Storage Unit Horror Story Your Items aren't safe!

[highdesertranger]

dang Gypsy, I don't know where you are but you need to get out of that area. stealing family pictures and clothes, WTF. highdesertranger

 

[Cammalu]

Yeah, you need to get the hell outta there for sure!

 

[Firebuild]

I would not rent from place requiring code to get out.

I got locked into a storage facilitiy for the night twice while closing my store and moving the fixtures to a unit. Well, my bus did, anyway. You can always get out on foot but most facilities have closing times and you can't get a vehicle out the gate once that time comes. The purpose is to prevent someone from either accidentally or on purpose letting in thieves, but it definitely is not fun if it happens to you. 

Despite the above story I have had mostly very good experiences with storage. However, my brother works for a  large national storage chain and he tells so many horror stories of people paying rent for YEARS just to house the basket of dirty laundry they didn't have time to wash before the last move, a completely obsolete computer, dish sets they inherited but will ever use, and sports equipment they didn't even use when it was new. In almost every case, it costs more to store your items than they will ever be worth, and I doubt anyone really has more than possibly a 5x5's worth of "sentimental value" items.  People stash stuff for the $1 first month, expecting to remove it before 30 days are up, then forget about it. 

One thing to think about, though: If you're paying a mail receiving place, a lot of storage facilities will do that for you for no charge. I currently rent a 5x5 and they do the mail thing. It's cheaper than my old UPS store. I think of it as a mail service with free storage!