. If you are not sure by looking online or in the yellow pages, do searches on a map or you can call the storage facility to ask them. Then you can usually look on a map or find some information about that area. It is even a great idea to take time to drive by the location. Take a look at the block the facility is on, the block before and the block after the facility. You can get a good idea of the area the location is in.Doe the store take care of doors, fences, ect? As you are driving by or deciding to visit the facility, you can observe the facility itself. How do they take care of their property? Are the doors worn? Does the facility look like it could use a paint job? Does the facility look like someone has been there in the last couple of years? Sometimes the environment can overwhelm the storage facility if someone is not taking care of it.Is the location clean? When you go down a visit the facility or drive by does the facility look like someone actually cares about the appearance of the facility? Is there a lot of debris just blowing around the facility? When you walk into the facility can you tell the last time the carpet has been vacuumed? There are many more questions to ask yourself as you visiting facilities. The reason you are thinking about these things is to determine whether or not the facility will take care of whatever you need. If the storage managers take care of the facility and insure the quality of their facility, they will take your requests seriously as well. There will be facility managers who try to shine even though their facility is not pleasant. Unfortunately the appearance and condition of the facility, might attract some unwanted visitors such as bugs, rats and other things.What kind of security technology is at the store? We are not saying that a facility has to be completely locked down to the point where there is an armed guard standing out front, but typically a quality facility will invest in some security technology. Facilities will actually brag about their technology if they have some. They will tell you about their access control gate, where only those people that have pin number allowed access. They will tell about their motion sensors that will have the lights turn on when you enter that portion of the storage facility. That’s the company thinking about saving money and not have their lights on all the time wasting money, which in turn makes your rental costs go up.Does the staff back up the store? What does the staff really think about the facility they are working for? Do they think this facility is good to rent from? Even if the facility manager does not think so but they still decided to say yes, you will be able to tell. Then you have to decide if you want to rent from a facility that decides to lie. If the facility manager says that the quality of this facility is not great at all and they go on for a time telling you what’s wrong, then you have to decide if you want to rent from a facility who’s manager does not like it there. You have many things to think about.How full is the facility? That will definitely tell you some things. If the facility is full that could tell you that people like to rent there for some reason. Is it the location, the price, friendly staff or something else? If you time it just right, you might be able to bump into a person that already rents there. You might be able to ask them a couple of questions to find out what made this facility the one they wanted to rent from.As you see, there are many different things that make one self storage facility better quality than another one. Not all facilities are created equal. In fact, the basics of self storage are the same, but every facility tries to put their spin on it. After all this information, finding the right facility for you could be as simple as having an honest conversation with the property manager. Sometimes the facilities that do not have a lot of flash, get the most customers due to their honesty.Customers will try to find out as much about the from different sources. They will go online, ask a friend and even call around. Of course some facilities will do their best to put their best feet forward to impress their potential customers. Since not every customer knows what separates a good storage facility from a bad one, we have listed a couple of things to look for below.
Is the location is a safe area? This is a question that a lot of new customers do think about. When they are looking around for the best quality self storage facility, it is important to really know where the facility is located. If you are not sure by looking online or in the yellow pages, do searches on a map or you can call the storage facility to ask them. Then you can usually look on a map or find some information about that area. It is even a great idea to take time to drive by the location. Take a look at the block the facility is on, the block before and the block after the facility. You can get a good idea of the area the location is in.
Doe the store take care of doors, fences, ect? As you are driving by or deciding to visit the facility, you can observe the facility itself. How do they take care of their property? Are the doors worn? Does the facility look like it could use a paint job? Does the facility look like someone has been there in the last couple of years? Sometimes the environment can overwhelm the storage facility if someone is not taking care of it.
Is the location clean? When you go down a visit the facility or drive by does the facility look like someone actually cares about the appearance of the facility? Is there a lot of debris just blowing around the facility? When you walk into the facility can you tell the last time the carpet has been vacuumed? There are many more questions to ask yourself as you visiting facilities. The reason you are thinking about these things is to determine whether or not the facility will take care of whatever you need. If the storage managers take care of the facility and insure the quality of their facility, they will take your requests seriously as well. There will be facility managers who try to shine even though their facility is not pleasant. Unfortunately the appearance and condition of the facility, might attract some unwanted visitors such as bugs, rats and other things.
What kind of security technology is at the store? We are not saying that a facility has to be completely locked down to the point where there is an armed guard standing out front, but typically a quality facility will invest in some security technology. Facilities will actually brag about their technology if they have some. They will tell you about their access control gate, where only those people that have pin number allowed access. They will tell about their motion sensors that will have the lights turn on when you enter that portion of the storage facility. That’s the company thinking about saving money and not have their lights on all the time wasting money, which in turn makes your rental costs go up.
Does the staff back up the store? What does the staff really think about the facility they are working for? Do they think this facility is good to rent from? Even if the facility manager does not think so but they still decided to say yes, you will be able to tell. Then you have to decide if you want to rent from a facility that decides to lie. If the facility manager says that the quality of this facility is not great at all and they go on for a time telling you what’s wrong, then you have to decide if you want to rent from a facility who’s manager does not like it there. You have many things to think about.
How full is the facility? That will definitely tell you some things. If the facility is full that could tell you that people like to rent there for some reason. Is it the location, the price, friendly staff or something else? If you time it just right, you might be able to bump into a person that already rents there. You might be able to ask them a couple of questions to find out what made this facility the one they wanted to rent from.
As you see, there are many different things that make one self storage facility better quality than another one. Not all facilities are created equal. In fact, the basics of self storage are the same, but every facility tries to put their spin on it. After all this information, finding the right facility for you could be as simple as having an honest conversation with the property manager. Sometimes the facilities that do not have a lot of flash, get the most customers due to their honesty.
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Trusting Your Self Storage FacilityBy joel on September 19, 2011 | No Comments
If you ask around, you will find that many people are still a little skeptical about using their credit card over the phone. Of course there are countless people who have used their credit cards over the phone or on the internet that have gotten their information stolen. This has led to them having their identities stolen which have affected their lives not for the positive. What people have been doing is still trying to do business over the phone or on the internet, but deal with trusted sites or companies. It is very important these days as well as very convenient to use their cards over the phone.Many self storage facilities have taken precautions and the time to ensure their security is top notch so that customers feel safe giving their credit cards over the phone or on the internet. When customers call into the self storage facilities looking to rent a space, managers will ask them to reserve over the phone. Customers can feel comfortable knowing that they know where the facility is, who they are talking to and also that they are calling the store for information. They are not being solicited to have their credit card taken. So when the manager asks you to reserve a space, know it is in your best interest and you can feel comfortable.If you are driving and cannot get to your card to reserve, you should pull over to get your card so that you do not miss out on the space. The reason you are calling the facility is to get a space. If the manager at the facility tells you that they are limited on what they have, then you should use your card to reserve the space. Typically there is always somewhere you pull over that you can pull over in order to get the space you need reserved.There are a lot of reasons to reserve, but the most important one is that the unit will actually be there when you go to get it. There is no good feeling to be felt knowing that your storage unit is gone because you did not step out on faith and reserve the space. The managers at the facility want your business so they will for the most part not lie to you and try to take your credit card information for their own personal use. Reserve the space and feel good knowing you can cross that off your to do list.If you reserve a storage unit, then the price and specials that you were quoted will be locked in. If you do not, then the quote may change. Many people try to be mad at the facility for changing their price when the manager told them it could change. Just grab your credit card reserve the space. A quality self storage facility will ensure they have the procedures in place to protect your identity and also take care of your storage needs.If you ask around, you will find that many people are still a little skeptical about using their credit card over the phone. Of course there are countless people who have used their credit cards over the phone or on the internet that have gotten their information stolen. This has led to them having their identities stolen which have affected their lives not for the positive. What people have been doing is still trying to do business over the phone or on the internet, but deal with trusted sites or companies. It is very important these days as well as very convenient to use their cards over the phone.
Many facilities have taken precautions and the time to ensure their security is top notch so that customers feel safe giving their credit cards over the phone or on the internet. When customers call into the self storage facilities looking to rent a space, managers will ask them to reserve over the phone. Customers can feel comfortable knowing that they know where the facility is, who they are talking to and also that they are calling the store for information. They are not being solicited to have their credit card taken. So when the manager asks you to reserve a space, know it is in your best interest and you can feel comfortable.
If you are driving and cannot get to your card to reserve, you should pull over to get your card so that you do not miss out on the space. The reason you are calling the facility is to get a space. If the manager at the facility tells you that they are limited on what they have, then you should use your card to reserve the space. Typically there is always somewhere you pull over that you can pull over in order to get the space you need reserved.
There are a lot of reasons to reserve, but the most important one is that the unit will actually be there when you go to get it. There is no good feeling to be felt knowing that your storage unit is gone because you did not step out on faith and reserve the space. The managers at the facility want your business so they will for the most part not lie to you and try to take your credit card information for their own personal use. Reserve the space and feel good knowing you can cross that off your to do list.
If you reserve a storage unit, then the price and specials that you were quoted will be locked in. If you do not, then the quote may change. Many people try to be mad at the facility for changing their price when the manager told them it could change. Just grab your credit card reserve the space. A quality self storage facility will ensure they have the procedures in place to protect your identity and also take care of your storage needs.
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Garage Bands are Moving to Storage UnitsBy jeff on March 9, 2011 | No Comments
Music is everywhere and it would seem like music is in everything. Many people love their type of music to be played at all times, well whenever they are able to listen. They will like to have their music blaring for everyone to hear and they are proud of what they are playing. Lombard, Illinois is home to many different walks of life, thus home to many different types of music to be played. It does not hurt to get out of your own musical comfort zone and soak in some music from a different culture. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you will like. In Lombard, some people try to find different places to play their own music and they tend to look at their local storage facility.
Most managers would shy away from letting bands practice at their because they don’t want the extra noise in the neighborhood. They want to ensure that they are catering to everybody that could use their facility but they also want to make sure that no one is disturbed. This collection of in the middle of town is surrounded by businesses and rural areas so the managers might not want to make everyone around them not want to use their facility. At the same time they figured this type of new ideas in storage would bring in some additional revenue. They decided to allow bands to use their Lombard storage units for their band practice but gave them very strict hours in which they could play. They figured no one would be upset if the bands played at those times.
A particular band thought that it was awesome that they could play at a Lombard storage units facility and not in their garage. The garage they were using had stricter hours to play than the facility did. So they were ecstatic. They had many places that they were going to perform because they really wanted to be famous and in the mainstream music that you would hear on the radio. They really wanted to be successful. They were going to devote as much time as humanly possible in order to make this thought a reality.
So the band would go to their Lombard storage units and take time to write and play around with different chords and music. They would be smart to write the music off time and maximize the time in the storage space. When they found what they liked, they put it all together and hoped it would sound great. Actually most of the people in the surrounding area did not mind hearing them play. They found that they were actually pretty good. Many people called into the facility to find out who was playing such great music there. The manager at first did not know how to respond to this so they had to find out who it was. They thought they were causing a disturbance. Once the band found out they had adoring fans, this gave them even more fuel to keep doing what they were doing. It makes a person or group of people feel good knowing that people actually like what they have been working on. People put in time to try to perfect their art. This would have not happened if the local storage facility did not let the band practice there. It’s good someone had an open mind.
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Storage Units to Fit All NeedsBy jeff on January 7, 2011 | No Comments
There are many different units that you can find at Hillcrest self storage locations. Anyone in New York can probably find a unit no matter what they are looking to store. There are the basic units for furniture and then there are more specialized units and spaces set aside for special requests. Some callers may need to store an RV or a gigantic boat. This would require a special space. These spaces are typically hard to find at most Hillcrest self storage locations, but you should be able to find what you need if you do a quick internet search for the type of storage that you are looking for.
One of the basic types of Hillcrest self storage units that you will find will be the drive up space. They are nice for renters who are looking for convenience. They will be able to pull up to the unit to load and unload as the name would imply. Bigger items easily fit into the unit because they will typically have roll up doors with huge door widths. Some customers will have items that will not fit into a typical door. Some sites may offer units inside or outside of the security gate. This is a result of expansion, typically, and many callers who do care about security that much will jump at the opportunity save a little money. It is all about what their priorities are and every caller in New York may have different priorities when storing.
Climate controlled units are a popular unit type and are available at most locations. It will regulate the temperature to stay around room temperature. This is not to be confused with cold storage. Some customers may be on the hunt for a refrigerated unit to keep food items. There are a few companies that may offer this type of space, but it will probably take a lot of searching to find what you are looking for.
Some customers have a lot of stuff that they are looking to store. The site may not offer a size that is big enough for you. The biggest size at most properties would be a ten by thirty. It could hold about a three bedroom home so it is a good sized space. Some sites may offer bigger units, but not usually. The best solution is to get two units. You do not have to get two of the same size as some callers would think. You could get a ten by thirty and a ten by ten for example. This would give you a total of four hundred square feet and could hold a five or six bedroom home. This would be a good option for customers with smaller homes that also have a full basement or a lot of stuff in the garage.
If you are looking to save a little money on your monthly rent, you may look into getting a unit on an upper level. The spaces will most likely be accessed by using an elevator. Make sure that the elevator is big enough for all of your things so you do not have to lug a bunch of items up the stairs. That would be a pain. Some sites will even have mezzanine level units.
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Self Storage Unit PopularityBy admin on February 26, 2009 | No Comments
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Today storing units are becoming extremely popular and used by almost everyone. No matter what kind of business you may be having or even for your household goods, outside storing has become the order of the day. Everyone is hiring these units and in a way keeping their premises clean. To cater to all kinds of users there are many kinds of storing units available today. A self storage unit is your own storing place where you can keep your goods and forget about their safety, since such a storing unit implies security. The most popular kinds of storing units that are available today are the household, business and commercial purpose self storage unit . Most companies that provide storing facilities have these units and rent out as per demand to high class business houses and commercial establishments. These are available basically in two categories. The climate controlled units are expensive while the general facility ones are of lesser valuation. A climate controlled storing unit may be heated or may have cool temperature. They usually are moisture and dampness protected so that molds do not collect in them and no damage is caused to the goods. Pest control facilities are also available in most of the units as pests tend to make the warehouses their homes time and again. A customer may choose a storing unit as per need and requirement.
If you are the owner of RVs or boat then you need not worry. There are many companies that have storing units for boats and such specialized vehicles too. Such a self storage unit is different from the regular units as the purpose of these units is completely different. For boats and such vehicles the storing place is usually in the exterior, but very well protected. So no matter what kind of need you may be having, there are storing places for you. A company that provides storing facilities also usually provides the facility of relocating and packing.
Once you hire the services of these companies, they will start with packing your goods and then shifting them to their location. In this way all your anxieties and hassles about storing are reduced to a great extent. If you hire the services related to packing of these companies then you will be freed from your other works of purchasing the packing materials and getting your goods packed, so that they are moved to your self storage unit . If you desire to do the packing yourself, you may need to take the help of some outsiders and pay some extra dollars, not to mention the hassle involved.
Storing goods in a self storage unit has several facilities. Usually these storing units have their fixed times when you can access the goods, but it may be possible that these fixed hours are changed just for you. It is possible that for the facility of a specific customer the visiting hours are changed and you have full flexibility of visiting and accessing your goods anytime you feel like. This has proven to be one of the most appreciated features that are provided by these units. Moreover, you are also given extra keys and you can use your own locks also for privacy if you desire in these units. What more can a customer asks for while storing his goods in an unknown place?
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What To Look For In Self Storage UnitsBy admin on January 21, 2009 | No Comments
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When you are going to keep some of the valuable items in an external storing facility, you should first confirm the condition of the , which you are going to hire. Actually, you will find many self storing facilities in and around your locality. But, you will not find all of them suitable for your requirement, once you visit those places. Some of the facilities might offer you reasonable rates, but they might not offer adequate services for your storing purpose. While you would be going for inspecting the facility, you should look for following aspects for the unit to assure total safety and security of your articles.
- You must check that the self storage units are thoroughly dust free and humid free. This is very much required for your items to stay fresh and unaffected by mildew and moisture. You can also confirm that whether any dehumidifier system is attached to the units or not. If not, then you can put some dehumidifier materials, when you use the units.
- The units should be properly protected against any type of unwanted incidents. There should be the facility of adding an extra padlock by yourself to assure you double protection for your articles.
- There should be fire alarm or smoke detector installed inside the self storage units . This will prevent your articles from being affected by any accidental fire. In case of any such incidents, the employees of the facilities could take an immediate step to prevent a disaster.
- The building of the storing facility will be properly fenced to inhibit entry by any unauthorized persons. The entire building should have only one entry point, which will be controlled by computerized gate. Without proper authorization, nobody will be able to enter the facility.
- There should be sufficient security staff to guard the self storage units . A CCTV connection or burglar alarms would be the right equipments to help these security personnel. Sitting in a central point, the security system of the whole building could be monitored by using the CCTV connection.
- The corridors of the buildings should be properly illuminated with bright light, so that nobody can get into any illegal activity within the construction.
- If you are storing your sensitive articles, then you should go for temperature controlled self storage units . You should inspect for the system of climate control, whether it works perfectly or not. A climate controlled unit will be placed in the central place of the building, so that the outside weather condition does not affect the indoor climate.
- You should also check whether the units are built in a safe location, so that flood water, cyclone or any natural disaster cannot damage the stored articles. At many warehouses, the units are built in the first floor, so that water cannot enter inside.
Taking all the above conditions into consideration, if you find any suitable real estate warehouses, then you should check for the price factor. Different facilities offer different deals for your contract. If you go for long term storing agreement, then you might receive certain discounts on the net price. Some facilities will offer you special deals for moving your articles to the warehouse. Some of them might give you discount on multiple units. You should select the right deal, which would just fit into the size of your pocket.
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Various Ways to Use a Self Storage UnitBy admin on January 9, 2009 | No Comments
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Before you go for booking a self storage unit , you must be assured about your requirement. Nowadays, varieties of storing options are available, including different sizes of units and climate controlled facilities. Within these units the possibilities of storing your articles are innumerable. You can store anything and everything, whether it is a household item or sensitive instrument or antique piece or commercial documents or something else. Depending upon the size of your storable items, you should select the size of the unit. You should not pay extra amount for any unused space in a large sized unit or you should not jam pack your small sized unit with many articles. There should be equilibrium between the size of the unit and the size of the articles to be stored.
Some of the most common purposes of booking a self storage unit are as follows.
• Some people use the unit as a transition space, which is used for moving items from one house to another. While shifting houses, they keep some of their articles within a storing unit, either for space crunch in the new house or for additional transportation cost to move these less important items.
• Many people use the unit to keep their valuable and sensitive possessions. Actually, they feel that a storing unit is more safe and secured than their house. Also, for sensitive items, a climate controlled unit can provide the perfect environment, which is never possible in normal situation.
• People also use a self storage unit to keep their seasonal items. It might be holiday decorations, winter or summer clothing or special sports material like ski, snowboards or surfboards. Once a particular season is back, you can take out your specific items and alternately store the other seasonal items within the unit.
• These units are very much useful to the college or university students, who are staying far from their home to pursue their study. During holidays, they store their articles in a storing unit, while leaving the place for few weeks. This way their items remain safe and protected, and they can stay free of tension being out of the place.
• There are retired people who downsize their living standard due to financial insufficiency, use the to store their unused or less used belongings.
• The units are also used to store business documents, records, files etc. and to secure the business equipments and inventory storage for any commercial organization. Other than these, old and unused office furniture can also be kept in this space. Specially, a fireproof and waterproof unit can ensure proper safety for most confidential and important documents of any business, which can never be attained at the office building. A climate controlled unit will take care of the sensitive instruments used for commercial purpose.
Thus, the options of using the self storage unit are unlimited. However, before booking any unit, first you should work on a rough estimation on how much space you will really require? Also, identify the nature of storing facility you are looking for, is it a normal or weather proof or fire proof etc. Because, the amount of money you spend is directly proportionate with the size and the nature of the unit. This way, you do not spend extra on your storing procedure and at the same time, you can enjoy a tension free and hassle free experience of storing.