People find a need for storing their stuff for lots of reasons. From a temporary spot for shipping boxes to downsizing living space to making extra room for a growing family, there are various options one can choose from, four of which are covered here.
Classic Storage Units
Most people are aware of self-storage units, and these make a great choice for keeping stuff out of the way. It’s a common choice when consumers are in between homes and need a place to centralize their belongings.
On the positive side, self-storage units typically provide users with around-the-clock access. They also frequently have security monitoring as well as coded gates that allow only customers to get in via a personal code that’s been assigned. On the downside, customers have to get their items to and from storage using their own vehicles.
The cost of renting a self-storage unit is dependent upon factors including location, features, and size. Larger units that are suitable for storing the contents of an entire home may cost, on average, $150 to $230 each month.
Pods
Another option for storage is what’s known as a “pod”. These offer the convenience of bringing the storage directly to the packing location which makes it easy to fill. Once full, the pod is relocated to a new place. The pod company will haul the pod via truck on behalf of customers. The downside to pods is that they’re not as large as a stationary unit.
Quotes for pod rental can be obtained online. On average, a pod with space for three or four rooms’ worth of stuff runs around $175 per month. In addition, there’s a transporting fee for both delivery and relocation, and that runs approximately $65 for each.
Concierge Storage
Concierge storage is simply a complete service in which the company takes care of both packing and storing. They’ll also bring customers items they may discover are needed after they’ve been stored. This means that customers don’t have to be concerned with transporting items.
This service is very convenient as the concierge company performs a complete inventory of the contents. The finished list that’s given to the customer has numbered labels with a description of what each number represents.
On the downside, items that are needed can only be gotten during company hours. The cost of concierge storage depends on the location’s general cost of living.
Peer-to-Peer
This simple storage method is just what it sounds like. People in need of storage can search for someone who’s offering to rent out home space, such as an attic or cellar, for storage.
There are benefits to the peer-to-peer approach because it’s more personalized as far as amount of space and cost. There’s more flexibility than there would be with a firmly-structured company. On the downside, the peer-to-peer storage trend is still new and only available in a limited number of places, so it may not be convenient.
The cost of peer-to-peer storage is determined by a number of factors including location and negotiations agreed upon by the host and the renter. However, the overall cost for this type of storage is about half the cost of commercial storage.