What is the difference between a normal and mini storage unit?

Within the storage industry, there are terms that the facilities use that may become confusing to tenants. Two of those terms is mini storage and normal storage. Both simply refer to the size of units that the facility has available to rent, however, there’s no common denominator that states what is considered a ‘mini’ verse a ‘normal’ size unit. It varies based on the facility.

When reviewing a facility, the most important factors you should pay attention to include:

• Security – Does the facility offer security measures to protect your belongings?
• Unit sizes – How large or small do units run so you can find one that fits your needs?
• Pricing – Are units within your budget each month?
• Contract – What are the contractual agreement terms when renting a unit from this facility?
• Climate – Are units set up to protect your belongings should there be a lot of rain? Some facilities will have climate-controlled units so you can also discuss these options with the facility manager.
• Location – How far or close is the facility from where you live?
• Accessibility – Is your unit going to be easy to access? What are the hours of the facility?

Be sure to write down a list of questions that you have so you don’t forget to ask the facility manager during your facility tour. Often times, we will think of something after the fact so it’s better to come prepared with a list of questions than forget something important – like one of the items above.

The benefits of storage units

Renting a storage unit may not be your first choice when deciding what to do with your items, but it sure beats having to sell your extra items or pay more for a larger house or apartment to store things.

Some extra benefits of a storage unit other than its ability to house your things are:

• Declutters your home
• Allows you to keep valuables you wouldn’t normally have space for
• They’re temporary solutions – you can choose month to month or longer contract terms
• They are a cheap solution for storage
• If your area does not allow you to build a shed or storage unit in your back yard, this is a great alternative solution
• They allow you to plan for the future by storing items you might give to a child who is moving away to college
• You can store a large variety of things as long as they are not illegal or against your contract agreement