­5 Things You Should Know About Storage Rental in San Mateo

Anytime you store your belongings in a storage rental unit, you want to be sure that they will be in the same good condition when you retrieve them. The following are some important things you should know before you rent a storage rental unit in San Mateo.

1. There is a Right Way to Pack your Storage Rental Unit

Depending on how you plan to use your unit, as temporary storage during a move, for example, or as a secondary place for seasonal items, packing your storage rental unit takes a little planning. Keep items you plan to access often, like boxes of holiday decorations or sports equipment, in accessible spaces. If you will be going in and out of the unit often, plan a walkway space or aisle between boxes and other items.

2. You can Right-Size your Storage Rental Unit

Make sure you get the right help and guidance when choosing the appropriate size for your storage unit. Right-sizing your storage rental unit depends not only on the items you are storing, but also how often you plan to access the unit, your reasons for needing storage space, and how long you will be renting the unit. Use our Space Calculator to get a suitably sized unit and discuss your needs with our storage counselors. We’ll help you get the right unit and avoid over paying for space you don’t need.

3. Don’t Let Weather Become Your Enemy

Constant changes in temperature and humidity are common in San Mateo, California and these can also be the primary culprits of damage to stored items. Moisture can mildew fabric and warp wood, so it is important to protect your belongings from the outside elements and keep items off the ground. To best protect items like furniture, electronics, clothing, or machinery, you may ask for a free wood pallet to place items on. You can store your items upstairs where there is less exposure to weather conditions. We also offer moisture kits called “Driz Air” that take humidity out of a unit.

4. Careful Packing Will Save You Money and Heartache

Some careful planning will save you money and heartache when it comes to fragile items. Wrap glass and other breakables individually. Use bubble wrap, foam sheets, and packing peanuts to keep individual items separated. To keep fragile items from breaking, square off some space for them in a corner of your storage unit. Put heavy items, such as boxes, on the bottom of any stack.

5. Make Sure Your Insurance Covers the Items in your Storage Rental Unit

It is now mandatory that anyone storing items in a rental space has insurance. Hence, we require that our clients insure the goods they intend to store. Storage insurance is always available to you when you rent your unit, but you can also contact your homeowners’ or renter’s insurance company to get coverage for the items in your storage rental unit at very little additional cost (if any).

You can also get more storage information from our FAQ page and reserve your unit online. Call 5A Rent-A-Space at (650) 341-2964 with any questions and talk to one of our self storage experts in the San Mateo - Foster City area.