Related Posts
Many of us need to rent a more or less permanent self-storage unit. It might be because we live in a small house and need storage for out of season items such as gardening equipment or sports gear. Maybe you run a small business and it is a cost effective way to get storage for your stock. Whatever the reason we know how useful a self-storage unit can be but, nevertheless, it is a monthly cost that we have to bear so it would be good to know how to keep that cost to a minimum.
Well take a look at these tips and you could cut your self-storage costs significantly.
Clear Out Your Clutter
Don’t waste your money storing things you never use or that you are keeping “for a rainy day” when really you know that day will never come. Cut self-storage costs every now and then by having a clear-out. Sell, recycle, donate or even, as a last resort, dump any clutter or rubbish that is taking up space because that space is costing you money.
Be brutal and ruthless otherwise you will just be sorting through stuff without reducing the pile. Make a commitment to, for example, halve the number of boxes or, better still, reduce the clutter to the point where you can rent a smaller, and less expensive, storage unit.
Getting started is often the hard part so set aside a particular week-end and just do it.
Shop Around for Insurance Deals
The items in your storage unit may have limited value but, then again, they may be very valuable. People store classic cars, business stock, antiques or wine collections in storage units so if you are one of these make sure you have good insurance for damage, fire, flood or theft. But good insurance does not necessarily mean the most expensive so shop around and compare deals.
Consider carefully what type of insurance cover you need depending on what you are storing so that you are confident that you will be properly compensated for any loss should you be unfortunate enough to lose your possessions for whatever reason.
Check in advance the insurance options available both from the self-storage provider and by checking independently with a range of home and business insurers. Some home or business policies may already cover you for belongings in storage and can extend your existing cover for a small charge.
Compare Long-Term Costs
There are plenty of special offers from self-storage companies to persuade you to store with them but if you are storing long term then it will pay you, literally, to look at the total cost over a year or more. An offer of the first month free may sound tempting but your overall costs could be higher if the regular monthly rental is higher than average and the contract binds you to a minimum rental period.
When you are comparing long-term storage costs take account of services such as free self-storage collection and delivery because, apart from reducing the hassle it will also save you the cost of petrol delivering the stuff yourself or the cost of hiring a van. Also check if there are inexpensive self-storage facilities in your area who fix their prices for as long as 5 years which will protect you from price rises.
Finally…
Any finally, if you want to cut self-storage costs don’t forget to pay your rent on time as some self-storage companies levy a fee for late payments, which could increase your storage costs over time if you frequently pay late. You might also run the risk of the self-storage company selling of your belongings to recoup the lost rental amounts.