Clearwater Storage Units
Clearwater storage units offer spaces of all sizes to meet the organization needs of residents, businesses and visitors of this Tampa Bay Area community in west Florida. Homeowners can clean house without having to throw away their sentimental belongings with the help of self storage. People moving to new homes can get settled before bringing in all those many boxes by storing them in a secure unit. In any situation where you find yourself needing more space, Clearwater storage units offer a solution.
People who summer in Clearwater and make regular vacations to the beach community on the Gulf of Mexico can avoid hauling their beach gear back and forth every summer. Keeping it all in Clearwater storage units ensure that those beach chairs, umbrellas, coolers and other summertime essentials are waiting when they return. Snowbirds, northerners who spend the colder months in Florida, can fly down with little more than their suitcases when all the gear they will need for the season is already waiting in Clearwater.
Another useful function of Clearwater storage units is for housing boats and recreational vehicles. Some facilities allow motorized vehicles in their units or in covered bays that protect the goods from the elements. Rather than taking up precious garage space or risking violating FL ordinances and homeowners association covenants, residents can safely store their boats, jet skis, motorcycles and even motor homes in accessible storage space.
Types of Storage Units
At one time, the term storage unit meant only one thing: a cement building with a roll-up metal door where junk was abandoned for all of eternity. Those traditional units certainly still exist, but self storage has evolved into highly functional spaces with special, high-tech features that keep stored goods in optimal conditions.
Traditional storage units are perfect for keeping furniture, sporting equipment and more. Anything that is not terribly susceptible to the blistering FL heat can fare well in these units. From a convenience standpoint, they have many advantages. Cars and moving vans can usually be backed right up to the door for easy loading, and these facilities are often open 24 hours a day for renters to come and go as they please.
On the other hand, traditional facilities are not always the most secure. Fences and gates do some to keep intruders out, but without surveillance, alarms and on-site guards, burglars can sometimes enter a unit by breaking the lock. In addition, items can be damaged by heat and humidity, and dust is another concern.
Climate-controlled and interior units are a technically sophisticated advancement in Clearwater storage units. These multi-story buildings have rooms lining hallways that are accessed via elevators. Temperature and humidity are monitored and regulated to keep stored items in pristine condition, and dust is also controlled.
These are pricey, but well worth the cost for storing items of sentimental or monetary value. Access is often limited to regular business hours, which keeps out intruders but also limits renters' freedom to access their belongings. When selecting this type of unit, make sure the facility has a back-up generator to compensate for power outages.
Mobile Clearwater storage units are the new wave in home organization. The facility drops off a container, available in various sizes, at the renter's house. The renters can then load it at his convenience. Some containers can be left on the property to serve as second garages, but many companies retrieve the full unit and return it to their warehouse. When the renter is ready to vacate, the company returns the container for unloading and picks it up when the renter is ready.
This convenient alternative eliminates the hassle of transporting goods to Clearwater storage units. They are secure when placed in the warehouse stacks. The disadvantage is often limited access. Some Clearwater companies require renters to call in advance to have their container removed, and they may charge a stocking fee to replace it.
Advantage of Climate Controls
Florida residents and visitors know well the hot, humid conditions that can persist year-round. This weather can be disastrous for items in Clearwater storage units, so climate-controls may be worth the cost. The number one concern in FL is mildew.
Paper, upholstery and clothing are particularly vulnerable to the effects of mildew. The warm, moist Clearwater atmosphere fosters its growth, and once it starts to spread, there is virtually no getting rid of the flat black mold. Mildew destroys paper in no time at all, so any Clearwater unit containing documents should be climate-controlled.
Clearwater storage units can help renters decide what measures they should take to protect their things. Tell a Clearwater manager what you plan to store, and she can make a recommendation. Often, simply dehumidifying crystals will do the trick. In any event, taking the necessary precautions to stave off mildew can prevent a serious headache down the road.