As storage facilities are meant for getting belongings out of site, storage facilities themselves tend to be out of site and out of mind—until you need one. The closest that most people have come to even seeing the inside of a storage facility is as a backdrop for the shady going-ons of X-Files episodes. But just as “The Truth is Out There,” so too are self-storage facilities—and if you live in Montreal, you can luckily find storage that is right downtown, unlike the remote Vancouver locations on the sides of highways seen on the X-Files. Just because storage facilities are often out of mind doesn’t mean you have to go out of your mind finding one!
Before you find self-storage in Montreal, there are four factors you will need to consider:
SIZE
Apartment dwellers in Montreal are familiar with having to mediate their excitement about moving closer to downtown with the reality check that they will NOT have room for all their belongings at their new home. Self-storage units come in a variety of sizes; some facilities offering mini-storage, others renting huge warehouse spaces for cars or large amounts of furniture. When it comes to the pricing of units, size matters—so you have to put on your “Goldilocks Cap” to find the storage facility that’s jussst right for you. Because of this, it’s important that the first thing you do is gather together everything you’d like to store, to try to get as close an approximation of the size you will need as possible. Prepare all your items as you would like to be stored (in boxes, filling hollow items such as dressers or washers and dryers with other items like clothing, etc.) so that you can do a proper evaluation of how much space you will need.
ACCESS
Determine how frequently you will need to access your belongings. Self-storage companies operate with differing hours of access, and some charge for extended access times. Also, if you need your belongings to be convenient to access, you will probably want to find a storage facility that is close to where you live or work. On the other hand, if you only need infrequent access to your belongings, you may be able to find a self-storage facility that is further out of your way but less expensive. Thankfully, there is plenty of self-storage Montreal has to offer, so you may not have to sacrifice price for nice location.
SECURITY
Though security should obviously be a serious concern for everyone looking to store, serious valuables may require you to invest in extra security measures for your storage facility. Nonetheless, all potential storage renters should be aware that most storage facilities have security cameras and a gated access to its units. Some companies offer a different gate code for all tenants, so that managers can track who is accessing which unit at which time and for what length of time. If you have items of a very high monetary value you should consider finding a facility with individually alarmed units, which will alert facility staff if an unauthorized individual opens the door to your unit. Some facilities also offer padlocks and on-site management to provide tighter security.
CLIMATE-CONTROL
If you don’t have room in your life for all your belongings, you probably don’t have room in your life for the stress of finding them damaged and infested with rats! If you have valuable items or collectibles you will especially want to make sure that the facility you choose is climate-controlled, meaning its units are kept at a specific temperature (and sometimes humidity). Humidity can destroy a great variety of items, however, so it’s generally an important factor for all renters. Cleanliness and pest-control are also measures your prospective storage facilities should be taking. The most important point that I can make here is not to take the pictures shown on storage facilities’ sites as proof of the actual conditions of their units. Same goes with security measures like video cameras. The only way to know the actual condition of a storage facility is to visit it yourself. Don’t be shy to ask a facility representative to explain and show you what exact measures their company takes to protect your goods from theft or damage.
Now that you have the “Goldi-Lock-Down” on all the factors to fuss over, you are ready to merrily skip to the fairy tale facility of your dreams (obviously, if getting into the places are as easy it was for Goldilocks, you’re in trouble!). Don’t be sold by fairy tale websites though. Get out into that forest and taste that porridge yourself!
