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09.10.2018

Tips for choosing the storage provider

Self-storage, as we know it today mainly from television, has meanwhile arrived in Europe. The providers compete for customers, new self-storage warehouses are built almost every month, no matter in which European country. This makes it increasingly difficult for the customer to make the right choice. Here you get an overview of what you should look out for in a self-storage provider and how you can make the right choice of provider.

1. The storage room itself

In self-storage, you rent a storage room that is opaque and that you can lock yourself. Only you may have access to your storage room. If a provider takes goods out of or into your storage compartment himself, this is not referred to as self-storage. Today there are suppliers who work with metal walls and also those who offer wooden boxes. Metal boxes are of higher quality because they are better protected against humidity and moisture.

The doors are locked with a padlock or with alternative systems such as a mobile phone lock or key. If you don’t have to pay a deposit for the key, that’s an advantage over other systems – because a key can be lost quickly, especially since the storage room is not usually used every day. With digital systems such as cell phone access, you should make sure that the appropriate W-LAN connections are available, otherwise it can easily happen that you do not have access to your storage room.

2. The warehouse building

A high-quality provider offers above-ground storage rooms. So you can easily drive to the storage building and store and retrieve your things. There are providers who offer underground storage rooms, although normally access can only be via a lift. The more comfortable option is access at ground level. In addition, the indoor climate can be better regulated above ground than below ground.

Security is important

The storage building itself should be well ventilated and smell pleasant. Imagine how many different tenants store your items – you don’t want to notice the neighbor’s smells. This is where above-ground self-storage houses have a decisive advantage – most people know from their own experience that it is easier to ventilate above ground than below ground.

The aisles should be at least 1.30 meters wide. You also store bulky furniture that can hardly fit through narrow corridors.

Ideally, the storage building itself is fenced in. A fence provides additional security, especially since most self-storage users park their car in front of the building and then start loading or unloading. The car is locked in the rarest of cases. Also pay attention to the video surveillance in the outdoor area, this provides additional protection to the fence.

The loading and unloading area should be at least 200m2. As a rule, you first load many items out of the car / van before you put them away. Because: the heavy and large things should go into the storage room first, so you have to get them out of the car first.

The warehouse should be big enough. If there is an area under 1000m2, it will always be difficult to find the right box. So make sure that the location of the provider is large enough, otherwise you will have to rent the storage space that is left. In addition, the building should be heated so that your furniture and household effects do not freeze in winter.

Cleanliness is also a key quality factor. A self-storage warehouse needs to be clean. And that means for the provider: constant cleaning. Because it can happen that 30 customers store and retrieve in a single day – you can imagine what the floor looks like afterwards. When inspecting the storage rooms for the first time, make sure they are clean. If you feel that the warehouse is not clean, choose another provider.

In addition, there should be sufficient transport carts for storage and retrieval, which you can also use free of charge. A toilet is also part of the standard equipment of a self-storage provider.

3. The staff

As in any other business, the staff is the face of the company. During office opening hours you can ask questions, change storage rooms, buy additional packaging material. You may need a screwdriver or a hammer because you forgot the tool.

There are self-storage providers with and without staff on site, i.e. without office opening hours. If you are storing in a self-storage facility that does not have any employees on site, just be aware: local people ensure security, cleanliness, you can knock on the door and ask something, you have the feeling: «Someone is here, someone is looking at my goods».

4. The contract – flexibility

When it comes to self-storage, flexibility is important. It should be possible to change the storage room at any time – larger or smaller. If contracts have a notice period of more than one month, this does not correspond to the idea of self-storage. The notice periods should be a maximum of 4 weeks.

Also make sure whether your personal data is recorded and whether you have to submit a copy of your identity card. It may seem interesting to rent a storage space anonymously, but remember that other customers can also store anonymously – do you really want to store in an “anonymous” warehouse?

5. The (online) appearance

The appearance of a company is an important feature and probably the first impression on how to judge its quality. Here you have to be on your guard, especially in the “online” area . Because as the number of self-storage providers grows, so does the number of those who present themselves well on the Internet but are “not so nice” live on site. About 80% of the customers in self-storage come from the Internet or have found the provider on the Internet.

employees on site

A 2-digit million amount is spent on online appearances and advertising throughout Switzerland. And this is where caution comes into play: It’s easy to be beautiful on the Internet, but that doesn’t mean you’re a good self-storage provider.

Critically question your online presence. Read the comments – and be careful how you read the comments: there are many providers of “comment writers” today – but if you look closely you can tell the right from the flat comments.

As a rule, the providers of storage rooms for private storage publish their prices and sizes on the homepage. Do you always want to inquire for a price by phone or email? And on the homepage you will find the section: About us. You know who is behind the self-storage warehouse. If this is not the case, be critical – you would like to know who offers you storage space for your private, valuable belongings.

And finally get an idea on site – that’s where reality comes into play. Pay attention to the quality points mentioned above: if, for example, you have to make an appointment on site because there is no employee there, no employee will be there if you have a question or other concerns. Or if the warehouse is dirty, you won’t see it on the internet either, but you will see it on site.

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