Moving homes can be hectic, whether relocating to a new suburb, or city or going interstate. One of the most challenging parts of the process is transporting all your belongings. Aside from being tiring and physically demanding, you may also need extra space to store your furniture and other belongings temporarily. Fortunately, you can find storage facility options to help you out.
Storage services can come in handy for many reasons during your move. For example, you can store things in a facility to declutter your home before putting it up for sale. Or, if your new home is still not ready, you may need to live somewhere temporarily. In this case, you can store some items in a unit to keep them safe and prevent them from getting damaged.
Whatever your reasons are, you generally have two storage options—full-service storage or self-storage. Get to know more about each of them below to determine which type will best suit your needs.
Full-Service Storage
Professional moving companies like AAA City Removalist offer full-service storage, which provides end-to-end assistance. It starts with our Furniture Removalist packing your belongings thoroughly and then picking them up to transport to their storage facility in Greenacre, Sydney NSW. The company will then oversee your household or office furniture /equipment while in their storage facility, and once you need them back, you can schedule a delivery to have your goods picked up and delivered to the desired location.
Pros
- Convenience
Full-service storage is a convenient all-in-one solution for busy homeowners or business owners since the moving company takes care of everything for you. In addition, this frees up your time to focus on other priorities, such as managing your property sale or preparing your new place for the move.
- Recorded Inventory
With full-service storage, your Last Minute Removals take inventory, record, and label your belongings for easy identification. They also provide you with an inventory list with the condition of each item to help you keep track of what you stored in their unit. As a plus, AFRA-accredited companies like AAA City Removalist have public liability insurance to cover your goods in case of damage.
- Enhanced Safety
Full-service storage facilities generally have 24-hour surveillance and a security team to monitor the premises and protect your belongings. Flammable and hazardous items are also not allowed inside the storage units to eliminate the risk of fires and other unwanted events.
Cons
- Price
Many times, full-service storage will cost more than self-storage. However, this is justified by the added value and quality service you get with the option. Remember—licensed and insured Removalist professionals will be handling your belongings, so the service naturally comes with a premium.
- Accessibility
Another possible drawback of full-service storage is the limited access. To access your storage unit, you must make an appointment first. You will also be unable to check on it when the facility is closed at night since companies require employees to supervise visitors for enhanced security.
Self-Storage
Self-storage is essentially the opposite of full-service storage. As its name suggests, this option involves renting a storage unit to keep your belongings. However, in this case, you will have to pack, load, transport, and retrieve things from the facility yourself. Depending on the nature of your belongings, you can generally choose between a climate-controlled and temperature-controlled self-storage facility.
Pros
- Accessibility
Contrary to full-service storage, self-storage grants you free access to your unit anytime. While some companies may limit access to business hours, many allow customers 24-hour access using their key.
- No Long-Term Commitment
When renting self-storage units, you need not commit to a long-term contract. Payment terms may vary, but most of them charge every month. It allows you to dictate how long you need to rent your storage unit.
Cons
- Manual Labor
With self-storage, you essentially do all the heavy lifting yourself. Packing can already be difficult and time-consuming, but after doing this, you must rent a truck to bring your things to the storage facility. Then, you will have to repeat the process to take out your belongings when the time comes. Doing all these will also incur additional costs.
- Potential Security Issues
While self-storage units are locked, the facility conditions and employee qualifications may vary per company. For instance, some warehouses may not be under strict surveillance. Additionally, customers are liable for their belongings with self-storage, unlike in full-service storage, where moving companies hold the liability.
- Cost of Self-storage
The fact that self-storages are not cheap and cost more than AAA City’s in-house storage, it may not be a worthwhile expense.
Full-service storage and self-storage have pros and cons, so the right choice ultimately depends on your needs. However, if you are seeking storage for a move and planning to store furniture and valuable goods, full-service storage may be the better option. On the other hand, self-storage is generally more suitable for storing minor household items on a short-term basis.
If you have any questions or need help with your storage needs, please contact us below:
Phone: (02) 9737 1111
Email: info@aaacityremovalist.com.au
