Say goodbye to space constraints with smart storage

There are several types of storage options these days and it’s important to understand when to choose which one. When it comes to classification, we can broadly divide them into 3 categories:

1.       Self-storage

We all know how big a hassle it can be when you move from a big house to a small apartment. This category facilities rent space on a short-term basis (for e.g. monthly basis, though options for longer-term leases are available) to individuals (usually for storing the household related goods) or to businesses (usually storing extra inventory items like bulk raw material). Some facilities offer boxes made of cardboard, locks, and packaging supplies for assisting people in packing and keeping their goods safe.

You can also opt for facilities like insurance under this category. You can cover the items that you are planning to store in this unit and accordingly choose based on your requirement and budget. These rented spaces are normally safeguarded by the owner’s personal key lock system.

2.       Warehouse

It can be explained in layman’s language as a functionality, rather a building that is used as a storage unit for bulk produce or goods for commercial purposes. A person generally goes for the option of a warehouse when he or she has huge quantities of items and goods which are impossible to be stored in a normal household room like inside a living room. The warehouse usually takes a long time to build as it must allow large number of items to be stored inside.

The original requirement of a warehouses came in trade related societies long ago where a huge amount of goods required large amount of storage. As of now, less than half of United States warehouses are easily larger than 100,000 square feet (9290 m²).

3.       Mail storage

It is a type of on-demand self-storing service whereby customers send items by mail or some private delivery service to be stored at a central location. It may be a very good option for people who prefer 'pay-as-you-go' storage, in which only items that are stored are charged with some basic fees, rather than renting a larger space for storing that may not be fully utilized.
This type of storage generally is not very viable and/or pocket friendly for people willing to store some huge bungalow full of items. Usually an option for people who wish to remove or keep only a proportion of their items/goods for a small-time period. It differs from orthodox self-storage in several key ways:

·         It allows customers to order boxes online or over the phone. Generally, these companies/brands will be sending the empty boxes without any charge and that too with packing materials like cello tape etc. However, some of these companies might charge some small fee for this service.

·         The customers can pack their boxes themselves in their office or home and these are then collected by these companies or sent directly to self-storing units using some commonly known and very reliable companies like US Postal Services, UPS and FedEx. Remember, a lot of these storage brands allow some pickup or collection service without any cost. However, some of them will ask for a fee for the same.

·         The customers can choose to pay some regular monthly fee based on the number of boxes that they store with these companies. Some companies do have a strict criterion to allow clients with a minimum threshold number of such boxes as a must to utilize the service. This is similar to ordering food from a restaurant that does not accept orders unless the order value has reached some predefined threshold. There are several other companies too that have no such minimum criteria and the customers can even choose to keep only a single box if that’s what they wish to.

·         If a client/customer wishes to return a box, these type of requests can be made over a phone call or online too, and the box is then returned to the client as per the contract of the same.

All in all, there are several options available and it is totally up to the choice of an individual and his or her requirement. Its best to analyze your needs thoroughly and then choose the most suitable option that fits perfectly. Keep it simple. Happy storing!