There are, at the time of this writing, over fifty-thousand self storage companies in the United States and, honestly, it feels as though there are more than that. Take a drive down any major access road and you will see a self-storage facility sooner, with storage units available, rather than later.
But what is self-storage? Are all self-storage spaces the same and, if not, what differentiates one from the many others? What do they cost? Is there a minimum time period you must rent for?
We will tackle the basics of the self-storage industry in this article by Mouser Self Storage. Call us for all of your storage needs in South Fort Worth/Alvarado/Johnson County.
What is self storage?
Stated in the simplest terms possible, self-storage is storage space, or storage unit, rented monthly by citizens and/or businesses, where they keep possessions, they do not have space for at their home or business.
How do self storage companies differ?
There are subtle and not-so-subtle differences between storage facilities/companies. Usually, the main difference has to do with the level of security.
There are four main levels of security in the self-storage industry. Let’s look briefly at each related to secure self storage..
A fenced perimeter: the entire property where the self-storage company is located is surrounded by a formidable fence, and there is only one main access gate onto that property.
Security monitoring: every square inch of the property is monitored by video.
Personalized access codes/card keys: the truly secure storage facilities do not have keys; keys can be copied; instead, coded computer cards are issued to each customer.
On-site management: nothing discourages vandalism and theft like the human being for secure storage.
There are no regulations concerning these four levels of security. Thus, one storage company may have two of the four; one may have three of the four; still a few, like our own Mouser Self Storage, will have all four levels of security.
In addition to security, companies may differ in the services they offer i.e. car storage, RV storage, boat storage, Climate controlled storage, outside storage, etc.
Odds and ends.
Self storage prices vary, as do the sizes of the storage units. The smallest unit will either be a 5’x10’, or a 10’x10’. The largest is generally in the 25’x40’ range.
The price differs with the size of the unit. The only way to know for sure is to call around just before you need storage. It all depends upon the local market and what the market will bear regarding price.
Finally, there is no minimum or maximum number of months you can rent. Many people only rent for one month; still others, like service people deployed overseas, may rent for a full year.
If we left anything out, you can call Mouser Self Storage to have your questions answered. Our on-site management team is there to answer your questions.
A final word about Mouser Self Storage.
Mouser Self Storage is located at 917 Industrial Park, just outside of Alvarado in Johnson County, Texas. Call us for all of your storage needs and, if you should need storage solutions in North Fort Worth, call Blue Mound 287 Self Storage at 817-439-1380.