If you’ve heard about portable storage, you may wonder, with this option available, why would anyone use a normal self storage space?
After all, portable storage has some excellent advantages. You can have portable storage, often called a “pod,” dropped off at your home. Instead of having to make multiple trips to a storage property, you can fill the pod right from your house, then either keep it on your property or have the renting company keep it safe for you in their facility. That’s much easier. If you’re moving, you can fill the pod, then have it loaded into the bed of a moving truck and shipped to your new address.
Portable storage seems like it’s the way to go, but there are a few reasons why we think self storage is the better way to go.
The Cost of Convenience
As mentioned, when you rent a portable storage pod, you can fill it and keep it on your property, have the company store it at their facility, or have it transported to your new home if you’re moving, regardless of if you’re moving across the country or town.
However, there are trade-offs you should consider.
Portable storage is much more expensive than regular self storage. If you choose to keep the bin at home, you’ll pay three to four times more than you would for a self storage space of comparable size.
If you choose to have the pod returned to the pod company’s facility, you’ll end up paying five to eight times more than renting a self storage space.
Is the convenience worth it? You’ll have to decide. If you can afford it, it might be, but if you’re watching your budget, then you should probably go with a self storage space.
If you live in an apartment, chances are there will be nowhere to put the storage container, whether you want to keep it by your place or put it in storage. Perhaps you’re lucky enough to live in an apartment complex where there’s room in the parking lot to put the container for a few days as you fill it, but you’ll need to clear it with your property manager.
If you live in a house with a homeowner’s association, your HOA may not allow you to park the container on the property. Check with your HOA. You might be able to park it on the street, but you’ll need to check local laws to make sure this is all right, and you won’t be able to park it there indefinitely.
When you do rent a storage container, you can rest assured that it will protect your belongings from the elements. And, a pod may protect your belongings from the elements, but it won’t protect them from changes in temperature and humidity like a
climate-controlled self storage space does.
Depending on where you live, proper climate control may be a necessity for your stored belongings to protect your stuff from extremes in heat, cold, and humidity.
The Benefits of Self Storage
Although portable storage is especially convenient and a great solution if you can afford it and if you’re using it to move, traditional self storage still has several important advantages.
You’ll save a lot of money using self storage over portable storage. In fact, self storage spaces rent for significantly less per square foot than residential or commercial space. We can’t say the same for portable storage.
Many self storage properties offer spaces with climate control, and although these rent for about 30% more than standard spaces, they keep your stuff in excellent condition. Climate control keeps temperatures within spaces within 50 and 80 degrees, and sometimes in a tighter range, and the humidity between 30% and 50%. These are ideal conditions for most of your belongings, from clothes to art to electronics.
You can use self storage to
help you move, too. You can pack your boxes over time and make a couple of trips every week to your storage space to drop them off. On moving day, you can load what’s left into your truck, get to your storage space, and get the rest. If you’re making a local move, you can transport your furniture and necessities from one home to the other and take a few weeks to retrieve everything else from your storage space.
We hope this helps you decide if portable storage or self storage will work better for you. When you’re ready to look for a self storage property,
check out listings.
