At North Store, we understand that renting a storage unit isn’t a straightforward process. Yes, you have stuff to store, but will it fit a six square metre or a nine? Will it suit you 6 months down the line, when you have more or less to store? How do you maximise your budget and get the most from your storage experience?
Forget future needs for a moment, what needs immediate storing? To answer that question, take an inventory of everything, erring on the side of more rather than less. So if you’re not sure if dad’s golf clubs are staying home or heading to storage, add them in anyway and then you’ll know the largest unit you’ll need.
Here’s a life hack: Take photos of each item and send them to us. As self storage experts, we’ll do the calculations and let you know the ideal size for your needs.
You need to know the size of the unit, not just its maximum volume (a 9sqm unit holds a maximum of nine square metres of stuff), but also the proportions. A 3x4m unit will not accommodate your 4.5m long bar.
Once you have that inventory, you can quite quickly assess how much floorspace it would take up, if laid out side by side. Then the items should be considered vertically. A dining room table can fit items below it, and on top of it. If it’s a valuable table, perhaps you want to avoid storing items on it to avoid scratching. Golf clubs cannot have things stored on them, so should go on the table.
Something else to consider is how often will you need and use the items. If dad needs to drop by and pick the golf clubs up, then having them on the antique table in the back corner isn’t going to work.
So the calculus is this: how effectively can your items stack and once organised, and what volume does it require? Also consider whether shelves would add or detract from the organisation of the unit. There are online calculators you can use to see how various items might fit in a storage unit.
Don’t base it on monetary value, base it on utility or aesthetic appeal. Valuable items like heirlooms don’t necessarily have to leave your possession, but they don’t have to encroach on your living space either.
We’re as flexible as the units we have available. If you find the 6 metre unit isn’t doing it for you any more and there’s a 9m open, you’re welcome to upgrade right then and there, no questions asked. If you book a 12 metre and realise it’s far too big, you can downgrade to any available unit on the spot. That flexibility is central to our vision of making self storage more space for you. It should fit as naturally into your day-to-day as your gym contract.
Rather than considering stowing away the items you’re not using, think of it as a spare room that’s as flexible as you are. For some of our clients, it opened up the possibility to add a hobby that their living space wouldn’t allow before. Like Geoff, an avid rock and surf fisherman. His apartment had no room for his aspiration to take it offshore with a surf ski. Geoff upgraded his locker at North Store to a 3m unit, which is now home to a fully-rigged fin drive kayak with outriggers and a fish finder.
Not only has Geoff upgraded his lifestyle, he’s upgrading his personal bests in dozens of species. Located just off the R102 within Ballito, North Store is also the most conveniently located. Forget the barriers to your stuff, Geoff is able to get into his locker and have the kayak loaded and secured to the roof racks in under three minutes. North Store is open 7 days a week, which fits with Geoff’s fishing schedule.
For Sindile, units have got progressively large as her drop shipping retail concept has taken off. What started in her bedroom as a side hustle has grown to become her livelihood. Her nine metre unit is floor to ceiling retail shelving, with a rail for the glamour dresses she is now moving the business into. North Store is perfect for e-commerce, providing the space you need to grow the business every step of the way.
If you’re looking to store household goods, business documents, retail stock, equipment, vehicles or just about anything on the KZN North Coast, give us a call on 076 604 9698, or drop your details below and we’ll get in touch with you. We have a wide range of units to choose from.
