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Save money when moving into storage

If you are moving into storage there is more to getting the best deal than just finding a bargain basement price. So don’t trick yourself into false economies and make sure you end up with the right storage solution for you. The things you need to think about when moving into storage include:

  • where the facility is located (close to home is often more expensive)
  • the size of the storage unit you need
  • what you are storing and whether you have any special requirements
  • access to your stored belongings
  • where your storage unit is located in the facility (further away from the entrance tends to be cheaper)
  • security needs
The Alongshore guide to storage

Storing for less than 3 months
Choose a unit on the ground floor and a bit larger than strictly necessary – it will make moving your belongings in and out, and packing your unit, that much faster. When paying removalists over $100 an hour the time savings are often much more important than the the month to month savings on the unit.

Storing for 6 months or more
Pick the cheapest unit that will fit your belongings. This will often mean it’s harder to get to, on a higher level and at the back. It will take your removalists longer to pack your belongings tightly and to get to your unit, but the regular monthly savings will quickly mean the extra up front cost was worth it. You could even consider a storage facility further away, just make sure the extra distance will end up being worthwhile. If storing soft furnishings for longer term make sure you have the right materials to protect them, mattress and couch protectors can save you returning to find dusty or mouldy furnishings.

Long term storage that you need to access regularly
You will want a storage facility close to home, even if it costs a bit more, the convenience will be worth it. If you only have a few things you need to access regularly but a lot more that will just sit there, consider splitting your storage to save some money.

Storing unique items or delicates
A lot of storage facilities have options for your goods, if you are storing delicate items or something precious make sure you have good security and have packed and stored them correctly to avoid mould or breakages.

Other tricks of the trade
Do you really need/want it? – It’s amazing how much gets given or thrown away when someone finally comes back to empty their storage unit. Think about what you’re storing, will you really want it again in the future? You can save yourself a lot of money by doing a good hard cull before you store!

Use your removalists connections – Your removalists should have relationships with local storage facilities and may be able to get you a better deal than you can on your own.

Call around – If you want to find something yourself, call around. Sometimes a facility with a lot of vacancy will give you a better deal than they advertise online.

Pack well and pack everything – Make sure your belongings are appropriately packed in regular sized boxes wherever possible, not only does this protect them, but it will mean you can fit more in, and more easily, than if you have a lot of odd shapes.

Get the professionals involved – There is an art to packing a storage unit efficiently. If you do have a lot of odd shapes and sizes, consider hiring removalists to pack your storage unit, experienced removalists can advise on the right sized unit so you know what you’re looking for and can get a lot more packed securely in a unit.