Possessing items today also means knowing where to put them, and some items are too large or numerous to be stored at a person’s house or even in a shed. If this is the case, Americans today have the option of exploring many storage units that can be found across the nation, and this is a large and popular industry today. Everyone has possessions, and some Americans have too much to place at their residence. For those with limited funds, cheap storage or smaller, budget storage units might be rented, and others can find larger, more costly but also practical storage units for items such as furniture, cars, or even boats. Some storage units will offer climate control storage space, and large units may have enough room for huge items that may not fit anywhere else. Someone looking for storage locations nearby may conduct a simple Internet search such as “storage facility Lincoln NE” or “Storage facilities Burlington VT” to find somewhere nearby and check it out. What should a customer of storage space look for?
Storage as an Industry
Storing items is a mundane job, but it is a critical one, this means that the storage industry in the United States is popular and widespread, with over 58,000 self-storage facilities found across the United States today from coast to coast. How popular are they? Around 8.96% of all American households are storing their items at such sites, and by the fall of 2016, the occupancy rate at these sits reached 87.4%, showing just how in-demand that they are. More are being built all the time; between 2000 and 2005, for example, nearly 3,000 more self-storage units were being built every single year in that time frame, and there are plenty of them out there now. This adds up to a lot of space where Americans can put their stuff; as of 2009, an estimated total of 2.3 billion square feet of storage space could be found, and that number is bound to be even higher now.
What is being held at these facilities? Customers may store items like sports equipment or other hobby materials that they don’t have room for, or leftover materials for a start-up business. Many self-storage facilities also have parking spots outside for vehicles, and people often choose to put their cars, RVs, or even boats on trailers at such sites and leave them there for as long as needed, such as during a time of year when an RV or a boat is not going to be used. It has been noted that more and more American households do not even have enough garage or driveway space for their cars, so leftover cars are put at storage sites, safe behind fences and walls. Often, Americans use their garages for convenient, on-site storage for other items, and relegate cars to a facility’s care.
Finding the Site
Suppose someone wanted a place to store their leftover furniture, sports goods, or a car or RV. What should he or she do? The person may start by looking up local storage sites, and find one that is withing comfortable driving distance, based on how often the person plans to visit the storage site to add items or remove them. If something is being stored for months on end without being disrupted, a further-away site may be acceptable if the price is fair. A person is bound to find a few storage sites in their home city, or at least their home county, and that customer can visit these sites in person to see if they suit their needs.
A customer will choose a storage site that has not only fair prices, but also adequate security and room for storage. Some storage units may have too-small rooms or not enough parking spots available, or security may be shabby. Good security will involve a fence and secure gate for parking lots, and the site may also have walls, security cameras, and maybe even armed guards to protect customers’ items. The storage buildings should have thick walls, tough doors, and secure code-entry panels or keyholes so that no one can break inside and steal items within.
