Aging Well A Baby BoomerΓÇÖs Complete Guide to Renting a Storage Unit By Cris Burnam Many Boomers, as they become empty nesters, are turning to renting. In 2015, 15 million people in their 50s and 60s rented apartments. As a result, many Boomers now need more storage for their belongings. Renting a storage unit is similar to renting an apartment: You wouldnΓÇÖt sign a lease without visiting the apartment to see exactly what youΓÇÖre getting. The same is true for storage. Here are a few things you should keep in mind as you search for a suitable self-storage facility: Accessibility When it comes to self-storage, you might not think about how hard it will be to carry your stuff up the stairs until youΓÇÖre on your fourth trip and counting. Take a tour and inspect the unit to make sure itΓÇÖs easy to access. Will everything fit through the door? Can you drive right up to the entrance, or do you have a short distance to walk? These are all important questions to ask. Size and Weight ItΓÇÖs easy to miscalculate how much physical space you need. For the sake of time and money, itΓÇÖs tempting to rent a unit thatΓÇÖs smaller than what you actually need. But donΓÇÖt just consider if the unit will technically fit your things. Rather, evaluate how much space you need based on how youΓÇÖll be using the unit. Are you storing seasonal items? If so, youΓÇÖll want to have room to make a corridor down the middle so you can grab those snow skis without climbing over piles of stuff. If you travel a lot, you can get away with a smaller unit because you wonΓÇÖt have to access your things as often. Go online and use sizing guides, keeping in mind there may also be weight restrictions. StorageMart once had a customer in New York City store chopsticks in his second-floor unit ΓÇö hundreds of thousands densely packed together. The unit next door held marble countertops, also packed in very closely. These units were the same size, but they were very different weights. And one day, the floor collapsed! The moral of that story is to communicate with your facility. The Right Lock There are a handful of facilities that use barrel locks ΓÇö round cylinders with small round keys, similar to what you see used in a vending machine. While theyΓÇÖre very difficult to break, they really only serve a single purpose. Once you buy a barrel lock, you wonΓÇÖt be able to use it for anything else. Check if your storage facility allows you to use your own lock or if it will sell you different locks. I recommend disk locks. TheyΓÇÖre armored and built in such a way that itΓÇÖs almost impossible to use bolt cutters on them, but they are still easy to unlock and reuse. Climate Control Everything is better stored in a climate-controlled space (with the exception of outdoor furniture, tools, and things you would normally store in a garage). Damage doesnΓÇÖt come from the temperature as much as the changes in temperature. When things freeze, they shrink. When they thaw, they swell. This is particularly hard on furniture joints and electronics. Climate control also keeps your belongings cleaner because the filtered air system traps dirt. Key Questions to Ask Your Facility Before you sign a self-storage contract, make sure to ask a few questions. Any decent facility will be able to answer them fully: If thereΓÇÖs a loss, are my goods insured? Most homeownersΓÇÖ insurance policies donΓÇÖt cover off-premise storage. At StorageMart, we require some form of coverage, whether itΓÇÖs through us or a third party. What are the access hours? Some facilities may have specific access hours, while others will be available 24/7. If you require all-hour access, make sure itΓÇÖs in the lease. How do fees work? What are the late fees, and how can you pay your bill? Who can access my unit? Make sure to authorize a few friends or family members who have access in case of emergency. Leasing a storage unit doesnΓÇÖt have to be complicated, but it does require the same thoroughness you would use when leasing an apartment. Visit the unit, talk to the site manager, and make sure youΓÇÖre paying for the best setup. Cris Burnam has been working in the self-storage industry since 1987. He has served as president of StorageMart since founding the company with his brother, Mike Burnam, in 1999. Cris grew StorageMart from a single self-storage facility into the worldΓÇÖs largest privately owned self-storage company with 173 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Cris was named a 2014 EY Entrepreneur of the Year in the Services and Real Estate category (Central Midwest region) ΓÇö one of the highest honors an American entrepreneur can receive.