Local storage companies provide you with affordable and flexible storage solution, allowing you to store almost anything – from furniture to junk items, business stock, office equipment, business records, etc. However, with so many companies offering storage services (such as our chosen firm http://wynnesremovals.co.uk/removals/brighton-storage/, choosing one company is not an easy thing, and it can be quite confusing especially if you have never used a local storage company before. Fortunately, with some bit of guidance, you can be able to select the best company out of all available options.
Tips for choosing the best local storage company
Before looking at how you can select the best storage company, let us first look at some tips (we uncovered at http://newhorizonsilc.org/blog/2012/06/26/8-tips-to-picking-a-good-storage-unit/ that will help you avoid making mistakes:
1. Decide on what you want to store in the storage unit
Local storage units are available in different sizes and they are designed to be used for different purposes. Therefore, before you start looking for a local storage company, you should decide on exactly what you need to store in the unit – furniture, documents, appliances, antiques, etc. This will help to ensure that you only chose a company that offers exactly what you are looking for, for example, if you are storing important documents, you will need to find a climate controlled unit.
2. Consider several companies before deciding on one
Another great tip for choosing a local storage company is to consider and compare the deals offered by different companies. This will help to ensure that you chose the best local storage company out of all the available ones.
3. Be very careful when making the final decision on the storage company
When choosing a local storage company, some people tend to make quick decisions by only looking at the price and choosing the cheapest option. While it might be tempting to save as much money as possible, you should avoid, at all costs, making hasty decisions. This will help to ensure that you do not end up renting a unit from an unscrupulous company that will take advantage of you with things like hidden costs.
4. Make sure you sign a contract in writing
Lastly, before you hand over your first payment for the local storage unit, make sure that you have signed a contract with the local storage company you have chosen. The contract should be detailed and should include information such as the size of the unit you have rented, its location, the features it has, the terms and regulations for renting the unit, payment terms, and insurance coverage. Having a signed written contract will help to ensure that both parties keep their side of the agreement. The contract will also serve as evidence in the case of a dispute.
Factors to consider when choosing a local storage company
When choosing a local storage company to rent a storage unit from, you need to make sure that you choose the right company so that you can guarantee the safety of the items you store there. In addition, choosing a good company will help you to avoid stressful situations later on. Therefore, to help you make the right decision, below is a checklist of some of the top factors you should consider:
1. The cost of storage services
One of the most important factors that you should consider when you are choosing a local storage company is the cost of the storage unit. To ensure that you have the best deal, you should consider a company that has affordable prices, but at the same time, high-quality service. This kind of balance will ensure that you do not end up paying too much for the same services you can get elsewhere at a cheaper price or pay too little for poor storage services that will not do you any good.
2. The security offered
Security is another important consideration that you should make when choosing a local storage company, and unlike the price, there should not be any compromises. Therefore, the company you select should offer top-notch security features that will help to ensure that items you store in the unit are safe and secure. Some of the security features, listed at http://blog.storage.com/understanding-self-storage-security-features/ you should look out for include:
– 24/7 CCTC surveillance
– Controlled access to the units to ensure that unauthorised persons do not gain entry into the facilities
– A secure perimeter – cement walls, barbed wire fence, electric fence, motion detectors, etc.
– Heavy-duty doors and padlocks for the units
– Keypad controlled access points
– Alarm systems in each storage unit
– Security guards who conduct regular patrols
– Security lights
– Fire and smoke detectors
3. The location of the storage facility
When you are choosing a local storage company, their storage unit is another important decision you should make. For the best deal, the unit should be located in an easily accessible place, preferably close to the main road. This will help to ensure that you have an easy time when you need to access the unit.
4. Insurance coverage
In addition to great security features, the local storage company you chose should provide insurance coverage (as do Wynnes at http://wynnesremovals.co.uk/protect/, thus protecting your goods in the event of situations such as theft, fire, water damage, or any other form of damage that is not your fault.
5. The policy of the unit
Another thing that you should consider when deciding on a local storage company is the policy offered – i.e, the payment terms, the conditions for terminating the contract or changing the agreement, etc. For the best deal, the company you choose should have a fair and very flexible storage policy. This will help to make sure that you can cancel the agreement and stop renting or even increase the size of the unit with ease.
6. The reputation of the company
Lastly, when deciding on a local storage company to use, you should ensure that they have a good reputation. Therefore, before you make the final decision on the company to use, make sure you have conducted thorough online research to find out what their past customers have to say about them. If the company is reputable, there will be many positive reviews from customers. However, an unscrupulous company will have too many complaints.
Summary
Choosing a local storage company that you can rent a storage unit from is not an easy task, especially with so many companies in the market advertising their services as the best. However, with the above information, you can be able to narrow down on a good local storage that will offer you affordable services, guarantee the security and safety of your items, and ensure that you have an easy time as possible when using the unit you have rented.