Storing a Massive, Magazine Collection

« Back to Home

Between Residences For Just A Few Weeks? Is It Worthwhile To Rent A Storage Unit?

Posted on

If the lease on your current residence has run out just a few weeks before you're able to secure a new place, or if you've just put your present home under contract but haven't quite yet found the home of your dreams, you may be wondering where you (and your belongings) will be staying during the period in which you're temporarily homeless. Although your first inclination when evaluating long-term storage options may be a rent-by-the-month storage unit, these units may not always make financial sense if you'll only be in need of storage for a few days. Read on for some of the factors you'll want to take into account when your moving dates don't quite line up.

What should you consider when evaluating your storage options?

There are a few factors you'll want to weigh when deciding where to store your household belongings after vacating your current home or apartment.

  • Cost

Unless you have the luxury of a completely paid-for moving budget, cost is a consideration—and because your storage needs can hit you smack in the middle of the moving process, it's important to have a budget and to stick to it except in cases of emergency. This can mean evaluating the cost of your various storage options and factoring this into the total cost of your move rather than finding yourself blindsided.

  • Distance traveled

If you're selling or vacating your current home and moving across town, your storage needs will likely be far different than if you're moving across the country (or outside the country).  You may want to store your belongings in your new location rather than keeping them accessible in your old city, even if you still have a few days in the city to prepare.

What are your most efficient and cost-effective temporary storage options? 

There are a couple of cost-efficient options that can provide you with some flexibility when it comes to the moving process.

The first is the rental of a pod shipping container. These containers are often used to transport a household of belongings across the country (or even across the world) and can help you eliminate the process of transferring items from a moving truck to storage unit and vice versa. Instead, your belongings will stay in this pod shipping container until you're fully unpacked.

Another is a short-term or prorated rental at a local storage facility. Although most storage units advertise a rent-by-the-month policy, shorter-term rentals (advertised or non-advertised) are usually available, and as long as you've vacated by the end of your lease, you may be able to rent a storage unit for as little as a week.

To learn more about your options, contact a storage facility like Penn  Plaza Self Storage.


Share