One of George Carlin’s comedy routines has to do with why we buy bigger houses every time we move. The reason, Carlin says, is because the house is nothing more than a place to store our “stuff,” and since we’re always buying more stuff, we’re forever looking for a bigger and bigger place to store it.
The cause-and-effect may be a bit strained, but not altogether untrue. Sooner or later, most people acquire more stuff than their home can handle, and storage becomes a problem.
Unless there’s a relative nearby with room to spare, a storage facility is probably the best bet when there’s no more room at home. Here’s how it all works.
Managers of facilities say selecting a storage site should be based on a number of factors, including proximity to your home, the amount of security provided and accessibility to your property.
“You want a place that’s convenient to get to, one you can visit as often as you want,” said Christina Wesley, who manages a U-Haul Self-Storage site in Chicago. “Once I found a place close by, I’d recommend visiting the site to see how it’s kept up, and see the amount of security it offers to protect your things.”
Frank Marple, property manager of Gold Coast Self Storage in Chicago, says studies of his customers reveal 95 percent live within a three-mile radius of his North Halsted location, and that “the industry standard is five to six miles.”
Expect facilities open less than 24 hours daily to require a sign-in procedure before allowing you access to your area. Those facilities with unlimited access often have a pass-gate system that operates using an encoded card.
Betty Dawson, who manages A-Windy City Self Storage in Chicago, says security measures at her location include signing in before gaining access to the storage space and requiring that attendants operate elevators to take customers to their area.
“We also have on-site cameras on at all times,” Dawson said. “We don’t want people getting stuck in elevators on their way to their storage site. As far as coming in, we prefer the sign-in system. Pass gates located outdoors can freeze and prevent you from getting to your area or out the gate when you’re ready to leave.”
“I personally prefer places with a touch pad and a six- or seven-digit code (to enter the facility),” Marple said. “There’s only so much you can do about security, but we feel it’s very important. Each of the six doors we have on every floor is tied to alarms that go off if they’re breached. We also have motion sensors and an on-site security guard. And when someone empties out his storage bin, we always replace the padlock.”
Wesley said U-Haul maintains security with two locks–one kept by the customer and the other by U-Haul.
“Anytime the area is opened, we both have to be there,” she said. “This way, we know who’s there. No one can get in by himself.”
Experts say it’s important to determine beforehand the amount of space you’ll actually need, since space is directly tied to cost. Wesley said one technique would be to stack everything you plan to store in a room or garage floor to see how much space you’ll need.
“For furniture storage, the basic size people need is an 8-by-9 or a 10-by-10-foot room,” Dawson said. “When customers call and say they have three rooms of furniture, I ask if they have a little or a lot in the rooms. I also suggest that a potential customer come and look first at the unit, which should tell him whether things will fit.”
Marple, of Gold Coast, advises customers to look for high ceilings that provide more stacking room.
“Unlike some places, we have nine-foot ceilings allowing you to stack more things,” he said. “We tell people with a standard six-foot couch that if they’re willing to put a blanket on the floor and place it on its side, they’re in effect stacking their couch and giving themselves more room.”
Prices at all centers surveyed were based on size. Wesley says a 4-by-4-foot space costs $29.95 per month; a 10-by-10-foot area is $94.95. At A-Windy City, prices ranged from $30 per month for a 3-by-3-foot space to $170 for a space that is approximately 9 by 20 feet.
Marple said the most common size rented by Gold Coast customers is a 5-by-8-foot room that costs $70 per month. Other sizes include an 8-by-10 for $125 and a 10-by-10 for $160 per month.
Cost may be inflated by other factors, including the need for climate-controlled storage areas and insurance.
“In just about all cases, a climate-controlled storage area requiring heat, humidity controls and air conditioning will double your monthly cost,” Marple said. “Most facilities maintain a partial climate control like providing some heat during the winter, but it’s not 100 percent controlled.”
Insurance is usually offered, and is based on the estimated value of property. Fees for insurance are added on to the monthly rental costs.
At Gold Coast, eight insurance policies ranging from $6 per month for up to $2,500 worth of coverage to $36 per month for $10,000 are available, Marple said.
Wesley says rates at U-Haul are $6 per month for up to $4,000 in value, $18 per month for $10,000, and $24 per month for $15,000.
“Over half our customers take out at least $4,000 worth of insurance per month,” she said.
Marple advises renters to check with their homeowner’s insurance policy, which may include off-site storage, and to also check with their agent before paying for extra coverage.
Storage facilities tend to rent spaces by the month, but renters should check terms of the agreement. A-Windy City’s Dawson says costs may be pro-rated based on the move-in date, and then assessed on the first day of the month or anniversary of your original move-in date each month thereafter.
Some storage centers may offer incentives.
“If you rent from us for a year, we offer one month free,” Dawson said, “but if you move out before that, the offer doesn’t apply.”
Wesley suggests renters inquire about discounts or perks that are included. At U-Haul, those renting a truck receive a month’s worth of storage free.
Marple says Gold Coast offers 5 percent discounts to college students if they show their school ID.
A few other points to consider:
– Unlimited accessibility might not be an issue for college students going away for the summer, but experts say people in sales frequently use storage areas for product samples they must be able to access at will.
“A lot of our business comes from people dealing with pharmaceuticals,” Wesley said. “Reps keep their samples here or bring them back after a day of making sales calls.”
“Lots of people in sales and entertainment marketing leave their promotional materials or samples here,” Marple adds. “With pharmaceuticals, as long as we don’t have to sign for them, people have them shipped here and we put them in a secure area.”
– Dawson warns that some storage sites may have limits as to the number of times you may access your area. She said fees of $5 to $10 may be applied.
– Dawson also says to check your payment options, since cash, checks or charge cards aren’t universally accepted.
– Like other rental agreements, storage facilities may require a security deposit. Marple say those with 24-hour access are more likely to require a month’s rent in advance, or ask for a security fee of $10 to $20 to ensure the unit is cleared out and cleaned once the rental period is over.
– Marple says renting from those with an “ancillary business,” such as Gold Coast, which also rents Ryder trucks, makes sense when it comes time to move items in and out.
– Plan carefully for your storage needs. Dawson says the 264 units at A-Windy City remain filled between 90 percent to 95 percent of the time.
“The end of April and September are the worst for finding storage room, since traditionally, a lot of people’s leases are up then,” she said. “Everyone’s scrambling for storage.”
