There are many reasons why people choose to store their belongings with a self storage company. You might be decluttering your home, in the process of moving to a new property or even spending some time overseas.
Yet whatever your reasoning, when you have storage needs, it can be difficult to know where to turn. While you don’t have the space to accommodate your belongings right now, that doesn’t mean that they’re any less precious to you. You want, need and deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your possessions will be in the best possible care.
For this reason, you shouldn’t choose a self-storage company at random. You should do your homework to ensure that your chosen storage provider is as reliable as possible to ensure that your precious belongings will be as safe as possible.
However, this can be tricky when you aren’t quite sure what to look for. That’s why we’ve compiled this handy guide to choosing a reliable self-storage company. See if you can answer the following questions by looking and their website… And if you can’t tell from their online presence, don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and ask them some searching questions. A reliable self-storage company should be able to tick all of the following boxes…
Is it quick, easy and hassle free to get a zero-obligation quote?
Don’t you just hate pushy salespeople? The kind that makes you feel as though you have to make difficult and complicated decisions straight away without weighing up the pros and cons? We do too, which is why we make it easy for prospective customers to generate a quote for themselves so that they can make an informed decision with zero-obligation. We don’t pressure people into choosing us because, well, we don’t need to. We prefer to let the quality and flexibility of our storage solutions speak for themselves.
You should be wary of anyone who tries to pressure you into taking out a long-term lease without thinking carefully about it and weighing up all of your options.
Are their prices honest and upfront?
We believe that a quote should not only be obligation-free, but it should also be comprehensive, open and honest with no sneaky hidden extras. If a storage company starts out by providing what seem like reasonable and competitive quotes then try and “stealth” unnecessary extras onto your bill they should be avoided. A reliable storage company will give you a single, upfront and comprehensive estimate.
Do they provide insurance or will you have to find your own?
When putting your belongings in storage, it’s important to make sure that they are insured by an appropriate policy. If a storage company doesn’t at least broach the subject of insurance with you, they’re being remiss in their duty to you, their customer.
Some storage companies provide their own insurance, while others will require customers to select their own policy. If they provide insurance they should let you know exactly what is covered in the policy so that you can determine whether or not it suits your needs. If they force their policy on you this should give you pause. At Henfield Storage, we insist that customers have a valid insurance policy for their goods, and while we also offer a policy which is well suited to our customers’ storage needs, they are by no means obliged to use it. Check out our storage facilities in Brighton and London and enjoy our free collection service.
Will they allow you access to your belongings whenever you need it?
Part of having a reliable storage unit is being able to access it whenever you need access to it and not just when it’s convenient for the provider. Is the unit situated in a place that’s convenient to get to? Do they make it easy to get fast and secure access at any time in the day or night? Being able to get to your belongings when you need them is very important. They are, after all, your belongings!
Are their units secure?
Insurance is one thing, but it should always be considered a last resort. On-site security is hugely important and a provider should take the time to show you what provisions they have in place. Storage units should be of high quality and made of an impervious substance like steel. Your unit should have its own padlock. The compound itself should have security measures including CCTV and professional staffing during opening hours. Ideally, the compound should also have intruder alarms linked to monitoring stations and the Police.
Do they have flexible options to suit your needs?
A reliable storage company won’t try to jam a square peg into a round hole. They won’t try to push solutions which are surplus to your requirements or leave you to settle for storage solutions that are lacking.
A reliable provider will offer solutions built around your needs that are flexible in terms of the size of the unit and the length of the lease. They’ll work around you rather than the other way around.
Will they let you see your storage unit before you commit to it?
When you’re doing your grocery shopping, you wouldn’t buy a bag of apples if you couldn’t see the contents within? You wouldn’t buy a car based on a vivid description of its chassis. You certainly wouldn’t move into a new property without taking a guided tour beforehand. The exact same principle applied to your storage unit. If a self-storage company expects you to commit to a long rental period without being able to inspect the unit for yourself, this isn’t a great way to earn your trust.
You should expect someone to allow you to inspect the unit with your own eyes and answer any questions you may have in person.
Do they make it easy to see what their customers say about them
We don’t mind admitting it. Whatever businesses say about themselves, their customers are always going to take the claims they make with a pinch of salt. We understand that consumers find more value in customer reviews where real people just like them have shared their thoughts, opinions, and perspectives on the storage company.
We have nothing to hide from our customers. In fact, we’re proud of the reviews we’ve garnered from our customers which is why we’ve put them right here where they’re easy to see. Be wary of companies who do otherwise.
At Henfield Storage, we work tirelessly to assure our customers that we can tick all of the above boxes to provide the peace of mind our customers deserve. If you’re looking for a higher standard of self storage in Southwark, Chiswick, Cricklewood, Wimbledon or Horsham click here to get to know our self storage options a little better!
