A lot of people can develop cold feet at the mere prospect of packing up an entire household and moving to another location. However, we no longer live in a world where generation after generation lived in the same family home. Today, people move homes, relocate to new cities for better career prospects and standards of life all the time. Though packing and moving may seem like a herculean task, it isn't really that complicated if you adopt a systematic approach and take things one at a time. One important thumb rule for easing out the moving process is to not lug all your belongings along right in the beginning. The self-storage options available today offer a convenient solution.

What is Self Storage?

Self Storage refers to a fully enclosed self-contained storage space that can be hired to store your belongings. The biggest advantage of this storage option is that the owner has the freedom to access, add or remove belongings from the storage facility as per their requirements. Most moving companies today offer self-storage space to their customers as a value added service. It is, by far, one of the best storage options for short-term use, especially if you are between homes or cities. It may even serve the purpose of locking away some of your belongings, which you want to neither carry along nor dispose off, for a longer time.

Self Storage Tips

While self storage is an ideal stopgap arrangement for those in the process of moving home, it has its share of drawbacks. Here are a few tips that will help you make the most of your self storage facility:

• Discard the Excess Belongings: Every household has its fair share of excess baggage and belongings that just sit around in some forlorn corner and are rarely put to use. Before you begin packing the house, take a good look around to fish out things you have not used in the past six months or more. You have survived just fine without them and chances are you won’t be using them ever. Make an inventory of excess materials in the house, and sell, donate or discard everything on that list.
• Shop Around: How much you end up paying for your self-storage facility depends on how well you do your homework. Take time to find out about the tariff, payment procedure, timings to access the storage unit of different companies. Seek quotes and compare, in order to find the best deals and don’t hesitate to negotiate and shop around to bring down the price further. If you research well, you may stumble upon some dedicated services (like these storage units offered by KSS in Canberra) that offer lucrative discounts.
• Ask Questions: Be upfront in asking pertinent questions about security measures, policy terms, hidden costs, extensions, access timings, storage safety measure to your service provider.
• Insurance Cover: It is, perhaps, one of the most crucial factors to consider when deciding on hiring a self storage facility. Always prefer a company that has a comprehensive insurance coverage to cover losses in event of an accident, fire, theft, damage or any such eventuality.
• Label Your Belongings: Once your belongings are stashed away in a self-storage facility, you’ll only have limited access to them. It is, therefore, essential to make an inventory of contents of each box and label the boxes. This will simplify the process of having to look for items in case of need.