Self Storage Auctions: Modern Treasure Hunts

When anyone stores their items at a self storage facility, they run the risk of having their stuff auctioned OFF if you get way behind on your rent. For the specific terms and conditions, check your contract when you move your stuff in.

While these auctions are very unfortunate for people who do not keep up with their self storage bill, self storage facilities have to pay their bills as well. The self storage facility industry is a huge business, so occasionally people bail on their stuff. For those who go to self storage auctions can possibly when a storage unit filled with misc. stuff.

People who goes to these auctions usually are in the business of reselling things. They may have different methods, sometimes the sell the stuff at flea markets, a garage sale or an ebay store. They purchase items for pennies then make a substantial sale. If you ever wondered how things at flea markets are so cheap, now you know one of the ways they facilitate bargains for the public.  

There are a lot more self storage auctions then one might think. In California it is estimated that there are 9,000 self storage auctions annually, and usually at these auction there is more than one unit being emptied.  There are a lot of self storage units in the United States, and given the economic downturn there is no surprise that some people have to choose between paying the self storage bill or eating, paying the mortgage, etc.

What are self storage auctions like? 

Usually when you bid, you are bidding on a whole storage unit or lot. The only view you get of the storage unit is from the door, and will not get a close viewing of the contents of the storage unit. So essentially you will be seeing something like this:

After individual bidders have had a viewing of the entire property, the bidding begins. Sometimes the bid starts as low as 1.00. The average winner is usually below $300 dollars.  The winner is responsible for removing all the content of the unit within the time the storage facility offers. You cannot use the garbage cans or dumpsters of facilities, so you will need to bring a trash bag if you win. Also, the units are expected to be swept clean after it is empty.
Before all of the bidding and exploring starts there will be a sign in sheet. If you have a reselling company you will present your licensing. If you don't you will need to pay sales taxes on your winnings.


What Sort of Items are Found at the Self Storage Auctions? 

When you buy the unit, you will not know what lies inside all those boxes. Most of the time storage units are filled with regular household items like furniture, clothing, personal records, books, movies, etc. Every purchase is a mystery! You may stumble upon someone's valuable collections, but I wouldn't bet too much on it.
There are some ways to guess when you are bidding if their may be valuables in the unit or not. Look at the boxes. If the boxes look like they've been rummaged through or if they are sealed and taped may be an indicator of what may be inside of the boxes. Also, look to see if you can spot any name brands on boxes. Ultimately it is a guessing game.

Good luck!

How to Move a Vehicle

When you move, you may decide that you need someone to move your vehicle. Here are some tips that you may want to go over regarding transporting your vehicle.

In this blog I'd like to emphasize some of the particular of moving your vehicle that may not occur to you as being issues. For example, did you know you need to disable your car alarm before having your car transported? Things like this can make moving a vehicle a bit of a nightmare.

Choosing a Company

Let's start at the beginning, how to choose an auto transportation company. While I do recommend the shopping around, perusing consumer reviews, background checks, etc.- there is one very important thing to add to narrowing down your options.  Do you want to use a broker or a carrier? In case you don't know the difference, most people don't, let me explain to you the differences.

The difference between a broker and carrier is quite simple. Brokers are contractors who hire out different fleets to move vehicles, but don't actually own any of the actual moving vehicles or hire any movers. A carrier is an actual fleet of vehicle and movers.  Choosing is no simple task, each has its pros and cons.

Auto brokers usually can provide you with the best deals, because they have a whole network of carriers to help you choose from. There will be a lot less pressure from the company to immediately sign the contract after you get a quote, because the brokers usually do not depend too heavily on individual business to survive.

Carriers will pressure you into immediately signing on after getting a quote, so if you do not like that sort of pressure I'd recommend a broker. On the other hand, carriers deal directly with insurance companies if anything does go wrong. With brokers you will be directed to someone else to deal with any problems of the sort.

When you choose it comes down to personal preference of who you like dealing with. Do you like dealing with customer service folks or with small business owners. Either way, there is always the risk of someone being late or a truck breaking down. Your car is more than likely your second most valuable possession, if not your first, so take time to make the decision. Don't worry too much, more than likely everything will go smoothly.

Preparing Your Vehicle


It may not even occur to you that you will need to prepare your vehicle to be shipped or you may have some misconceptions about what is allowed or not allowed. While each company is different on exactly what they want, here are some basic guidelines as to what a company may expect for you before they put your vehicle on the tow truck.

• You cannot pack your vehicle full of boxes, clothes, anything.  While this may seem like a good way to ship some of your stuff, companies do not want to be responsible. 
• Clean your vehicle. The company will need to closely inspect the inside and outside of your vehicle.  They do not want to have to go through garbage or old cd cases to do so.
• Empty your car, inside and out. Take everything that is not a permanent attachment off of it.  EZ passes, GPS, racks, covers, etc. 
• Make sure you car isn't leaking any fluids. The best way to make sure of this is to check under your vehicle after is has been parked in a while. If there is any amount of fluid, you may want to consider taking your car to a mechanic.  
• Disable your car alarm. While this may seem to be a no obvious step when your read it, it may not occur to you in the havoc of a move. 

Pick Up

Most of the time they will come pick up your vehicle from your home, hopefully at the right time, but it isn't always the case that they will drop off your vehicle. Some services do offer door-to-door drop off, while others will make you go to a terminal to pick up your vehicle.


Whichever option you choose comes down to personal preference and what you are capable of. If you are moving your only vehicle, it may be difficult to get a ride out to the terminal. A taxi is always an option if you do not know anyone who will give you a ride. If you are really stressed from the move, you may not want to bother with getting out to the terminal.  


Then again door-to-door drop off is usually a little more expensive. These drop-offs tend to be a little more late and unpredictable, because the truck is weaving its way around foreign neighborhoods to drop off different customers cars.    


In the quote it will usually say when the estimated time of drop-off will be. You will get a more accurate number when the truck actually picks up your vehicle. If you need your vehicle by a certain date, you will need to let the company know when you are getting your quote. Rushed deliveries are possible if needed usually, but can cost a lot extra.

One last thing.....

DON'T FREAK OUT WHILE YOU ARE WAITING FOR YOUR VEHICLE.  

I know this is one of the most valuable pieces of property that you own, but freaking out that someone stole your vehicle or the truck drove off a cliff or whatever fantasy will not help you at this point. It is also not very likely that anything has happened to your car at all, so panicking will probably increase your stress levels that are maxed out from the move. Keep in mind that truck drivers are human to, sometimes they get lost, run late, etc. If you are really starting to feel nervous call the carrier to try to find out where the vehicle is, but don't expect them to know exactly where the truck is. With cell phones it is a little bit easier to locate a truck, but not always possible.

Happy moving!
  

Finding and Selecting a Self Storage Unit

Selecting a self storage facility can be quite a daunting task, or even a nightmare, depending on your level of sensitivity. Luckily, finding self storage that matches your needs is easier than ever with the internet.  It is easy to access pictures, prices, maps of self storage unit near you, just enter your zip code.

While the above site will help you locate self storage options, there is more to selecting self storage then seeing the picture and location. Here are some tips that will help you along in the process of choosing a storage unit company.

• Give yourself plenty of time to choose a storage unit. I would recommend saving about two months for your selection process. This way you can have plenty of time to search through different self storage companies.
• Security. Depending on how valuable what you are storing is, you may want to make the level of security a deciding factor. Different security options at different self storage facilities can include a gate, a 24 hour security guard and surveillance cameras.

Picture of a Security Gate at a Storage Facility

• Hours If you keep an "odd" schedule, you may want to consider a storage facility that isn't open late or 24 hours a day.There is nothing worse than being thwarted in the moving process by arbitrary self storage hours.  
• Check the reviews. With online reviews, consumers can inform each other of bad and good experiences with self storage (and just about anything else). When you read reviews it is important to remember SOMETIMES the customer is wrong or just in a bad mood when dealing with the storage facility. Read more than just the bad reviews or you will give yourself self storage nightmare! If all the reviews are bad and there is a reoccurring theme, you may want to look to a different company.  
• Take your contract home and read it. It is very important to read your contract carefully so you are not surprised with any fees, insurance issues or anything else unpleasant. If the storage facility will not let you take home the contract to read it, you should insist on it or find another storage unit facility that will. 
•  Self Storage Insurance. If you are storing something valuable, you may want to seek out a self storage facility that provides self storage insurance. Luckily, if you find a self storage facility you like, you can purchase this type of insurance separately. 
• Security deposit.  Find out how much the security deposit is while you are shopping around different self storage facilities. Also, make sure beforehand you know what it takes to get the security deposit back.
• Consider a pod. Depending on how much moving you are willing to do and/or how much you are willing to spend you may want to consider a POD. With a POD, the unit is shipped to your house.  You pack up the POD at your leisure then they will take it to the self storage facility. When you are ready to take the stuff out, they will deliver it to your location for you to unpack. This saves a lot of time on packing, driving and unpacking.  
• Before you choose a self storage facility, visit a couple of different locations. There is only so much you can learn through google and phone calls. I seriously recommend visiting the locations so you make sure you are completely comfortable with the self storage company that you have chosen.   

Busting Myths About Self Storage

Click Picture To Read About Top Three Myths About Self Storage Companies

When you choose a storage unit, you may have some misconceptions about the experience  One thing you may have noticed already that there are a lot of self storage companies to choose from. Many people think that their is a monopoly on self storage companies, but the 5 biggest self storage companies control only 10% of storage unit space. This is good, it means there is a lot of competition making self storage companies strive for quality when competing. This also means you have a lots of storage companies to choose from.  

Let me guide you through (number) myths about using self storage. 

Myth 1: Self Storage is Easy: 

Throw your stuff in, lock it, forget about it. That is what many think will be the extent of thought behind using self storage. When you are using self storage there are many things to consider. You will have to consider the climate, size, security, how all your stuff will fit, location and lots of different things when choosing storage, so prepare yourself for some research and decisions when considering using self storage.  

I would like to emphasize that you should consider what you are storing, and if it needs some sort of climate control in order to not get ruined. Thinking about climate control beforehand will prevent any expensive damage to equipment, vehicles or anything else that you may consider storing.   

Myth 2: You MUST commit to a Contract:

Storage companies do not benefit from their space being occupied with vacant storage units. If they have users that pack up and leave, but still have the space reserved due to contract they are losing money. This business benefits from long-term and short-term customers, so if you even need storage for just a month there are many storage companies that will accommodate your needs.  

Myth 3: No Hagglers Allowed:

Because of how competitive self storage is there is room for haggling with the price of storage. If the self storage unit is a tad bit above your budget, it may be worth your while to talk to the self storage unit manager. They will more than likely be willing to work with you on the price. Do not expect any miracle discounts, but you may be able to take enough of the price to squeeze self storage in your budget.

Myth 4: Self storage is for Hoarders and Pack-Rats!

There are MANY reasons to use self storage beyond hoarding junk. Many people use them to store vehicles and boats they don't have space to store for the winter. Others use it as a temporary store the majority of their stuff while they move, so that they can do a thorough cleaning of a house while trying to sell it.  It also helps to sell a house when it isn't filled with your stuff.  
No worries if you are a pack-rat in need of storage, we do not discriminate in who we let use our storage units.

Pack Rats Welcome!