There are about 50,000 storage facilities in the U.S., almost five times the number of Starbucks, and they are utilized by nearly one in every 10 Americans. But storing your items can be a balancing act when you’re also moving. You need to manage the movers (if you’re moving with help) and the storage facility.
You need to be on top of your game to avoid making a mistake and potentially costing yourself either money or some of your belongings. So to help you balance it all, here are some common mistakes people make when utilizing storage units:
Mistake 1: Not Knowing The Movers’ Equipment
Before renting a storage unit or hiring movers on a particular day to get things to your storage containers, ask them what they’ll be using and bringing, especially the type of vehicle.
Often companies will use moving trucks, but they might also use a trailer being pulled by a truck, or even a massive 18-wheeler. You need to know the length, height, and weight when it’s at max capacity. This leads us to the next point.
Mistake 2: Not Knowing If The Truck Will Fit
You need to be sure that the moving truck can fit into the storage facility and get to your storage unit. Storage facilities can be a little cramped sometimes, and you don’t want to make a mistake or to put the movers in a bad spot when they try to navigate a big 18-wheeler through it.
Ask the owners of the storage facility about clearance heights, widths, and access to your unit. You’ll also want to find out how trucks get into the facility and what the max load size is if there is one. You can discuss with the movers the options after this.
Mistake 3: Not Getting Enough Space
You need to know how much storage space you’ll need, and if you organize and box your belongings up, this can be easier to determine. But when you’re in doubt, talk to the facility. You have two options if you can’t quite fit it all: rent a small unit for the overflow or return it home to put it somewhere else.
These are just three of the more common mistakes that people make when moving their belongings into a storage facility, and all of them can be avoided with a little foresight.
