The decision has been made. You love living in your suburb, your kids are doing well at the local school and you have great neighbours. But you need a new house.
So, you have decided to knock down your existing house and rebuild on the same block of land.
The knockdown, rebuild experts, Berstan Homes, are building your new home. And you can hardly wait. But now you have to find a temporary place to rent, and somewhere to store your stuff.
You may decide to rent a fully-furnished property, which eliminates the need to move all your possessions twice but they will need to be stored somewhere. Even if you rent an unfurnished place, you will still need storage for all the extras you’ve gathered over the years.
How do you find a good storage place? And what do you need to keep in mind when choosing a storage company?
Moving companies will store your possessions as an add-on service. However, it is not always the cheapest option.
If you like the DIY approach, self-storage units are reasonably priced and often include a free truck to help with the move.
The most important factor when choosing self-storage is to ensure the units are dry. Your goods will be there for six to twelve months and a lot of damage can occur in that time if there is a leak. Condensation can be a problem as well, especially in outdoor, metal units. Condensation builds up inside on hot days and turns to moisture on cold nights.
Security is another major factor. Outside units should have security cameras and good fencing with a swipe or key code entrance.
Units within buildings are often more secure as a staff member is on-site during business hours. Inside units also don’t have a problem with leaking or condensation.
It is surprising how much can be fitted inside one unit as long as it is packed correctly. Furnishings from a three-bedroom house can fit into a space 3 x 3 x 3 metres. A four-bedroom house needs a 3 x 3 x 4 metre unit.
When renting a self-storage unit, there should be a written agreement detailing when payments are due, overdue payments and insurance.
Invoices are usually paid monthly. If the invoice is not paid in time, warning letters and phone calls are sent. If an invoice is three months overdue, the company can sell the contents at auction and keep the money to cover the overdue rent.
Insurance of your goods is always your responsibility. The storage company has no obligation to insure your belongings.
Advise your insurance company that you will be moving and storing your contents. The premiums for storage and transit of your goods will differ from contents insurance at home.