How To Determine The Best Storage Unit For You

By Victoria Robertson on July 31, 2015

This article is brought to you by CORT, a subsidiary of Berkshire-Hathaway and the world’s largest furniture rental and relocation services company. To learn more about how we can help college students like you, click here.

Everyone has way too much stuff with nowhere to put it. The truth is, this becomes even more of a burden when you move into your first apartment or dorm in college.

It feels as if you now have two of everything, and when you come back home for the summer, you have absolutely no room left over for your school things.

Storage units are a great way to bypass this extra clutter. So for those of you interested in getting a storage unit for your subsequent college years, here are a few questions to keep in mind to help you determine the best storage unit for you.

Image by Mike Mozart via flickr.com

1. How much does it cost?

Cost is, of course, a huge factor when it comes to picking a storage unit. You obviously don’t want to be paying a second rent just to keep your things out of your way, so set yourself a budget before you go out looking for storage spaces.

While some of the more expensive units are probably much nicer and well maintained, they are also going to be pretty far out of your budget for no real reason.

All you’re looking for is a place to store your things that you don’t have room for, so the cheaper you can go while still feeling comfortable with leaving your things there, the better.

2. How much space do you need?

Judge the amount of stuff you are going to be keeping in the storage unit before you go out looking for one. It’s not helpful to you if you end up with a storage space that’s way too big or way too small because you didn’t realize how little/much stuff you would need to put into storage.

Set these things aside before you go looking for a space. Determine exactly how much you want to keep there and maybe even give yourself a little extra wiggle room, just in case you find out later in the year that you actually have more things you aren’t using that you want to keep in your storage space.

3. What’s the company’s reputation?

While this is typically the last thing people think of when getting a storage unit, it’s one of the most important. You are going to be entrusting your things to this company. While it may seem over the top, you will want to make sure your belongings are safe.

Find out what their security system is like, if they’ve had break-ins before, if they’ve had complaints from other clients or even just if they’re a reliable company.

We’re all pretty quick to judge, and this is one of those times that you’ll need to be. If you have a bad feeling about the place initially, go with your gut. These are your things you’ll be keeping here, so being comfortable with the company and the space is extremely important.

Image by Kim Scarborough via flickr.com

4. How close is the unit?

Proximity to your apartment is another huge consideration you’ll want to keep in mind when looking for a storage unit. Moving in and out of apartments/dorms is difficult enough, so the closer your unit is to these locations, the easier this process will be on you.

Also, it’s good to have the unit close just in case you ever need something out of it/need to put something into it. While this shouldn’t necessarily be a deal breaker if the space is just a little further than you’d like, it’s definitely something to keep in mind in the long run.

Driving to the space won’t kill you, but too much distance is unnecessary, especially on a college campus where storage units are fairly abundant.

5. How long will you be using the unit?

The final question to keep in mind when getting a storage space is the length of time you plan on using the unit. Most students commit to all four years of their undergrad career, but do you plan on moving apartments over the years?

If so, you may want to consider switching units over the years as you move around campus.

Also, you’ll want to keep in mind how long you’re required to use the storage units. Some companies may bind you to a contract, others may let you leave whenever you want. These are things to keep in mind when getting your space, especially if you aren’t quite sure what your future plans are.

You don’t want your storage unit to bind you to an apartment you learn you don’t actually like after a few months.

Just like most new experiences in college, picking out a storage unit is often a necessity, and at the same time extremely stressful. So make sure you keep these questions in mind when picking one out to help eliminate even a little bit of that stress later on.

Looking for a more convenient way to furnish your off-campus apartment? Rent stylish furniture from CORT and save time and money. For more information on furniture rental packages, click here.

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