If you’ve been looking for a place to keep some treasured items away from your home or place of business, you may have considered renting a drive-up self-storage unit. But did you know that there are different kinds of storage facilities available and that the type you choose should be one that’s appropriate to the materials you intend to store?
To help you in your choice, here is Part 3 in a series comparing the pros and cons of three types of self-storage facilities.
Drive-Up Self-Storage Units
Drive-up self-storage units are usually an outdoor option, but indoor facilities offering drive-up access also exist. The enclosed units typically start from the size of a one-car garage and as the name suggests, access to them can be had by driving up to the door and offloading directly from your vehicle. For this reason, also, units are often located at ground level – with those at higher elevations having ramps or loading bays.
Drive-up self-storage units would typically be used for:
- Storing household and personal possessions during a move
- Seasonal decorations
- Outdoor recreation equipment (dirt bikes, jet skis, etc.)
- Gardening or building supplies
- Winter snow equipment (sanders, plows, etc.)
- Metal, plastic, or resin furniture
The Benefits of a Drive-Up Self-Storage Unit
Drive-up self-storage makes it easy to get to your individual unit, and convenient to load or offload. Storage units are available at sizes much larger than for indoor storage, so they’re ideal for bulky furniture or big appliances.
The Drawbacks of a Drive-Up Self-Storage Unit
Drive-up self-storage sites tend to offer fewer frills than indoor facilities. This may cost you less per month, but you may not have the option of climate control or enhanced security. Drive-up units can also be quite dusty, as their roll-up doors often don’t offer a complete seal from wind-borne particles.
In a discussion with one of our self-storage policyholders, we were told the following:
“I chose a drive-up storage unit because I needed the convenience of pulling right up to my door for loading and unloading. That was great, but I found out over time that my stuff was getting covered in a thick layer of dust. I literally had to buy tarps to cover everything. What a pain!”
This is definitely something you will want to investigate closely when choosing a facility and an individual unit. If this is an issue, you may need to opt for an indoor unit.
Whichever type of storage facility you choose, remember to protect the items you’re keeping there by taking out a comprehensive program of self-storage insurance, provided by a reputable independent company.
Make Sure you Insure Your Belongings in Storage with SnapNsure™
Whether you use a storage unit for personal or business reasons, you need to be sure that your items are safe from pests or rodents, theft, and damage due to environmental factors such as fire, flooding, storms, and lightning.
When it comes to pricing, coverage, convenience, and reliability, the SnapNsure™ Contents Program is the best choice as a consumer to address all of these concerns. Coverage plans range from a minimum of $2,000 up to a maximum of $25,000 of coverage per unit.
It is simply the best self-storage insurance on the market (see our blog on self-storage insurance explained).
SnapNsure™ is the only company in the U.S. offering all of these coverages together – and the only company offering Named Storm coverage for self-storage at all.
SnapNsure™ is a “direct-to-consumer” product with no middleman, SO YOU WILL SAVE MONEY over the insurance offered by self-storage companies! Our premiums are typically 100% to 200% lower for the same coverage limits offered at the storage facility (storage facilities typically mark up their premiums, with a sizable profit going straight to the storage company).
And every SnapNsure™ policy has a standard $100 deductible.
Coverage renews every month upon payment of your SnapNsure™ premium. It starts as soon as your completed application is received electronically by the SnapNsure™ website – so you can even purchase coverage on your cell phone as you’re signing the storage facility’s rental contract. Simple right!
SnapNsure™ is underwritten by The Hanover Insurance Group – the holding company for one of the largest admitted insurance carriers in the United States.
It simply makes sense to get the coverage you need from SnapNsure™. Get Insured now!
