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Whether you’re moving and need a temporary place to store your belongings or you need somewhere to keep extra items on a more permanent basis, self-storage facilities offer a safe place. Packing and storing your items properly helps ensure everything is kept from harm, but you may still have concerns. It’s a good idea to pop into your storage unit occasionally, whether you need something or not, for your peace of mind. How often you should check on your belongings depends on several factors, including contents, weather conditions, decluttering schedule, and accessibility.

Content Concerns

Generally, you should only need to stop by to check on your items about once a month, or even every other month if you’re storing standard household goods. However, if you’re storing some higher-value objects or sensitive items that are easily damaged, it’s best to check on these possessions more frequently.

If you’ve rented an outdoor storage unit in an area with major temperature fluctuations, only store items that can withstand extreme temperatures. If you’ve rented an indoor climate-controlled unit, most items do just fine. Checking your storage locker every couple of months should work well for either of these situations.

Weather Issues

Mother Nature often dictates how frequently you check on your stored items, especially after severe weather. Serious rainstorms may cause concern over potential water damage within your unit, so stop by for a quick check to ease your mind. Outdoor units are most likely to be affected by rainfall, especially when flooding occurs. Heavy amounts of snow could also cause water damage, so check on your unit after snowstorms, too.

Although earthquakes are rare in New Jersey, they have occurred. Even a small quake can cause items to shift inside your storage unit. It’s always a good idea to stop by to see if anything was damaged or a stack of boxes needs rebalancing.

Annual Decluttering

Decluttering your home every year is a good idea to get rid of anything you no longer use or save items barely used, and keeping your home free of clutter may have been the primary reason you rented an off-site storage locker. However, as you move more stuff into your unit, you could eventually run out of space. Annual decluttering of your storage unit ensures you’re not storing items you’ve outgrown or decided you’re never going to use again.

If you don’t want to visit your storage unit regularly to check on your things, at least visit it once or twice a year to reorganize.

Storage Locker Checking

Plan storage locker checking around your schedule and the access times listed for the storage facility. Many facilities limit when renters can visit through secured gate access that’s only active during set times, which is fine if the hours are long. However, some storage facilities only allow access while their office is open, which could coincide with your work schedule.

Facilities with minimal staff may have shorter hours on weekends or closed one or two days per week. It’s inconvenient for you to check on your stored items regularly when a facility severely limits entry hours. It’s even worse if you must take off work just to get something out of or put something into your unit. Always look for facilities with extended hours that’s more accommodating to your lifestyle.

We Offer Convenient Access Hours

At Clifton Rt. 46 Self Storage in Clifton, New Jersey, our gates are open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, so you can check on your items when it’s convenient for you. If you’d like to talk to one of our professional staff members, our office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

We want you to have the best self-storage experience possible, so we go above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction in every way. Contact us at 973-772-1300 to learn more about our indoor and outdoor storage lockers, or reserve your storage unit online today.