Six things to look for in Storage Units and Facilities

Storage units hold an important place in our daily lives. They are of high importance for people, businessmen and retailers alike.  Everyone needs to store something or the other.  Right from personal storage units to commercial storage units to warehouses, these provide the right ambiance for people with storage needs.

So what are the facilities that storage units offer? What should one look for while hunting for a storage unit? Let’s find out.

1) Security: Perhaps, the most important facility for any storage unit, security is of utmost importance.  All the units should ideally provide you with latest in security systems, CCTV surveillance, magnetic access cards, infra-red camera systems and even updated written customer logs. In short, security should be the first priority for any storage unit.

2) Safety / maintenance: Another important feature, the safety and maintenance of a unit should also be taken into account.  The floors and walls should be extremely clean and dry. There should be no cracks or breakage of any form which can allow rodents, insects, etc to enter and create havoc. They can end up damaging many of your belongings especially if there are any perishable items. A fire extinguisher and other equipment related to fire prevention should also be present in the units.

3) Air-conditioned facilities:  Air-conditioned facilities are climate controlled which help in keeping moisture out from the units which keeps documents and other things like perishable items, seasonal objects, etc. safe and fresh. Thus making it possible for round the year availability of them.

 

4) Packaging materials and professionals:  Many units provide packaging materials like boxes, tape, bubble bags, etc. for packaging of materials and belongings. They also provide professional people who can pack and transport your belongings from your residence/office to the units without damaging them.

5) Value added services: Like packaging materials and professionals, value added services like trolleys, cranes, ladders, etc. are also provided for better access within the units for loading and unloading of belongings.

6) Third party insurance: Customer satisfaction and safety of goods is the prime concern and objective of these units.  Therefore third party insurance is of utmost importance. Many units provide a third party insurance coverage for goods.  This facility shows how much the unit manager is concerned for the welfare of his/her customers.

These are some of the facilities that a storage unit ideally provides. Make sure you check for them before moving in any of your belongings. Remember, you are going to invest your hard-earned money and store things that are valuable to you.  Make sure you don’t compromise on anything.  Happy storing!

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Handy Tips for those Evaluating Self Storage Solutions in Lebanon

Storage in Lebanon has matured from those early days into a solutions driven industry. Given that there are many options in the market, here are some handy tips to help decide upon the best one for your needs:


How much space do you want?
Deciding how much space is required is one of the first steps one must undertake when choosing a storage provider. Storage units come in multiple sizes and not all storage providers may have the storage you need. While some believe in renting the smallest possible place they need, one must remember that they would need some room to maneuver. Some of the better operators out there do offer handy storage calculators to help guide potential customers in their decisions.

Accessibility to the storage unit:
While most storage operators do offer personal fork-lifts, it does get rather convenient and saves you a lot of trouble if you choose an operator that offers you drive-up access to your unit.

Climate Control:Many people believe that climate control is simply a gimmick that’s designed to fleece more money out of them. They couldn’t be further from the truth. Climate controlled storage units are a life-savior when it comes to storing those precious memories and delicate belongings.

Stop Hoarding:Once they rent a storage unit, many tend to simply throw in all the unnecessary or unwanted stuff that they wanted to discard, but didn’t have the heart to throw them away. A storage unit is not a place to hoard stuff (though, you could do that as well), it is simply an expensive habit of the really lazy people. So do sift through your items before they go into storage. You’ll be amazed at the amount of clutter that you manage to reduce through such an exercise.

Sorting Through:Dumping stuff in a haphazard manner in a storage unit is only bound to create chaos later. Being aware of what’s going into storage comes handy when you have to retrieve it later. Sorting all your belongings out and marking them out on a rough map-of-sorts is a great way to get over such an obstacle.



Hidden Charges:While the general majority of storage operators are an honest lot, there are still some who could be out there to swindle you out of your money. Read the fine print carefully while evaluating operators. It’s your money, so do take your time and don’t forget to ask for your queries to be resolved to your satisfaction. Take extra care and keep an eagle’s eye out for any hidden charges that may be levied.

Checking back:Once you’ve chosen your storage unit, signed the contract and move your stuff in, it is not a sign for you to disappear into the unknown. Quality storage operators do take ample security measures to protect your belongings, but it doesn’t take too much time or efforts to check in on your stuff from time-to-time.

The choice for self storage solutions in Lebanon is tremendous, so use the above tips and choose wisely!

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