When moving homes, sometimes short-term or long-term storage is needed.
Maybe you need to move out of your old home before your new home is ready. Maybe you’re remodeling parts of your new home and can’t move everything in right away. Or maybe you’re downsizing and haven’t decided what to do with your extra personal belongings yet. When considering storage during a home move, it’s best to understand the differences between self-storage and moving company warehouse storage.
SELF-STORAGE: WHEN IT WORKS
- Self-serve: One of the perks of using self-storage is that you can access your items whenever you want. If you think you’ll need to visit your belonging while they’re in storage, then self-storage might be a good option for you.
- Small storage needs: If the items you need to store will take up a relatively small amount of space, self-storage can be a good option. Most self-storage units start in the 5' x 7' range.
- Moving out: When it comes time to move your stuff out of storage, are you able to do that yourself? Or do you need a moving company? If you can load it, transport it, and unload it yourself, then self-storage might be a good option.
SELF-STORAGE: WHEN IT MIGHT NOT
- Space: Depending on the size and quantity of the items you need to store, self-storage options may not provide enough space. Larger units cap out in the 10' x 30' range, which is about the size of a long single-car garage.
- Liability: If you have your moving company deliver your items to your self-storage unit, their liability ends when your items leave their truck. Any damage not noted at delivery or that occurs to your items while in storage, will not be covered by your movers and will be your responsibility.
MOVING COMPANY WAREHOUSE STORAGE: WHEN IT WORKS
- Turn-Key: If you want your items to go from your old home, to storage, to your new home all without you having to personally manage and move them, then Ace Relocation warehouse storage is for you. Utilizing our storage ensures a one-stop-shop type of experience. Your items will be loaded on the truck at your old home, delivered into warehouse storage, reloaded on a truck, and delivered to your new home whenever you’re ready.
- Clean: Ace Relocation warehouses are continually cleaned, which means your belongings are protected from dust, dirt, and damaging pests. Ace Relocation warehouses are held to military grade protection against insects and vermin. We also maintain military grade maintenance on our fire suppression system and receive annual inspections and monthly testing.
- Private: You may feel that storing your belongings in a warehouse means that they’ll be lumped together with everyone else’s stuff. But that is not necessarily the case. Ace Relocation puts your items in “Vaulted Storage”, which are large wooden vaults designed to keep your belongings isolated and protected from other items in the warehouse. We have a barcoded warehouse management system that tracks the location of every vault and every oversized item in our facilities.
- Secure: Ace Relocation warehouses are equipped with multiple levels of security. In addition to security systems controlling access to the building, our warehouses also have secured gates controlling vehicle access, and not based on a code that can easily be given out to people’s friends. Our warehouses are stand alone buildings with our own walls. Self-storage units frequently only provide ¾” dry wall between your belongings and any thief with a saw or hammer.
- Space: Leveraging Ace Relocation warehouse storage is a great option if you have large amounts to be stored, or if you have oversized or abnormally shaped items. We can tailor a storage solution that will meet your specific space requirements.
- Time: It’s possible you may have a mix of short-term and long-term storage needs. You might need all your belongings stored for a short amount of time but need a portion of your belongings stored for weeks, months, or even years. With Ace Relocation warehouse storage, you can pay for the space you need only for the time you need it, rather than renting a large self-storage unit that may end up half empty. With Ace Relocation warehouse storage, you only pay for the space you use.
- Liability: If your belongings stay with Ace Relocation all the way from loading to warehouse, to unloading at your final destination, then the liability for any loss or damage also stays with us.
MOVING COMPANY WAREHOUSE STORAGE: WHEN IT MIGHT NOT
- Access: Ace Relocation warehouses are not open to the public. If you need frequent access to your items while they are in storage, then warehouse storage might not be the best option.
- Price: Because warehouse storage is a managed service, rather than a do-it-yourself solution, it can frequently cost more than self-storage. However, if you factor in the cost of transporting your items out of storage to their final destination, the liability of loss and damage, plus managing the logistics yourself, many people find the nominally higher storage fees to be money well spent.