How safe are storage units?

[FreshTressa]

We were thinking of putting all of our stuff in storage and moving into a small apartment while we sell our house and wait for the new one to be built.

I was looking on the BBB site though and it sounds like storage units are terrible...stuff gets stolen all the time, it molds, rats eat it, etc., and the place has no liability.

Is it really that dangerous?

I hate to have to rent a house big enough for all our stuff. (hehe, even if I can find people who will rent to us for 5 months with a dog!!)

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

There are A/C storage unit companies out there--that will protect your items from weather related elements such as heat and humidity.

and you could probably go to measures to protect from varmants and bugs as well---just check the restrictions bythe company.

chances are if it is A/C--it is more building like and less garage like.

packaging stuff in rubbermaid or other plastic container (not trashbags) would also keep critters out.

As far as safety--I stored mine in a unit in a college town for one summer and had no problems.

You can seek renters insurance with your insurance company--make sure it covers goods stored in units. That way if theft or damage due to fire or forces of nature--then you would be covered for your loss.

Shop wisely as you would shop for a place to live--we have a really nice storage facility here--but I think they cater to all the big homes--it looks like an office building and is all A/C.

 

[hlbtimes2]

Two tips: check the insurance coverage and dont put anything really important in there (pictures, family heirlooms, etc). If you would be heartbroke if it was missing or damaged I wouldnt put it in. If it can be replaced (furniture, kitchen ware, etc) then go ahead.

 

[kbkids]

Two tips: check the insurance coverage and dont put anything really important in there (pictures, family heirlooms, etc). If you would be heartbroke if it was missing or damaged I wouldnt put it in. If it can be replaced (furniture, kitchen ware, etc) then go ahead.

This is what I'm doing right now. Everything replaceable (the majority of our stuff) is going into the storage units. Family pictures, children's craft projects, heirlooms, etc. are all going to my parent's house.

 

[FreshTressa]

See, that is part of the problem...lots of my furniture is heirloom furniture passed down from grandparents.

I just don't think I can do it!

 

[beckmrk04]

My moron cousin (you know the kind, the cousin no one claims) made a pretty decent living off of stealing stuff out of storage units until he got caught.

I would look for the A/C kind too- we have some around here that are lit 24/7 and fully enclosed in a building. It would be harder for someone to steal out of those.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

See, that is part of the problem...lots of my furniture is heirloom furniture passed down from grandparents.

I just don't think I can do it!

That woudl require an A/C unit which is no different than a home really.

shop a round and see if you can find a storage facility that specializes in that.

as far as insurance--not that it will help you replace the heirloom--but if ther is any antique value--it will require appraisal and then possibly a rider for the antique.


While heirloom--I don't put it on the same plane as photos or jewelry. KWIM? Not to lessen what it means to you--just that it is more durable and more difficult to steal.

In some cases--a secure storage unit-would be safer than the back of a garage.

 

[FreshTressa]

Lol, that is true...I would hate to see burglers trying to sneak off with an gigantic ornate antique piano, lol....They would need a forklift

 

[aprilgail2]

Try to get one of the inside ones...my friend had one that the door was on the outside and all her furniture got moldy and most of the stuff in there was ruined.

 

[pjlla]

As far as security goes, try checking into those PODS units. They claim that you are the only holder of the key.... however, they don't look huge and if you are talking about things like pianos, maybe they would be too small..................P

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Lol, that is true...I would hate to see burglers trying to sneak off with an gigantic ornate antique piano, lol....They would need a forklift

Piano definitely needs special care and an a/c unit.

 

[ceiligh1]

We had to put a bunch of our stuff into storage when we moved. If you are still in redmond look into American Storage (I think that is their name) they are near marymoor park. They have heated storage units as well as having a caretakers who live onsite. It is gated and you can not get in at night. We had no problem with them we we stored there, they were very nice people.

 

[froglady]

I have an indoor storage unit.

It's inside a heated/A/C'd building, and you have to use a code to get into the building. Then, I have to use a code to take an elevator to the correct floor. The elevator won't move unless you've keyed in your code to the correct floor. (ie, I can't key in a 3rd floor code and get to the 4th floor.) Then my storage unit has my own lock on it. When you step off the elevator, the lights go on, and music is piped in. They also have multiple dollies for transporting things; I just roll one up to the car and load it.

There is a security monitor in the office, which tracks everyone in the building. The building can only be accessed during certain hours (6AM-11PM) They also have monthly bug treatment of all common areas; the storage units have open tops, so the gas would enter all units.

I suppose someone COULD steal things, but it's not like they could back a car up, break the lock, load up, and take off.

So I definitely feel that my things are safer there than in my damp garage.

 

[ZachnElli]

We just did this, only we had ALL our stuff in storage! We had it in there from the very end of Jan. until March 7. We thought we had rented one that was climate controled (they said it was) but it was not. We were moving from 1200 miles away and couldn't check it out first. Anyway, we were moving back "home" and stayed with my parents, so only clothes came with us. All our furniture and electronics (including 5 computers, a large screen HDTV, etc) made it just fine. And it got really, really cold, like 0 degrees. Nothing stolen or damaged, obviously no mold because it was too cold. And no rats. They did have a security gate that needed a code to get through it. Not sure that it did alot, but it was something.

 

[Miranda Danda]

I hate to say it, but it is not safe at all. I worked Crime Scene in Escambia County, Florida (Pensacola area) for a while and we worked about 10 of those calls a month with each call having about 15-30 storage unti broken into. People can cut those locks and they have even found ways to get the bigger circular locks off. We have seen a lot of damage done to expensive, nostalgic items that can never be replaced.

 

[hiwaygal]

When we sold DH's parents house there was over 40 years worth of STUFF in it...waaaaaaay too much stuff for my little townhouse. So, off to the storage area it went.

Now, there was no furniture and pretty much everything is now in plastic bins. But I still prefer the climate control units, they are a little more expensive but SOO worth it.

That stuff has been over there for nearly 2 years, and we've never had a problem. You have to key in a code for the gate to open to let you onto the property and then everyone pretty much has their own locks on their units. And then you have to key the code back in to get out of the gate.

Nothing has ever been stolen or damaged and quite frankly, it's better there than taking up an entire room in my house!

 

[Mi3stooges]

I say common sense...like when you pack your luggage, keep all important and valuable things with you. I'm sure you can find a few friends and relatives who would be happy to store those valuables for you.
There are good storage units and bad ones. Speaking from experience, my MIL had hers broken into, make sure you document everything you put in and maybe even pictures. See what kind of security they have and if there are any video cameras where your unit might be. Good luck!!

 

[PanamaMike]

I had my stuff in storage for 18 months while I was away on a job and had no problems.

I did however, work with a woman a few years ago who had put her stuff in storage during an out of town job. While she was away, the person renting the space next to hers defaulted on the rent and the storage owners auctioned off the contents of his space to recoup the money. Only problem was, they emptied the wrong storage space and when my co-worker returned home she discovered all her stuff had been sold.

She sued and received monetary compensation, but obviously some things can't be replaced.

 

[GoofyDad869]

We had our stuff in a storage place for 4 months while we were building our current house. No problems at all. We packed everything in plastic and we went up to check on our stuff when we paid the rent on it. We just had winter clothes (it was summertime into early fall), older furniture, lawn furniture, garage stuff - nothing that would have been hard to replace. We made sure all our clothes were washed

 

[LynnTH]

A friend of mine recently moved into a new house. While it was getting built she put all of her stuff in one of those PODS (including a baby grand). The house was only suppose to take 3 months but ended up taking 10 months. When the delivered the PODS and they went to unpack everything there was soot all over everything. After much research and headaches -she found out that the diesel from the trucks in the buidings would get inside the PODS. She had to throw away all furniture and get all the clothes dry cleaned. She has a ton of stuff that she had to throw away. She has about $15,000 in damages and is fighting to get the money from them - not sure if she will. She would take them to small claims court but that is only good up to $7000. Apparantly, this has happened to others (she found out). If they know this happens they should be shrink wrapping the PODS. What a mess. So, be careful in whatever you decide.