Vero Beach Florida Storage Tips

Vero Beach Florida Storage Tips
These Vero Beach Florida storage tips are designed to help make your move to the Vero Beach area a little easier. Moving is stressful enough. Especially, if you are moving from states away.
There are 900 people a day moving to the state of Florida. Most are coming from states that have houses with basements, attics and garages.
Homes in Florida do not have basements. Attics are pretty much useless, unless they have air conditioning. Most people that move to Florida find that they are in need of a storage facility.
Some need storage for a short period of time and others for a year or longer. Keep in mind that there are communities that do not allow motorcycles, RV’s , boats, trailers, etc. No matter what the situation may be, these Vero Beach Florida Storage Tips should help you out.
The first thing you should do is determine the size of the unit or parking space that you are going to need. Most storage facility managers are knowledgeable and can assist you in finding the right size unit. However, only you know exactly what you are storing. The following are examples of the most common sizes at the Vero Beach area storage facilities.
*5 x 5 yields about 25 square feet of space. These units are great for storing your extra items like garden tools, seasonal items, office supplies or your miscellaneous boxes.
*5 x 10 yields about 50 square feet of space These units are perfect for storing an entire studio apartment, bedroom or office.
*10 x 10 yields about 100 square feet. These units will store a small apartment and can store an entire living room and two full bedrooms.
*10 x 15 yields about 150 square feet. These units typically store the contents of 3 bedrooms. This space is also ideal for larger items like pianos and over sized furniture.
*10 x 20 yields about 200 square feet. These units have enough space to store 5 bedrooms. Most medium size cars and small boats can also fit into this size.
*10 x 25 yields about 250 square feet. These units can store about 6 bedrooms ,small boats, large riding lawn mowers and other lawn equipment.
*Parking spaces vary from facility to facility
After determining what size unit or parking space you need, there are other things that you should consider.
- Availability – What will your access hours be? Some facilities charge a fee for 24 hour access. Also, what are the facilities procedures in case of a weather emergency?
- Location – Is the location convenient and in a good neighborhood? There are some facilities that do have issues with the surrounding neighborhood.
- Maintenance – Who is responsible for maintaining the property? Some facilities have the manager do most of the maintenance, along with local contractors. Some facilities hire a regular maintenance person.
- Security – Are there any cameras on the facility and is it gated? Facilities that have cameras and a coded gate system are safer than the ones that only have a chain link fence around the property.
- Pest Control – Does the facility do monthly pest control? How often do they do pest control? If the company does monthly pest control with another business, do they do additional pest control methods to help protect the property? Some facilities will add additional rat bait inside the units and spray the units when customers vacate.
- Climate Control Units – Climate control units are exactly that. They are storage units that are under air conditioning, but the air conditioning is set at a certain temperature. Temperatures that range 75-82 degrees, is normally the correct setting for regulating both temperature and humidity in the building. Anything higher than 82 degrees, your items can be at risk.
- Non Climate Control Units – These units are like a garage with no air conditioning and are a little less expensive. If you chose a non climate control unit, it is recommended to go to the unit at least once a month and open the door and let it air out for about 15-30 minutes. There are humidity bags, charcoal and other items that can be purchased to absorbed humidity in the unit as well. It is not recommended to store electronics for long term in these units.
- Insurance – Storage facilities only have insurance for the companies property. Your stuff is not insured. Some facilities make it mandatory for the customer to purchase insurance and some will offer it as an additional benefit. It’s up to you to decide how much your property is worth. Usually, $10-$15 will give around $2000 in coverage. Another option is to add the additional coverage to your homeowners policy.
- Pricing & Specials – Be prepared to get sticker shock. The cost can be anywhere from 30-50% higher than what northern state storage facilities charge. Most companies have move in specials. It’s always better to call the facility first before booking online. Sometimes you can get a better deal for what you need by calling. Also, read the fine print online. Most people can confuse one month at 1/2 off and think it’s the price per month.
- Billing – Do you have the option of automatic billing, paying online, check, cash, credit card, etc? It’s important to ask how often the company raises rental prices. Just like cable companies, storage facilities increase rates every so often. You may benefit by paying a few months ahead of time. If you get a price increase while storing, ask the manager if there is anyway they can waive it the first time. Also, it’s important to know about if they pro-rate out, any grace period and the late fee structure for that facility.
After deciding what size unit you may need and what features you are looking for in a facility, shop around. If you have found a facility closer to you and they quoted you a higher rate, ask if that company does price matching. Some facilities do price match competitors pricing.
Being prepared before you go storage shopping, can alleviate some of the additional stress during your moving process. Happy Moving!