Did you know 1 in 10 people are currently utilizing a self-storage unit? Many people overpay for their units because self-storage is largely misunderstood and all units are not created equally. Finding a storage solution that suits your needs at the right price is important and can save you thousands of dollars over the course of your unit rental. Here are 5 factors to consider when finding affordable self-storage.

1. Location – If you’re located in an urban area it is likely you are going to pay more for your space. In Boston, MA the average 10’ x 10’ storage unit costs $186 per month. However, if you living in rural Iowa the average cost of the same sized unit is $103 per month. Obviously, if you live in Boston you can’t rent a unit in Iowa, but you can drive outside major cities (if you have a car or truck) and save $10-$15 per month on the same sized unit. Over a three-year period, you would have saved $320 – $540 dollars!
2. Inventory – As previously mentioned, not all units or facilities are created equally! Depending on what you need to put into storage you can save money on your unit. If you are storing high-end artwork, furniture, or important documents you may need a climate-controlled, highly secure, and indoor storage facility which will cost more. On the other hand, if you are storing less important items that are not temperature sensitive then you can rent a non-climate-controlled facility in a class B or C facility, drastically reducing the price. It depends on the economic or sentimental value of the items you are planning to store, a decision only you can make!
3. Pre-pay – If you know exactly how long you’re going to be in storage you might have the option to pre-pay your storage unit rental and reduce the price by 10-15%. Some facilities may not offer this option but certain facilities absolutely will. Furthermore, many facilities offer great (or FREE) first month rates to get you in the door. Getting a month free can lower your average monthly cost quite a bit.
4. Storage with Pickup Service – More often than not you’ll rent a self-storage unit when you are in transition, meaning you’ll likely incur expensive moving fees. Using a service like OnDemand Storage can help lower your overall cost of moving & storage. By bundling the services and securing a lower hourly rate for moving and a cheaper rate for storage you’ll save money and keep your storage unit affordable. Better yet, you’ll get all the convenience of storage without having to do any of the heavy lifting!