Self Storage Article Directory

1. Driving by self storage location on your daily commute might be a way that you can find local self storage for rent. Whether it is nestled in your quaint downtown or you can see it from the busy freeway, driving by self storage is a great way to find a location that will suit you. The fact is if you have already noticed a self storage location on your drive, it probably is going to be a convenient location for you to store. Studies show that convenience is the number one reason people pick the storage location they choose to rent in. Driving by storage facilities is a great way to find storage in your small town or bustling metropolis. If you don’t drive a car, then you might notice self storage locations in your daily commute with public transit or taxi. Either way, take notice of the self storage locations around you to help you find local self storage. Many local self storage developers will try and secure properties that have good face value. Meaning that the placement of the site will help with frontage and access. Many local self storage developers will build on a busy highway or industrial park that people can see. The local self storage signage then becomes its own advertising device. Many cities have sign requirements and restrictions and most builders do what they can to get the most out of their sign.

2. If you have a computer and access to the internet, you will be able to find out about local self storage units for rent. Many self storage companies have gone to the internet in search of potential customers. Individual self storage company websites can pack in the information like; directions to the property, sizes of units, moving and packing supplies, office hours, rental payment information, gate hours, security features, size determination and more. Some individual self storage websites will include photos of the property or virtual tours of the area. You can often “meet” the staff and even contact the local self storage site by clicking on a link or filling out a form to be submitted. It seems that as technology grows and more people are accessing the internet for personal use, the numbers of self storage websites are booming. Self storage websites are becoming more interactive by offering searches for local self storage in an area that you pick. You can usually search by state, zip code or region to find local self storage. Sometimes these sites will be hosted by a neutral party and can provide information about several different companies allowing you to choose the best fit for your storage needs. Some sites ask you to submit your information, like name, phone number, address and where you will need self storage. The web site program can then search the area that you need and email or call you back with the results for self storage inquiries. This method of finding local self storage has been especially important since the recent rise in gasoline prices. People looking for local self storage are using other methods to find storage that doesn’t cost per gallon. The internet search for local self storage is very helpful if you are from out of town or out of state. Searching the internet for local self storage can be helpful when you find yourself having to relocate or find self storage in a family members’ city. This saves time on the phone and gives you a general idea of what to expect when you get to the area.

3. The phone book holds it own when it comes to finding local self storage. Self storage companies will often pay big bucks for large ads in the yellow pages enticing you to call their self storage property. The ads placed by local self storage companies won’t be as information packed as the self storage web sites, but the basic information is usually covered. The phone book and yellow pages have been a standard and trusted way to find information about businesses including local self storage properties for many, many years. Most households and businesses have at least one phone book lying around. It’s easy to access, it’s free and you can take your time looking at it. Many computer shy people will defer to the phone book to find the information they need about local self storage. Finding local self storage is as easy as “letting your fingers do the walking”. Regular phone book listings don’t cost very much, but yellow page advertising can be expensive depending on the size of the advertisement and the market in which it is placed. The phone book search of local self storage is also a great way to save on gas money while shopping for storage. Most local self storage businesses can be searched by online yellow and white pages, which include national listings. These sites will often include a map of the area so you can check and see if that local self storage business will be in the location you need. Information from the local self storage search will include the company name, address, phone number and a web address. (if the company has a web site)  

4. Print media is a great way to find local self storage. Often print media advertisements about local self storage companies are directed to customers that could need storage in the future instead of the person that needed storage yesterday. They put a little seed in your mind with the ad about a cleaner garage, a near empty closet, and extra storage at home. Print media will often paint a picture of uncluttered living and the “perfect” home, of course achieved with the help of local self storage. While an actual self storage isn’t that glamorous, many people poor to rich need self storage. Print media can include newspapers, magazines (there are self storage magazines for the self storage industry), flyers, and inserts. This option for finding future local self storage customers can be costly depending on the market. If you budget allows print media, go for it. 

5. Advertisements on the radio, TV, and billboards might be a way for you to find local self storage. Listening to the radio in the car, watching your favorite TV program or traveling the highway are great ways for local self storage companies to get their name out there. Again these types of advertisement are meant to get you to start thinking about self storage. Like a light bulb going off in your head, you might say, “Oh yeah, I think I need local self storage.” By airing local self storage commercials at specific times of day, a certain target market is reached.

6. How to find local self storage might be as easy as calling your local mobile storage company. Many self storage companies offer mobile storage which can either be brought to your home and stored on your property or the company will come and pick up the unit and store it in their warehouse. You will not have to rent a truck with this type of local self storage. All the transporting of items is done by the self storage company. This is a great option for those remodeling parts of a home or a situation where you won’t need immediate access to your stored goods. Access can be scheduled but the company usually needs a few hours to a days notice to retrieve your unit in the warehouse.

7. A great way to find local self storage is to ask around. Ask friends, coworkers, family members, store clerks or anyone that will listen. You will find that when you start asking around about local self storage, many folks will either have stored something in the past or are currently renting a storage unit. If you have several local self storage properties and cannot decide which one might be better, it’s best to ask around. Typically local self storage properties with the same benefits will be competitive in their pricing. Keep in mind some local self storage companies have call center that answer for their business when they cannot. Self storage call centers will answer most questions you have about storage and most of the time, reserve your unit over the phone. When asking around about local self storage be sure to ask, “Where shouldn’t I store?” This gives the person talking to you a chance to share any stories or first hand experience about some of the places in town you wouldn’t want to store at. Unfortunately the local self storage businesses are not immune to crime, drug production, hazardous waste, vandalism, and terrorist activity. Ask the people you are talking to if they know if the site they are telling you about has had any break-ins, manager problems, overall security or posting payments on time. By knowing where not to store can give you a better idea of where you should store. This is where asking around comes in handy.

8. Asking around for local self storage is part of local self storage referrals. Many self storage companies reward their current tenants who refer a customer that ends up renting sometime in the future. And often, the future customer may receive a reward also. Self storage managers that keep their properties clean, safe and secure will do better with referrals than those properties that are rundown or not clean. Referral business can be a great asset when trying to raise your occupancy rate. Referral’s can be low cost compared to the money you will receive in return for future customer rentals. If you are a current tenant, be sure to ask if your local self storage property has a referral program.

9. When calling around to “shop” different local self storage sites to see which one would be better for you don’t forget to ask if they offer any small discounts. Small discounts can include, senior, military, student, chamber of commerce member, church affiliations, schools are some that might apply to you. Because it is considered a small discount, local self storage sites will often offer a percentage off of your monthly rent that can range anywhere from 5%  and up depending on the area and occupancy rate. A small discount could be the ice breaker on your decision on where you want to store.

10. Many towns and cities have a Chamber of Commerce, or Welcome Center. This city run department will have information about local self storage sites. Because it is part of the Chambers duties to promote the local businesses, they will often have much information available. Some cities will offer a welcome packet to new residents. These packets contain information about the city, activities, schools, churches, maps, important phone numbers, restaurants, parks, transportation and any other information that would be important to a person new to the area. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce by phone, internet or in writing and I am sure they will be glad to help you with your local self storage needs.

As you can see there are many ways to find local self storage in whatever area of the country you are located. After you have found several locations that would be convenient to you, drive by or see if the manager will take you on a site visit. Many local self storage properties have golf carts and the managers will take you on a little tour of the property and your future storage unit. Because many self storage properties take up many acres, a golf cart is the way to go for a site tour. Local self storage managers also use their golf cart to do lock checks, clean up the property and get from one unit to another. 

Local self storage businesses are “beefing” up their properties to try and gain the market advantage. Competitive pricing and offers of move in or extended stay deals are one way local self storage sites are keeping up with the other local self storage businesses in their area. Some self storage sites will offer a few more amenities than their competitor to try and gain a few more rentals. Some of these extra amenities might include a business center or conference room, post office boxes, restrooms, child’s play area, inside walking areas and more. Often companies will get into “rental” wars and try to see who can outdo each other with offers of free truck rental or $1 move in. This tactic can often backfire and end up costing you more than if you were to charge regular price for the unit. Many future self storage customers will call around asking for your specials. But the fact remains that the cheapest self storage is not necessarily going to be the best self storage.

How to find local self storage can be effortless when using the above ideas. It might take a couple of different ways to gather all the knowledge you will need to make your decision.  Keep an open mind at the start about pricing. If you haven’t ever rented or it’s been 10 years since you rented don’t have sticker shock. I guarantee the prices have gone up since you last rented, but so has everything else in the economy. Be sure to add all of the features and benefits into the price of the unit for the full value. Talk to the manager, ask to see the site or unit, ask about payment types and check out how clean the property is. The best advice of all is to trust your gut instinct. It’s your belongings and you should feel safe leaving your items in that local self storage unit that you picked out.