When you are considering using a self storage facility to store your belongings for whatever reason there are some steps to take into consideration. The more care you take with the preparation of some items, especially the more fragile of these, the better the outcome will be, meaning that when you finally unpack your stored goods they will be in the condition that they were when you packed them away.

What Can Damage Your Stored Goods

These are some of the most common reasons why your belongings get damaged and ruined whilst in a self storage facility. While damage can occur at any time if it is weather or climate-related and you do not have any control over these, other factors such as vermin or mildew are able to be avoided by taking certain steps.

  • The weather and the occurrence of a natural disaster such as floods, or extreme changes in weather patterns such as high winds are able to cause severe damage to a self storage facility but are unfortunately out of anyone’s control. This is why it is essential to take out comprehensive insurance on any goods you place in a storage unit so that you can claim for damage from a weather-related incident. Before you choose a storage unit, check the state of the buildings (especially the roof) and whether there is regular maintenance carried out so that at least you can be sure that the building has more chance of standing up to these extreme weather patterns that appear to be happening more frequently.
  • Fires are something that can cause significant damage, and more often than not if there is a fire, it is caused by one of the tenants keeping prohibited items in their units. Discuss with the management of your self storage unit to be sure that they are strict about what can and cannot be kept in a unit, and that there are plans in place in case a fire does break out.
  • Theft of your goods would be a big problem so ensuring that the self storage facility you use has excellent security arrangements will go a long way to guaranteeing the safety of your belongings.
  • Pests can cause irreparable damage to your belongings while they are being stored. Most of us don’t check on our belongings very often, so these pests can multiply as they are undisturbed and undetected. Unfortunately, it is only when we finally take our goods out of storage or need to fetch something from the unit that we may detect the evidence that they are present in our belongings.

How to Keep Pests Out of Your Stored Items

The best way to keep pests at bay is to stop the problem before it even begins – prevention is better than cure certainly applies here. There are steps that you can take when storing your personal belongings

  • Check the general appearance of the self storage facility. Is it clean and well-kept? Is the lighting good?
  • Examine the unit before you unpack your goods for evidence of pests. Some of these such as droppings, bad smells, and any cracks or holes where rodents could get in, are a giveaway that there are rodents around. They are capable of creeping through the smallest hole, and they can gnaw their way into cardboard boxes to make their nests.
  • This is the prime reason why storing food items is not allowed in a storage facility. These will attract both rodents and insects to your unit.
  • Consider using a scent based repellant to keep both insects and bugs out of your belongings. There are natural products available and would be worth using in your storage unit even if only as a precaution. Cedar balls placed in your packing boxes will repel moths and other insects from your clothes.
  • Use plastic storage bins as no rodent or insect will be able to chew their way through these. Be wary of using cardboard cartons that you have collected from your local grocery store. There may already be microscopic insect eggs in the joins, and these will quickly hatch in the dark confines of your self storage unit and begin their destruction.
  • Make sure that any clothing you intend to store is laundered and dry before you pack it. Moisture is something else that will quickly form mould and mildew on your clothes, causing damage. Any moisture will also damage papers, documents, books, and old photographs that you wish to store.

Final Thoughts on Self Storage Facility

There certainly are ways of being proactive when it comes to keeping our belongings safe and damage free while in storage. It is worth taking any precautions to keep these risks to a minimum.

Why Use Stop & Store Lowestoft Storage for Storing Your Belongings

  • Our storage facility is fully secured with CCTV which is monitored 24/7 and intruder alarms. Our units are clean and secure. You can be confident that when you store your belongings in our facility, they will be safe from theft.
  • Our booking system is simple. Once you have paid using our online booking system, we send you your individual PIN and you gain access to your unit.
  • Our units are easily accessible for convenient loading and off-loading. We even offer you a trolley to make your task easier. We have stackable plastic boxes for hire which will keep your belongings safe from vermin.
  • Our units vary in size from 12 sq. ft. to 200 sq. ft., so there is a size to suit your requirements.
  • Whether you need short or long-term storage, we can assist you. We do not require a deposit, there are no hidden costs, and if you move your goods in or out during the month you pay a pro rate.
  • Please check what our customers have to say about us in their reviews on our website.

Please contact us on:

Tel: 01502 580005 for more information or to discuss your storage requirements.