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Life is full of transitions, and you may need a secure storage facility, or portable storage unit, for your property: whether it’s renting while you build a house, settling a loved one’s estate, changing employment, and moving to a different city, or moving from an apartment to your first home. Everyone wants peace of mind but the moving process can be stressful, and finding the proper storage service has always been a challenge, and you may be wondering whether it’s better to rent a storage container or use Portable On Demand Storage (PODS). Fortunately, the choice does not have to be difficult.
Storage pods and self-storage apartments are two choices for assisting with the moving process. There are things to consider in deciding whether to go for pods or a self-storage facility, some of which are listed below to help you decide. If you’re trying to make an informed choice whether to rent a storage unit or a pod, we’ve put together this comparative piece to help you better understand which might be best for you. But, first, let’s begin with a quick overview of each storage option.
What is Portable On Demand Storage (PODS)?
A pod is a self-contained storage unit that is delivered to your place. You fill it, portable storage companies pick it up and delivered it to the pods storage center, or any other conventional storage centers where your belongings are normally kept in the pod, stacked among other pods. Pods are portable metal containers for storage that are generally 16” long that are delivered to your property, and then can be stored on your property or offsite at a pos storage center.
Advantages of using pods
- You won’t be in charge of driving a big, bulky truck– or maybe even a haul truck!– across town or numerous states looking for road access to the storage center.
- Since the pods will contain all your belongings and fragile items and will be shipped by experienced movers, that part of the work is eliminated for you.
- You get to choose how long the pods will be available as you pack them.
Disadvantages of using pods
- If you presently live in or plan to move to a community with HOA regulations, pods may not be permitted in the driveway or front yard because of public storage policies, even if you choose to optimize storage space.
- Due to space constraints, your apartment complex may not enable you to use pods for long-term storage if you reside in one.
- Depending on the city or municipality, you may be forced to pay for a parking permit if you do at-home storage, especially with big container sizes.
- Limited access: it’s tough to go inside and remove a specific item after the pods have been packed, especially if the item is near the front of the container.
- Pods do not have any air conditioning or heat. While the units will prevent water damage and exposure to the elements, they do not keep any items at a set temperature in the duration of storage in any long-term PODS storage center.
Self-storage units
A self-storage unit is a self-contained (completely enclosed) storage space with a door. Brick-and-mortar self-storage units are available in a variety of options including indoor storage facilities, outdoor uncovered, and outdoor covered.
Advantages of using self-storage units
- Self-storage units are, generally, less expensive than portable storage options, and this pricing factor is the key difference for many people. It’s the cheapest option of the two, for any storage project. Of the two options, the cost of storage units is significantly lower and provides quick access to your beloved items. With our preferred storage providers, you are sure to get excellent services with transparent pricing. Contact Bellhop today to connect with any of our trusted partners and securely store your belongings.
- Public Storage offers units as small as 5’ x 5’ and as large as 10’x 25’+. They offer at least four more size options than PODS–providing various range of unit sizes.
The disadvantage of self-storage units
- On-site access to the unit is not available with self-storage services. Users must rush to pack their belongings rather than loading them nearby and at their leisure.
Why a self-storage unit might work for you
While PODS can be convenient, they’re often less than ideal as long-term storage solutions. In many cities, it’s difficult to leave them on the street for long, if at all. If that’s the case, a self-storage solution may work better.
With our chosen self-storage unit partners, you can load your belongings whenever you want, on your own time. Their storage facilities are also conveniently positioned throughout the United States. Contact us at Bellhop, to store your belongings with one of our reputable and trusted self-storage partners. Below are a few reasons why a self-storage solution may work for you:
Climate-controlled
Portable storage containers, which are commonly built of steel or aluminum, can get extremely hot in the summer and extremely cold in the winter. Your valuable materials may be harmed as a result of this. Some include wood or light-duty metal frame and/or foundation, as well as vinyl covers that aren’t particularly secure and aren’t designed to withstand extremes of temperature and moisture.
Indoor, climate-controlled storage units are available through our preferred self-storage partners. Their storage lockers are maintained dry, and humidity levels are monitored and adjusted automatically to safeguard contents from extremes of heat, cold, and wetness.
Security and protection
Storage pods or containers, depending on the provider you choose, may or may not be particularly secure. Always examine the security aspects of the storage container. Learn about the types of locks they utilize. The longer your container is parked in front of your house, the more likely it is to be broken into. Check to see if the drop-off container is kept outside, in a roofed but open hangar, or a secure warehouse.
Our self-storage partners’ storage facilities are safe. Their storage containers are not visible from the public or accessible by breaching a perimeter door, wall, or window, even if robbers gain entry to the property. Further, only you–as a client–will have access to their keycard system and storage facility.
Accessibility
To gain access to your stored items, many portable storage container businesses require that you phone 24 to 48 hours ahead of time to provide the storage firm time to find and transfer your container out of the stacks of containers. This makes adding and removing objects from storage extremely cumbersome. With our trusted partners, you have 24/7 access to your stored items.
Multiple sizes
Pods come in a very limited range of sizes, and few, if any portable storage container companies can match the varying sizes offered by our trusted and preferred partners. Our partners have different sizes of self-storage units to accommodate nearly every storage need.
If you’re relocating, you may need to rent a large storage unit or possibly numerous units to accommodate your belongings. The majority of rental businesses provide a range of room sizes. If you only need a location to store your belongings for a short period of time, one compact storage unit may be sufficient while you make the necessary changes to your living circumstances.
Convenience
While PODS tout the convenience of being able to remain in your driveway or street, they may actually not be allowed in your area by city code, your apartment complex, or your neighborhood HOAs. Always be sure to check first. You’ll also need to make sure that not only the POD will fit your driveway, but that you have room for the lift machine to deliver it safely. While it may be enticing to have the convenience of a POD in your driveway, it’s a double-edged sword in that you’ll also have a lack of convenience of the POD taking up driveway space.
In contrast, Bellhop’s preferred self-storage partners are in various locations, meaning one is just a short drive away from you. With an offsite storage unit, you’ll still have your driveway space and won’t have to worry about the eyesore of a giant white metal storage container.
Why PODS might work for you
While it’s true that there are many benefits of self-storage units vs. PODS, there are advantages to using PODS, too.
Load up on your timeline
There’s no coordinating with a mover or storage unit when it comes to PODS. You can pack your PODS as quickly or slowly as you’d like (something that any busy person would find beneficial!). That means that if you have to delay your move by a few weeks, you don’t have to worry about coordinating schedules or late fees. You can take your time!
No need to drive a moving truck
Once your PODS is packed and ready, a PODS company can pick it up and take it to the final destination. In other words, you won’t have to worry about transporting your items in a moving truck, which can be intimidating if you’re moving to a different state or across the country. (It can be especially difficult if you’re navigating a new terrain, like moving from flatland to mountains.)
Delivered to your doorstep
As long as you’re allowed to have a PODS at your new home base, you’re in good hands. The PODS company can transport the container from point A to B. All you’ll need is the keys to open it, which–by the way–can be done at your convenience.
Accessible within moments
Since PODS go where you are, that makes grabbing items out from inside faster than ever. You don’t have to gas up and drive to a storage unit. You simply have to go outside, unlock your PODS, and take from it whatever you need on a given day.
Move between locations
Let’s say your move is temporary. You can safely keep your items inside the PODS and move the PODS from one location to another. That can be easier and more convenient than a storage unit, which are physical locations that don’t have the luxury of being mobile.
Choose Bellhop and our trusted and preferred partners for your self-storage needs
At Bellhop, we feel confident that our trusted and preferred self-storage partners offer the best self-storage services in the country. They’ll offer you the best possible storage options for your belongings in a wide variety of sizes. So, whether you are simply looking to store a few boxes or the contents of an entire home, our partners have storage units that will work for you. We proudly welcome anyone who is looking for storage space to take a tour of our partners’ outstanding storage facilities or talk to our helpful on-site managers about the storage solutions we offer with our self-storage partners. Give Bellhop a call at any time will be in touch with you shortly.
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