At 422 Spacemall Storage, we offer two basic types of storage: drive up and climate-controlled. For people who have never used storage before, it can be hard to decide which one is best for you, so let’s take a look at drive up storage and talk about reasons you might select drive up storage.
Drive up storage, sometime called outdoor storage, is what most people think of when they imagine storage units. They are, essentially, metal boxes in a parking lot. Ours are built about six inches off the ground and have wooden floors. In some parts of the country, especially where rain is less of an issue, they are usually built directly on the ground and have concrete floors.
In this region, we build them a little higher off the ground to help ensure that your stuff stays dry.
The biggest drawback of outdoor or drive up storage is that it is not heated or air conditioned. That means it can get very cold in the winter and very hot in the summer. But for most of the things you are likely to be storing, that isn’t going to matter. Got boxes of the kids’ clothes, basic household goods, or your patio furniture? They’ll all be fine in a drive up storage unit.
You’ll need climate-controlled storage is you are storing expensive or antique furniture (especially stuff with cloth or leather cushions), high end electronics, record albums, candles or other things that might melt in the summer heat. In fact, the cold is far less likely to damage your things than the heat. Basically, if you’d be okay storing it in an unheated garage, an unfinished basement or the attic, it’s probably okay in drive up storage.
But why would it be your first choice?
Cost
Generally speaking, drive up storage is less expensive than climate-controlled. We’re a bit unusual at 422 Spacemall in Oaks in that we have a three-story building and offer storage on the upper floors for the same price as drive up storage. In most places, expect to pay at least 20 percent more for climate-controlled storage than you do for drive up. That’s because the storage facility is paying for heat and air conditioning.
Convenience
When you rent a climate-controlled storage unit, you will likely have to transport your belongings farther to the unit than you do with drive up. Most drive up units literally allow you to drive your vehicle or moving truck right up next to the unit. These units often have garage-style doors, so loading your things into the unit is pretty easy. In a climate-controlled facility, you are more likely to face doors that are the same size as your average house door. You may have to carry things down narrow hallways and you might even have to use an elevator to get your stuff to upper floors.
Accessibility
At many storage facilities, access to the climate-controlled building and the units in it is more restricted than the hours to get into your drive up unit. The facility may not allow evening or weekend access to your climate-controlled unit or may require advanced notice for access. Here at 422 Spacemall that is not the case. We have an access control system that allows tenants to access their climate controlled units from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. 365 days a year. Even on holidays, you can access your stuff.
We have attempted to eliminate most of the negatives of renting climate-controlled storage, but many people, especially those who will be accessing their unit frequently, prefer the convenience of drive up.