There are several types of storage options these days, and it is important to understand when to choose which one. When it comes to classification, we can broadly divide them into 3 categories:
1. Self-storage
We all know how big a hassle it can be when you move from a big house to a small apartment. This category facilities rent space on a short-term basis (for e.g. monthly basis, though options for longer-term leases are available) to individuals (usually for storing the household related goods) or businesses (usually storing extra inventory items like bulk raw material).
Some facilities offer boxes made of cardboard, locks, and packaging supplies for assisting people in packing and keeping their goods in a safe manner.
You can opt for facilities like insurance under this category. You can cover the items that you are planning to store in this unit and accordingly choose based on your requirement and budget. These rented spaces usually are safeguarded by the owner’s key lock system.
2. Warehouse
It can be explained in layman’s language as a functionality, preferably a building that is used as a storage unit for bulk produce or goods for commercial purposes. A person generally goes for the option of a warehouse when he or she has vast quantities of items, which are impossible to store in a standard household room like inside a living room. The warehouse usually takes a long time to build, as it must allow a large number of items to store.
The original requirement of warehouses came in trade-related societies long ago where a considerable amount of goods required a large amount of storage. As of now, less than half of United States warehouses are more massive larger than 100,000 square feet (9290 m²).
3. Mail storage
It is a type of on-demand self-storing service whereby customers send items by mail or some private delivery service to be stored at a central location. It may be an excellent option for people who prefer ‘pay-as-you-go’ storage, in which only saved items are charged with some necessary fees, rather than that of the renting a larger space for storage purpose that may not be fully utilized.
This type of storage generally is not viable and pocket-friendly for people willing to store some huge bungalow full of items. Usually, an option for people who wish to remove or keep only a proportion of their items/goods for a small-time period. It differs from conventional self-storage in several key ways:
- It allows customers to order boxes online or over the phone. Generally, these companies/brands send the empty boxes without any charge and that too with packing materials like cello tape, etc. However, some of these companies might charge a small fee for this service.
- The customers can pack their boxes themselves in their office or home, and the companies then collect them or send it directly to self-storing units, with the help of reliable companies like Postal Services. Remember, many of these storage brands allow some pickup or collection service without any cost. However, some of them will ask for a fee for the same.
- The customers can choose to pay a regular monthly fee based on the number of boxes that they store with these companies. Some companies do have a strict criterion to allow clients with a minimum threshold number of such boxes as a must to utilize the service.
- This is similar to ordering food from a restaurant that does not accept orders unless the order value has reached some predefined threshold. There are several other companies too that have no such minimum criteria, and the customers can even choose to keep only a single box if that’s what they wish to do.
- If a client/customer wants to return a box, this type of requests can be made over a phone call or online too, and the box is then returned to the client as per the contract of the same.
Conclusion
All in all, there are several options available, and it is entirely up to the choice of an individual and his or her requirement. It’s best to analyze your needs thoroughly and then choose the most suitable option that fits your requirements perfectly.