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I'm going to be moving for about 2-3 months, but have no need to move everything because I'll be back after that period of time and in a new place. The better place I'm finding in my area is about $75 a month for a 2 bedroom apartment sized unit. Is that a standard rate? Good rate? Bad one? Also what kind of precautions should I be looking into for this type of storage? Anyone have any experience in this field?

I simply figured I rent a truck, load and unload the things into the unit and then come back for them when I come back into town. Biggest items I'm looking at is about 10-15 medium boxes, a sofa, a bunk bed, a queen size bed and a few pieces of furniture (2-3 book shelves, 1-2 chest of drawers)

Just make sure you don't get more space than you need. And don't fall into the common trap of putting off the move back. People oftentimes put their storage unit in the back of their mind and just keep paying the monthly bill rather than set aside a day to empty it out.

Keep an eye on what you really need and their billing schedule. Also go through all your stuff and throw half of it out.

The price is ok. We had to search for a $50/mo unit a few years ago (though we only used it for about 6 months), most of the prices in the area were $60-$70.

Are you sure you don't have a friend with unused garage or basement space?

Get a good lock. Cheap combination locks and keyed locks are easy to decode/pick.

Don't.

If you put something away for more than a year, you don't need it.

Um, it's only 2-3 months....

Slip the owner $20 and he'll look the other way when he find you living there.

HCGLNS said:

Keep an eye on what you really need and their billing schedule. Also go through all your stuff and throw half of it out.

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This. If you absolutely need a storage unit, you want to be filling that space so it's filled to the brim. No walk-in room, no space at the top, nothing. Disassemble any furniture, if you can. An extra $30/month on space you don't need adds up. Also, make sure that they have at least some kind of limited area access, let alone cameras and 24/7 security. It depends on the area, but in general, these aren't premium features, any serious storage area will have at least the first two.

Also, be careful about how they handle move out. Some places will try and get you to sign up for their "expedited move out service" or some such when you move in, and charge you $hundreds for their "help" when you move out.

Get a real lock. Bare minimum, get something with a rotary shackle (locks via a circular movement of the actual shackle) and a shroud. A rotary shackle means that someone with a hammer won't be able to just knock the lock off with a downward strike, and a shroud covers most of the shackle, so it will be much, much harder to cut off with bolt cutters.

I used a Master Rotary Shackle the last time I stored stuff.
Added at: 18:32

EDIT: Also, make sure that your insurance will cover any possible theft. If it won't, you can buy insurance from them, but investigate the rating of their underwriter before you sign anything.

Storing your stuff is just like insurance, actually. You want to be paying enough to get the coverage you need, but you need to watch out and make sure you're not paying for things you don't need or paying extra for standard or substandard service.

Should you guys be giving him good advice on this? You're almost guaranteeing he won't take it.

escushion: Get over it. Seriously.

To all the advice so far, it's really helped, I've been asking alot of questions and been calling around. Thanks for the heads up.

Jiarn said:

To all the advice so far, it's really helped, I've been asking alot of questions and been calling around.

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...to double-check everyone's advice.

No, using their advice to create questions I wouldn't have thought to ask in the first place, but thanks for failing to put words in my mouth.

Speaking of heads... keep your severed heads in jars located somewhere in the back, but not fully buried, so as to be unseen when entering the storage locker at night, but also creating that frightful jitter when your flashlight hits the empty, lifeless eyes of your former oh my fucking God I'm channeling Shego right now, aren't I?

[/odd]

Nah, I don't think Shego keeps obviously identifiable trophies.

You will need cooling in the unit so the bodies don't decompose as quickly since the odor will attract unwanted attention.

My advice? Don't store your meth lab inside. The fumes will build up and then KABOOM... there goes your grandmother's china.

AshburnerX said:

My advice? Don't store your meth lab inside. The fumes will build up and then KABOOM... there goes your grandmother's china.

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Ugh, my mind is so in the gutters today...

I heartily approve of the direction this thread is going....

North_Ranger said:

Ugh, my mind is so in the gutters today...

Spoiler

Grandmother's china - > grandmother's porcelain -> 'porcelain' is a euphemism for 'clean-shaven vagina' in Finnish, hence... grandmother's GAH I CAN'T EVEN SAY IT!!

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See, in the context of the meth lab, when he said grandma's china, I thought "grandma's stash".
Added at: 11:10