Whether you’re moving house, need further space for stock or products, or you’re a student heading home for the summer, a storage unit can offer a whole host of benefits.
However, before you check your belongings or business documents into any storage unit, it’s important that you ensure that the facility is safe and secure. This can involve checking out the website, speaking to a member of staff, finding reviews from previous customers, and visiting the facility.
First thing’s first, are storage units secure?
That depends. All storage units should be secure, however, like anything, they vary in quality, so it’s important to look into this before selecting a facility.
Of course, it’s not just the storage facility itself that plays a role in keeping your belongings safe, there are a number of steps that you can take to help reduce the risk of theft. As well as you need to know what not to store in a storage unit.
What the storage facility can do to keep your belongings safe
Before booking a storage unit, make sure you check that the facility is safe and secure. A lot of it is about intuition – does the facility feel safe? Would you be happy leaving your belongings there unattended?
Aside from your gut feeling, you should also check that the company has put basic security measures in place to minimise the risk of problems occurring.
Here are some of the measures that storage facilities can put in place to make sure your stored items are well-protected at all times:
Digital surveillance system
A digital surveillance system will ensure that your property is monitored 24 hours a day. A visible surveillance system will not only give you peace of mind, but it will also help to deter any potential thieves.
Password protection
Today, many storage facilities utilise a password system, meaning you’ll have to input a unique code to access your allocated space, as well as the facility as a whole. By restricting access in this way, it makes it easier to keep your belongings safe.
Adequate lighting
Does the facility have sufficient lighting? This not only keeps you safe while you’re visiting your storage space, but it also deters trespassers and ensures that anyone entering the facility can be seen.
Well maintained
Is the property well maintained? If there is any damage or maintenance issues waiting to be resolved, this could make the site more vulnerable to a break in.
What you can do to keep your belongings secure
Of course, in addition to ensuring that your storage facility has the necessary security features to keep your belongings safe, there are a number of considerations you can make and steps you can take to ensure that your belongings are as safe as possible.
Always consider the following points:
Don’t put irreplaceable items in your storage unit
Never put anything in your storage unit that is irreplaceable or won’t be covered by your insurance policy in the event of theft. If in doubt, check with your insurance provider before putting anything of great value into storage.
Keep a list of what’s stored and where
If you want to protect your property in storage, it’s vital that you create an inventory so that you know exactly what was stored in there. You could even take pictures as you pack, as well as some of the storage unit itself.
Invest in a good lock
If your storage facility requires you to provide a lock, make sure you buy the best one you can afford. A good lock will not only prevent thieves from accessing your belongings, but it will also deter them from even trying to do so.
Don’t give anyone else access to your unit
Be aware of who you tell about your storage space and what you’ve got in there. And, under no circumstances should you give your access code or key to anyone, even close friends and family.
Make sure you’re insured
Some storage facilities require you to have insurance cover in order to keep your belongings there. Even if yours doesn’t, it’s important to ensure that you take out a policy to make sure you’re protected if the worst happens.
If you need your belongings to be stored and are looking for a secure storage facility, all of our are clean, modern, spacious and monitored by state-of-the-art security systems 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
