Tag Archives: Pullman storage

Tired of all the stuff in your house but can’t bear to throw the items out? De-clutter and give yourself more breathing room by renting out a storage unit. Before you rework your budget to make room for this new monthly expense, do your research and follow these tips from Jim Neill, owner of C & S Storage in Pullman, Washington. Read the Contract Storage companies differ on what they will allow you to store. Some, for example, will not allow cars. Such restrictions will be stated in the contract. Other rights, like when the lien process starts should you fall behind in payment, will also be spelled out in the contract, so examine the document carefully before signing. “The law says the account is past due after 45 days but we give our customers up to 90 days,” says the Pullman storage expert. “We are lenient because we know a lot of people have lost their jobs over the last year. We have even set up customers with payment plans.” Consider Flexibility Some facilities are open 24/7. Others are open during business hours only after setting up an appointment. Ask yourself how often you will need to access the items in storage. During what hours you are most likely to make the trip? Can you plan ahead enough to make an appointment, or do you require more flexibility? Neill, who has been in the Pullman self storage industry for 25 years, recommends visiting your unit once a month to make sure everything remains in good condition. Monthly visits may also spur you to start unloading some of these items. After all, if you’ve been able to live without them for months at a time, perhaps it’s time to let them go. Look at Security Once you rent the unit, no else has access to it. Still, that doesn’t mean nothing ever disappears. Find out what kind of security the facility provides. Is there a gate with a keypad? Are there any on-site personnel? “Our facility is fenced on three sides, and one side runs up against a cliff, but what makes us different from the competition is that our manager lives on site with her family,” says the Pullman storage business owner. “They are on site 24 hours.” Further secure your belongings with a sturdy lock that closes right up to the latch “so no bolt cutter can get in between them,” recommends Neill, whose family-owned business also specializes in Pullman moving supplies.

The promise of more space created if you move all your excess stuff to a storage unit can be irresistible. Who doesn’t want to start fresh sometimes, even if you can’t bear to throw some things away? However, this promise can add up, so before making it a regular line item on your budget, here are four basic points to consider when renting a storage unit, says Jim Neill, owner of C & S Storage in Pullman, Washington. What can you live without? When deciding what to put in storage, consider what you can live without for months at a time. Next, consider if they are really worth the storage fee. “We have a lot of clients who are college students, and they come to realize that the stuff they had in college is not worth moving when they find a job in another city,” says the Pullman storage specialist. Research your options Once you’ve put together a list of what items can be in storage, visit some storage facilities and ask about their hours, then compare it to what you think your need will be. Some facilities are open 24/7, while some require appointments. Just as important as the flexibility is the security. Once you sign the rental contract, the unit is yours and no one else has access to it. However, storage companies do offer security, from cameras to gates with security codes. C & S Storage, for example, also has a manager whose family lives on site, says Neill, whose family-owned Pullman self storage business has been in the industry for 25 years. “They are on site 24 hours. It is also fenced from three sides, with the fourth side running up against a small cliff.” If you plan to have a moving company pick up your stored items at some future date, ask if the facility allows that. Some are not built to let a commercial truck get close to your unit. Read the contract Before you do the old John Hancock, read the paperwork. Your rights will be spelled out in the contract, including when the storage facility can start the lien process once you are past due, explains the Pullman storage pro. The contract will also tell you what you – and your storage neighbors – will be allowed to store. If you are storing valuables and the company permits clients to store potentially combustible material, perhaps this is not the right facility for you. Pack properly Take the time to carefully put away the items that you would like to store in bins and boxes, says Neill, who is also a Pullman moving supplies expert. “I recommend that customers cover their items with plastic. We even sell these covers.” More importantly, don’t store food, or you may attract rodents to your valuables and those of your neighbors. When you are moving the items into the storage unit, make time to also carefully stack them away. This will prevent future mishaps, like boxes and bins falling on you when you open the unit or falling on the door and preventing you from getting into the space.

You’ve taken the first step to getting rid of the clutter in your life – you’ve decided to rent out a storage unit. The bigger the unit, the pricier the monthly rent. During these tight economic times, stretch your dollar – and make the most of smaller unit size – with these four easy tips from Jim Neill, founder of the family-owned C & S Storage in Pullman, Washington. Pack for the Long Haul Storage units are not dust proof. Nor are they flood proof or rodent proof. If you plan to store items for the long term, pack them carefully in bins and boxes and protect them with plastic covers, recommends Neill, whose company also specializes in Pullman moving supplies. When moving in your items, store them neatly and securely. Shove items willy nilly into the space, and you can run into trouble, “because things can fall on you when you open your storage unit or things fall against the door, which means you can’t open the door,” he says. Keep Valuables Elsewhere Sign the contract, and the storage unit is all yours until you stop paying the bill. However, think twice about storing truly valuable things in there, says the Pullman storage business owner. Even though units are weatherized, accidents can happen. Once consigned to storage, you may forget the items are even there. In addition, some people disregard the rules of the storage facility and pack food or flammable items in their spaces. “At another storage facility, a person stored gas in his unit, which is a big no-no,” he recalls. “It caught fire so it burned his unit and three others.” Protect Yourself Further Sometimes a storage unit is your only option for valuables. Check to see if your homeowner’s insurance offers protection for stored items, says the Pullman storage pro. “One of my daughters, when she was in college on the West Coast, I had her stuff covered. But you have to ask.” If your homeowner’s insurance does not offer that sort of protection, “we can also recommend one that does,” he adds. Conduct Monthly Checks They say, “out of sight, out of mind.” Don’t let your items in storage gather an inch of dust. Do monthly checks of your unit and weed out what you’ve been able to live without, recommends Neill, who has been in the Pullman self storage industry for 25 years. Frequent visits will also ensure that your property hasn’t been damaged, since no one has access to the unit unless you stop paying the rental fee.