What Is Self Storage and Who Uses It?

DinosMapleCaptionedSelf storage offers people a secure place to store possessions they don’t have room for where they live or work, or that they don’t need on a daily basis. At Dino’s Storage we offer storage units ranging room 25 to 300 square feet. Dino’s specializes in providing modern self-storage facilities to customers in our service areas. Our various locations provide a variety of storage opportunities, from outdoor storage for boats and automobiles, to indoor storage for general items, to climate controlled storage for your special keepsakes.

While there have always been people or businesses willing to rent space to others for temporary storage, America’s first commercially viable storage operation wasn’t founded until the early 1900s, by Martin Bekins. His company, founded in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1891, served the storage needs of families who were moving west and eventually became the well-known Bekins Moving & Storage Company.

It wasn’t until the 1960s that the modern self storage industry as we know it today came into being, according to a New York Times article by Jon Mooallem. For the two decades that followed, Mooallem writes, “storage remained a low-profile industry. For the most part, storage units were meant to temporarily absorb the possessions of those in transition: moving, marrying or divorcing or dealing with a death in the family.”

Not much has changed since then, except we tend to do more moving, marrying, divorcing and dealing inherited stuff than ever before. Consequently, the self storage industry has grown to meet the demand.

So who uses these self storage units? A great many of them are rented by individuals. According to the Self Storage Association, one out of every 10 households in the country rents a self storage unit, while businesses account for 30 percent of self storage customers.

Individuals put everything in self storage from holiday decorations to seasonal clothing, sporting equipment, furniture and vehicles. Businesses use self storage for documents, excess office equipment and furniture, tools, inventory and supplies. Unless it violates the terms of the facility (ammunition, perishable items and live animals are a few of the commonly restricted items), it can and is being stored.

When you rent self storage space, there’s a contract involved, written by lawyers. The SSA defines self-storage as “the term applied to facilities offering rental on a month-to-month basis where the tenant applies his lock and has sole access to his unit.” That protects the self storage facility from creating a condition called bailment, whereby it would assume responsibility for the care, custody or control of a customer’s goods. Unlike a dry cleaner, for instance, who might be liable for burning a hole in that cashmere sweater you dropped off, the self storage facility has no responsibility for the care of your stuff, other than what’s stipulated in the rental contract.

You are responsible for the insurance on and the care of your own stuff. And once you’ve signed the contract, the storage facility owners won’t enter your unit unless they have really good, legally defensible, reason to think you’re violating the terms, which will stipulate materials you can’t store and activities you can’t conduct from the rental unit.

 

Reflections of Customer Appreciation

As we decorate our abodes to bring warmth and cheer through the winter that is here, we should all take time to reflect before the New Year.  Nearly half of the people that come into my office are in a transitional period in their lives.  I feel blessed to be able to help my wonderful customers with not only their storage needs but more often then not, I have been a shoulder to cry on and an ear when they need someone to listen or if they are just so excited about an event in their life and want to share what they are going through.

tree

My customers are very important to me and I would like to share a small token of my appreciation with all of you!  I have placed my business cards all over the tree that I have decorated in my office and each card has a number on the back of it.  Anyone who rents a unit in December will be able to choose a card from the tree for a chance at one of the following gifts:  padlock, disk lock, administrative fee waived or a surprise gift! And any current customer that has a non-delinquent account on December 31, 2013 will be automatically be entered to receive 1 of 6 rent credits ranging from $5 to $30! 

I would like to leave you with one final thought as I had a friend share these 7 Cardinal Rules of Life with me and I would like to share them with you:

1)      Make peace with your past, so it will not disturb your present.
2)      What other people think of you is none of your business.
3)      Time heals almost everything.  Give it time.
4)      No one is in charge of your happiness.  Except you.
5)      Do not compare your life to others and do not judge them, you have no idea what their journey is all about.
6)      Stop thinking too much.  It’s alright not to know the answers.  They will come to you when you least expect it.
7)      Smile.  You do not own all of the problems in the world.

As I sat here and read this, I did reflect on how these ideas apply to my own life but I also thought about all of the stories that my customers have shared with me over the years and how each of their journeys correlated with at least once of these rules.  Perhaps as you sit here and read this, one of the rules stands out for you as well.  I think that it is important for all of us to reflect and remember that we are all dealing with some bit of a struggle in our lives but it is those challenges that make us stronger as a person.  Please carry these rules or ideas with you on a daily basis, find peace within yourself, be kind to your neighbor and always smile and have fun!!

Winter Time Storage

packing supplies des moines  It’s hard to believe that the holiday season is upon us. Time to get your Thanksgiving and Christmas items out. Time for all the holiday shopping and family gatherings. Then when all is said and done, where are you going to put all the extra things that you may not need until Spring or Summer? Storage is a great option. If you have items like electronics, pictures, antiques, furniture, family heirlooms or other valuable items, you may want to consider climate controlled and humidity controlled storage. Dino’s is a great start. Dino’s in Elkhorn has easy access climate controlled storage. It’s cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Dino’s has a large line of supplies for sale. Locks, packing boxes, TV boxes, wardrobe boxes, glass pack and dish boxes, mattress covers, sofa covers, bubble wrap, peanuts, shrink wrap and other items.

It is important to pack your items correctly. Stack the unit properly with heavy items on the bottom. Place items that you may want access to toward the front of the unit.Place like items together. Place delicate items in an enclosed box or container. Label your boxes or containers. That can help save you time if you are looking for a certain item. If you are using a non-climate unit, it is always a good idea to use wood pallets to put your items on. Non-climate units are great for storing cars, boats, trailers, campers and other things that you may not need in the winter or may not want to leave them outside in the weather. Our location is at 20800 West Dodge Road in Elkhorn. Stop in and see what we have to offer.

Fall is Upon Us

  There are always times when you do not have enough space in your home, garage or office to store your items such as Christmas decorations, lawn furniture, yard equipment and other seasonal items. Dino’s Storage in Elkhorn offers many different size units in both of our climate controlled storage and non climate controlled storage. Our facility is safe, secure and clean. We are always ready to help you with your needs. We have large units for anyone who may need storage while they are in the process of moving or staging their home. We offer 24-hour access to your units. It is a gated facility with security cameras. Manager is available Monday thru Saturday and by appointment.
Dino’s rents Penske trucks at a reasonable rate to help with your move. We sell packing supplies in our office such as locks, boxes, mattress covers, bubble wrap and other items. Dino’s in Elkhorn is located at 20800 West Dodge and we can be reached at 402-289-0923.

DO YOU NEED CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE?

Climate control is becoming more popular for storage. Items stored in a non climate controlled environment depend on outside weather conditions. In Nebraska we have cold, heat, and humdity which will often cause items to deteriorate. Not only are climate controlled units important in eliminating weather problems but the amount of dust your things are exposed to. Recently I had a tenant tell me that after 2 years storing in the climate control he had very little dust on his belongings. Before putting your items in storage you should think which items would benefit from climate controlled storage.

Climate control is good for items that are valuable or made of high quality material. One example is a mattress that can mold and mildew when exposed to the elements. Heat can lead to discoloration and deterioration of good clothing. Humidity is a probelm both in the summer and winter. Musical instruments often warp, crack, and break in non climatecontrolled units Electronics are very sensitive to moisture. Paper, books, and pictures can discolor, warp, and mildew when exposed to weather conditions over a period of time.

Take time to think before storing. Climate controlled units are not needed just for china, antiques, and leather but anything that is valuable to you. Dino’s Storage offers a variety of unit sizes in their climate controlled storage. I would be more than happy to show you our climate controlled building at 14301 Josephine or call Diana at 402 896 6500 for an appointment.