"To COOL or Not to COOL?" That is the Question. (It's Also Self-Storage Shopping Tip #2)

Okay, class, it’s time for our next self-storage shopping tip.

This one has to do with the HOT topic of CLIMATE CONTROL.

So the tip is, decide whether or not you need climate control for what you’re storing.

That’s it!

Now did you catch the all-important word in there?—“NEED”!

As in, decide whether you really NEED—not just “want”—climate control. Or do you only THINK you need it?

You see, lots of people WANT climate control. Lots of people THINK they need climate control. But (can YOU handle the truth?) not everyone who WANTS or THINKS they need it actually does.

It’s all a matter of preconceived notions about non-climate-controlled storage units and the perceived "necessity" for air conditioning or cooling of some kind IN ALL CASES when the weather is warm. (“Warm”? Did he just use the word warm on a day when the temperature outside was 188 degrees Fahrenheit, in the shade?!)

Well, since I am in the business of dispatching and dispensing with preconceived notions, here goes…

WHO actually NEEDS climate control?

How about a nice, helpful answer to that question: it depends on what you’re storing and for how long. (Yes, that’s why they pay me the big bucks as a storage consultant--NOT!)

I’ve posted previously on this subject. (Feel free to use the handy “Search” tool in the sidebar to retrieve the relevant rantings.) It’s an area that seems to polarize people who are looking for storage into one of two camps:

Camp A: the Gotta-Have-Climate-Control-No-Matter-Whatters
Camp B: the Don’t-Really-Need-Climate-Control-So-Don’t-Wanna-Pay-for-Itters

So which one are YOU?

Here’s how you should answer that: (with another question, of course!) Am I going to be storing for a long, LONG time (like years)? Or am I just going to store for a few months?

If it’s just a few months, you know what? You don’t really need it.

Unless you’re storing perishable items like food, or extremely valuable artwork or very expensive furniture, you can manage just fine with traditional, “standard” storage.

But I don’t want to mislead you or twist your arm into getting something you don’t want or feel comfortable with. You know me, I’m Mr. Easy to Get Along With (as long as we do things MY way!).

If you honestly, truly believe in your heart of hearts that you NEED climate control for what you’re storing, well, I’m not here to browbeat you or cajole you into changing your mind. Because, after all…

IT’S YOUR MONEY!!

And if you want to spend it on foolish extravagances like climate control—that’s up to you!

I’ll not stand in your way. (Anyway it’s too hot to do that.)

Only kidding! I’ll gladly refer you to a nearby storage facility that has some of that new-fangled, fancy-schmancy air-conditioning you so desperately crave and think you need. (I just won’t tell you they have RATS and ROACHES in their ductwork. Ha!)

So let's review what we've got so far. Tip One, figure out, as best you can, HOW MUCH SPACE you'll need based on your largest items that you need to store. Tip Two, do a little math and price comparison and figure out whether you're willing (and able) to pay the additional rent costs for CLIMATE CONTROL for your stuff.

Tip Three will have to wait until I have both the time and the INSPIRATION (and the motivation) to publish another post on this burning subject of shopping for a storage space. (It is of utmost importance and crucial to our economic recovery, I know.)

This has been your manager, once again, giving you spot-on advice to help you navigate the uncertain, unpredictable waters on the sea of self-storage as your make your way through the currents of life.

Happy Storing! (Is it just me or is it WARM in here?)

Paul

How to Shop for Storage Space: Tip #1

Okay, time to put on my Storage Consultant's hat!

If you find yourself looking around for storage these days, you're not alone in your quest for extra space.

Lots of people moving, consolidating, relocating, downsizing, upsizing, right-sizing, no-sizing, family moving in, family moving out, business moving on, clearing out the clutter, storing boats, RVs, trailers, jet skis, cars, trucks, tools, etc., etc.

It makes you wonder how people lived 50 years ago before there was such a thing as "self-storage" (aka, mini-storage)!

I know the answer to that--it's because THEY HAD TO!

Well, I'm happy to say, YOU DON'T HAVE TO!

In a large metropolitan area like Phoenix. you've got boat loads of self-storages practically on EVERY CORNER. That's a good and a bad thing.

Good that there are so many to choose from. Bad that there are so many to choose from!

So to help make your storage searching experience a LITTLE bit easier, let's start off with the basics--something easy to ask yourself, like:

WHAT DO I NEED TO STORE?

Not a trick question! Before you begin, make a QUICK LIST (mentally if not physically) of the things you actually need to store. Beds and bedroom furniture? Living room sofa, recliner, loveseat? Dining room table and chairs? Entertainment center? Appliances? Kids toys? Car? Trailer? You get the idea.

Then, if you need to store a lot, especially big pieces, the next thing you need is a tape measure.

Because in this brave, new world of rentable storage space, where you're paying for every square foot and you as the consumer are taking an educated guess as to how much space you really need, A TAPE MEASURE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND!

So use this wonderful little gadget to take some quick measurements to get a good idea of how much space you'll need to rent.

Believe me, this will make your life SO MUCH EASIER when it comes time to actually place your precious belongings into your newly-acquired unit.

So to sum up this first tip:

Make a list of what you need to store.

Measure the biggest items for an overall idea.

Estimate/calculate how much space you'll need.

Then when you've done that, pick up the phone confidently and call your FRIENDLY, NEIGHBORHOOD SELF-STORAGE FACILITY where the manager will then assist you in finding exactly (okay, approximately!) the size space for what you're storing.

And in the north Chandler, west Gilbert area, that would be ME!

Since we're on the subject of SIZES AND RATES, take a look at the sidebar where it says "SIZES AND RATES". That's where you'll find our, uh, sizes and rates. (Any questions?)

Well, gotta go. I have a property to manage. Stay tuned for the next tip.

Your FRIENDLY, NEIGHBORHOOD SELF-STORAGE Manager,

Paul

NEED BOXES? We Just Got a BUNCH More In. (In Fact I've Got So Many Boxes, I Need, Well, a STORAGE UNIT to Keep 'em Here!)

Great news! Our MONSTER order of boxes just came in (well, maybe "monster" is overstating it just a bit since the entire order arrived on ONE PALLET.)

That means I only have one thing to say:

"COME AND GET 'EM!"

Now we've got a WHOLE ASSORTMENT of boxes for you to choose from.

Nay, a plethora, a wide variety, a HUGE selection, a veritable smorgasbord of boxes. (Or basically, whatever I could fit into our little office and retail store!)

It's a BOX BUFFET BONANZA here at the sprawling, palatial ARIZONA STORAGE INNS facility on Warner Road and Arizona Avenue!

And YOU'RE INVITED, so come and FEAST!

Here, let me give you a sneak preview of our luscious menu of favorites featuring our fine, geometrically-shaped, tastefully-designed cardboard creations, presented here for your consideration and approval and to whet your appetite as you make your way to our all-you-can-eat, boxing and storing establishment:

(Note: prices shown do not include sales tax and manager gratuity :)

12 x 12 x 12 box (1.0 cu. ft.) - $1.50 ea.
12 x 12 x 16 box (1.5 cu. ft.) - $1.75 ea.
14 x 14 x 14 box (1.5 cu. ft.) - $1.75 ea.
12 x 12 x 24 box (2.0 cu. ft.) - $2.00 ea.
18 x 18 x 16 b0x (3.0 cu. ft.) - $2.50 ea.
18 x 18 x 24 b0x (4.5 cu. ft.) - $3.00 ea.
24 x 24 x 18 box (6.0 cu. ft.) - $4.00 ea.

That's our Value Menu. Here's our House Select Menu of Premium Favorites for extra large and demanding appetites that call for something beyond the "ordinary":

18 x 18 x 14 (2.5 cu. ft.) heavy-duty DISH-PACK - $5.00 ea.
18 x 18 x 28 (5.0 cu. ft.) heavy-duty DISH-PACK - $6.00 ea.
24 x 24 x 48 (9.0 cu. ft.), heavy-duty, for 27" TVs & monitors - $10.75 ea.

And of course, the perennial palate pleaser--whoops, I mean PALLET pleaser--in this category:

24 x 21 x 48 (a whopping 14.0 cu. ft.!), Wardrobe for ONLY - $10.00 ea.

To make this wardrobe a complete, super-sized combination we'll throw in a nice, glistening

Metal 24" Wardrobe Bar - $1.75

But don't think our joint only serves BOXES.

Heavens no! Open up our beautiful, four-color glossy menu (use your imagination here!) to view the inside facing pages.

Here you'll find that we also have MATTRESS COVERS (or BAGS to extend the metaphor)

Ah, mattress bags,... translucent, clear-as-crystal, layers and layers of plastic perfection unfolding before your eyes (once you take it out of the package):

Twin Mattress Bag - $3.50 ea.
Full Mattress Bag - $4.00 ea.
Queen Mattress Bag - $4.50 ea.
King Mattress Bag - $5.00 ea.

Of course, not everybody goes for these, so if mattress covers are not your bag (sorry!), we also have some of these:

Chair Cover, 46" x 76", **(2) per pkg!** - $5.00 ea.
Sofa Cover, 45" x 150" - $5.00 ea.
Dust Cover, 10 ft. x 20 ft. - $6.00 ea.

Keep in mind, all of these delectable bags ("covers") are made from genuine, 2.0 mil heavy-duty polyethylene (YUM!). Nothing is too good for our patrons!

Wait! We're not finished yet. You haven't seen our Dessert Menu! (I'm wrapping this up real quickly here, don't worry!)

BUBBLE WRAP--in "perfect portions" sized for just for YOU, light and airy with just the right "snap":

small cell, 12" x 20 ft. roll - $6.50 ea.
medium cell, 12" x 15 ft. roll - $7.00 ea.

Are you sure you don't want something for "take out"? (Mommy, make him stop!)

ROPE, made from our specially-selected, 100% nylon/polyester fiber braided in pure, satin-sheen white (sorry, no substitutions!), 1/4" x 50 ft. - $2.75

How about some

TAPE-- clear, 2" x 55 yds - $2.00 ea.

Better yet, how about a

TAPE GUN to take home and share--comes complete with (2) full rolls of our clear tape - $12.00 for the whole shebang

You know, I almost forgot! If you buy either of our two DISH-PACK boxes mentioned earlier, you'll immediately notice something missing if you don't include one of these with it:

Dish-Pack Cell Kit: cardboard divider set (fits both sizes of our dish-pack boxes) - $10.00

AND to cradle your fine dishes and glasses in cushioned comfort:

Dish Saver Kit: foam pouches for dinner plates, salad plates, saucers and bowls--(6) of each for a total of (24)--plus an adjustable divider cell set, and it all fits inside one of our 1.5 cu. ft. boxes - $9.00

Glass Saver Kit: (12) foam pouches and (1) adjustable divider cell set, fits inside one of our 1.5 cu. ft. boxes - $7.00

Whew! That's enough. I'm feeling STUFFED just writing about all this (I think I need a take-out box).

Well, you'd better hurry and get here soon because prices are subject to change without notice and SEATING IS LIMITED. And at these prices you'd better come HUNGRY! (And you'd better bring your Visa or Mastercard-- 'cause we don't take American Express!)

All right, I'm done, and I'm outta here!

Your Manager and Maitre D',
Paul

Why a Non-Climate Controlled Storage Unit is not the FIERY FURNACE That is Your CAR in the Summer!

I had someone tell me this past week that the reason he didn't want to put his belongings into a non-climate-controlled storage unit was because he left one of his CDs on the dashboard of his car one day when it was REALLY hot (let's see, which day was that?) and he came back to find it a warped, distorted mess.

Therefore, using scientific extrapolation and inductive reasoning, he surmised that all non-climate controlled storage units must get as hot as that hyperthermic dashboard, since, logically, the same sun is beating down on the car as is beating down on the storage unit.

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! This young man obviously was using FAULTY logic, FALLACIOUS reasoning and SPURIOUS, FALSE and ERRONEOUS premises on which to base his subjective, knee-jerk, irrational, unsubstantiated and unjustifiable conclusion (I hope I'm not being too harsh).

The fact is, your non-climate-controlled storage unit does not get as hot as your car. Yes, they do get pretty warm. Some would even say hot. But they don't get as hot as some people think.

Now if you're the type of person who needs convincing through seeing and feeling first-hand, live and in-person, hands-on, real-world experience before you make your decision about something (especially a buying decision), well, YOU'RE JUST THE KIND OF PERSON I'M LOOKING FOR!

I invite you to stop by our store TODAY, RIGHT NOW, while it's the dog days of summer--August in the "Valley of the Sun"--and actually walk inside one of our 5 x 10 or 10 x 10 units.

If you're like most people, you'll say, 'Wow, it's not as hot in here as I thought!"

Which means I don't have to "sell" you on renting a non-cooled, "standard" non-climate-controlled, ground-level, drive-up, convenient outdoor-access storage unit with us. Because you will immediately and instinctively deduce--using your intuitive powers of observation honed and perfected through years of experience, your extensive background and rigorous education and training as a 21st century citizen of ultra-modern society in a technologically advanced era--that, SHAZAAM! I really don't need an A/C storage unit!

Or words to that effect.

So stop in today, tell me that it's HOT enough outside to fry eggs, and I'll give you a FREE BOTTLE OF WATER (so you can wash the eggs off my CLEAN sidewalk)!

Commiserating with You in the Heat,
Your Manager,
Paul