An outdoor storage unit is convenient. You can drive right up to the door so you don't have to carry heavy boxes very far. You can usually visit your outdoor unit any time you want, even at night. While it makes getting to your things a lot easier, it also puts them at higher risk than if you used an indoor unit that was always locked or under guard. Still, there are some things you can do to ensure your belongings are protected as well as possible in an outdoor storage unit. It all starts with choosing a strong lock and a facility with good security measures in place.
Best Locks For Storage Units
When you rent a storage unit, you're usually responsible for buying the lock. One problem with locks is they can simply be cut off with a pair of bolt cutters. If not that, the locking mechanism can be drilled out or tampered with. Therefore, you want to buy a strong lock that a thief can't break easily. A dedicated criminal can break into about any lock given enough time, so your goal should be to find a lock that requires a lot of work cut, drill, or pick.
Disc and shrouded locks are good choices. Disc locks are harder to cut because they are shaped like a disc rather than having straight bars that can be grabbed with bolt cutters. Shrouded locks are covered with a steel plate, so it is very hard to cut or tamper with. To double your protection, you could use two locks on your storage unit, because that would take a thief twice as long to break through. The extra time may allow the thief to be picked up on a surveillance camera, or it may cause the thief to leave and look for easier locks to bust open.
Security Features To Look For
When you're concerned about the security of your outdoor storage unit, you'll want to visit it during the day and at night so you can assess the lighting. You don't want to rent a unit that sits in shadows in a far corner of the lot. Make sure the lighting above your unit is bright, and that the whole outdoor area is well lit at night so there are no good hiding places for prowlers.
Video surveillance is important too, and ideally, it should be monitored 24 hours a day. Captured footage is helpful in identifying a criminal after the fact, but live surveillance is necessary for catching a thief in action. Also, consider how well guarded the facility is at night. At the very least, it should have a locked gate that requires a card or code to open.
Even if you take all the necessary steps to protect your storage unit, it's possible it could get robbed by a determined criminal who thinks you have valuables inside. Therefore, be sure you document all your possessions for insurance purposes, so you know what is in the unit as well as its value. Also, mark your belongings so they can be easily identified and returned if they ever get stolen.
To learn more, contact a secure outdoor storage company like Security Self Storage.
Share13 October 2015
When I realized that my things would be in storage for a few years, I realized that packing efficiently was going to be the key to my success. Instead of tossing everything into boxes and hoping for the best, I worked slowly and deliberately, carefully wrapping knick-knacks and family heirlooms. I didn't want anything to get crushed or damaged while it was in storage. I loaded my storage unit carefully, and made a map of where everything went. It might seem silly, but my careful preparations made a huge difference when I unloaded my unit later. Check out this website for tips on how to pack more efficiently.