Types of Storage: What Works Best For Your Belongings

All My Sons Moving & Storage offers storage services at our nationwide locations to keep our customers’ belongings secure during complex moves, transitions in living arrangements, and for long-term safekeeping.

Storage can make moves easier by providing a space for all your belongings between homes, and it’s a great long-term solution for those belongings you want to hang onto when you must downsize your living arrangements. When it comes to storage solutions, you have a variety of options. 

All My Sons Moving & Storage has been helping families relocate across the United States for over 30 years. We firmly believe that things matter, and we understand what you put into storage means so much more than its price tag to replace. Allow us to help you decide what storage services work best for your lifestyle, your move, and your belongings.

When you think of storage, self-storage units are probably the first thing that come to mind. A self-storage facility provides storage units to business and residential customers with special amenities like gated access, surveillance systems, and rolling carts to help customers load and unload.

With a self-storage unit, customers can access their unit on demand. The facility might have operating hours for access through the gate, but for the most part customers will be able to come and go as they please. Some facilities will offer 24 hour access as a feature or an added rental charge.

There are four different types of storage units usually found in self-storage facilities. Cost will vary by location, size, and amenities, but the average self-storage unit rent runs about $89 a month. 

Drive-Up Storage

Drive-up storage units are on the ground floor on the outside of the storage facility. You can easily drive a truck or trailer directly up to them and unload or load from your storage unit. They are typically at least 8 to 10 feet tall, and can range in size from a space just large enough to fit a modest closet to a space big enough to house two cars.

• Typical Cost: $100 to $300 monthly

• Size Range: 5x10 to 15x20

• Pros: Ease of access. Drive-up units are easier to move into, move out of, and to fetch things from on a regular basis.

• Cons: Typically more exposed to the elements. Your unit is more susceptible to the extreme shifts in temperature of your local area. It’s also more likely for dust and rain water to leak into your unit.   

• Best For: Tools, hardy furniture, landscaping equipment, appliances that you want access to on a regular basis. 

Indoor Storage Units

These self-storage units are in the interior of the building. They may be more difficult to access because of additional doorways, long hallways, and stairs or elevators. Even though they are indoors, they are not necessarily better temperature-regulated than drive-up storage units. They are typically at least 8 to 10 feet tall, and can range in size from a tiny closet space to space enough for a 4-bedroom house.

• Typical Cost: $30 to $330 monthly 

• Size Range: 5x5 to 15x20

• Pros: These units tend to run less expensive than standard drive-up units of the same size.

• Cons: Less easy to access. If you are moving into an interior unit on a 2^nd or 3^rd floor, you will have to use stairs or an elevator to get to your unit. If you access your unit often, this can be a hassle.

• Best For: Hardy furniture, appliances, and holiday decorations you do not intend to access on a regular basis. 

Climate-Controlled Storage Units

For these units, the self-storage facility will typically keep the temperature between 50°F to 82°F. This protects items from extreme shifts in the outside temperature. Some facilities will also keep the humidity low in their climate-controlled areas which cuts down on the moisture in the air and deters the growth of mold and mildew. These units are also typically at least 8 to 10 feet tall, and will range in size from a small closet space to enough space for a 4-bedroom house.

• Typical Cost: $40 to $350 monthly

• Size Range: 5x5 to 15x20

• Pros: The temperature and humidity in these units is regulated, meaning that your more sensitive items will be better preserved. Moving in, moving out, and visiting your unit will also be significantly more comfortable for you and your movers.

• Cons: The extra protection for your items will cost you about 10% to 25% more than you would pay for a non-climate controlled unit of a similar size. These units are also not as easily accessed, and you may have to navigate elevators, stairways, or long narrow hallways to get to them.

• Best For: Items sensitive to changes in temperature like photo albums, books, vinyl records, disc media, electronics, fabrics like fur, silk, or leather, and antiques. 

Storage Lockers

These self-storage units are under 5 feet tall. They are most ideal for just a few boxes or small items you need to store. It is not likely you could fit any furniture in them. They may or may not be climate-controlled depending their location in your self-storage facility. 

• Typical Cost: $5 to $30 monthly

• Size Range: Units are under 5 feet tall, and range from 3x3 to 5x5.

• Pros: Inexpensive, and ideal if you need just a little extra space.

• Cons: Extremely small, not likely to fit more than a few small to medium moving boxes.

• Best For: A few boxes, holiday decorations, collectibles, or small kitchen appliances. 

For this storage option, you request portable storage containers from the moving and storage company. The container gets delivered to your home, in your driveway. You would pack and fill the container at your own pace. When the container is full of everything you would like to store or move, you request pickup from the moving and storage company. The company takes the portable storage unit back to a secure warehouse, or delivers it to your destination depending on your plan for the move. 

• Typical Cost: $100 to $230 monthly rental rate plus delivery, pickup, and transportation costs.

• Size Range: Containers are typically 8 feet tall and range from 8x8 to 8x16

• Pros: You can pack the container at your leisure. Once packed, transportation for your belongings in the container is handled by the company.

• Cons: You must load and unload the containers yourself, or pay for moving labor to help you. Once the containers are packed, you will not be able to access them without requesting a redelivery.

• Best For: Long-distance moves where you’d like to do your own packing and will not need to access your items during the transition period. Also a great choice for renovation/remodeling projects where you would like items stored somewhere secure. 

These storage services are like AirBnB, but for garage, parking, and basement space. A host with extra space that isn’t getting used can rent it out to others for income, and renters can get storage services at a significantly reduced cost. 

• Typical Cost: $5 to $200 monthly, sometimes up to 50% less than self-storage units the same size.

• Size Range: Varies, small closet space to full basements, sheds, and garages.

• Pros: Reduced cost. Possibly within your own residential neighborhood. 

• Cons: Since it is a peer-to-peer sharing service, your amenities and security will depend on what kind of home space the host offers. You will have to coordinate with your host for access, and you may not be able to retrieve items on a 24-hour basis. While there are several Peer-to-Peer storage companies coordinating relationships between homeowners and renters across the nation, this option may not be available in your area.

• Best For: Extra household items you do not have immediate space for but would like to access on a seasonal basis such as holiday decorations or landscaping tools.

If you want everything taken care of for you, then full-service storage is the solution. Sometimes called “on-demand,” “valet-style,” or “concierge” storage, this option has the moving and storage company performing all the packing, heavy lifting, and transport. Movers will come to your location and pick up your items intended for storage, then professionally pack your items in their secure storage facility. 

• Typical Cost: $79 to $1,000+ monthly rental rate plus pickup, delivery, and transportation costs.

• Size Range: 5x5 to 10x50

• Pros: Totally hands-off. If you believe you may have trouble physically managing packing and loading a storage unit then this option is for you. Also significantly more secure than a self-storage facility as access is strictly controlled.

• Cons: In order to retrieve anything from storage, you will need to request a delivery. This will limit your access to your inventory.

• Best For: Anyone who wants to avoid moving or packing labor when putting their items in storage. Also good for businesses and residential households making complex moves that will require storage at some point. 

Whether you’re looking for help with a local move or need a long-term storage solution to keep your living spaces tidy, All My Sons Moving & Storage can provide attentive care for your beloved possessions. From cross-country moves to keeping items secure in storage, we promise to treat your things as though they belonged to a member of our own family. Get a quote from All My Sons and ask your moving specialist about our available storage facilities in your city.