Household storage solutions in India can be availed to store domestic household materials and appliances like TV, fridge, washing machine, furniture, painting and so on for months or even years. Household storage solutions are mainly offered by movers and packers companies in their own warehouse where they store your goods.
In general, you can store most of the household materials except a few prohibited items such as petroleum products or other inflammable items. Since the service is offered by movers and packers companies, there are certain aspects that you should keep in mind while choosing a household storage solution provider in India.
Since storage is usually a long term contract, there are certain things which you should keep in mind. I have got the opportunities to work with several movers packers companies in India who also happen to offer household storage solutions in India. I will try to keep this post short and informative on what should you focus on while hiring a company for storage of household goods and what are the basic things you should keep in mind while choosing a particular storage unit type.
Finding a trustworthy storage unit is equivalent to finding a trustworthy landlord. After you strike a deal with a particular company, and move in your goods in their warehouse, then you might not have to call them often, you just have to pay your rent and pay them a visit whenever you need something to pickup or put something there.
Let’s take a good look on how household storage solutions in India works and how to find and book a household storage solution provider in India.
What types of household items can be stored?
I will recommend you to avoid keeping any expensive items in the warehouses like jewelry, or other expensive items. You should also avoid storing food or liquor items which are subjected to get rotten in the process, items like wine, scotch or other flammable objects are also not acceptable.
You can store your TV, refrigerator, washing machine, wardrobes, furniture’s, cupboards and other stuffs in the storage units etc.
But there are certain things you should keep in mind while deciding the type of storage unit you need. Make sure you go and check the warehouse yourself, as you have to store your valuables in there.
Don’t go for an extra small warehouse that will barely fit all the items in your possession just to save a little money. You will end up struggling to find a particular item left at the backside, you have to move all the stuffs out to find what you are searching for and It will also cost you dearly when you will try to move in extra stuffs or even when you try to fit yourself in, to put something out from the warehouse. So choose a warehouse that is big enough to fit in your stuffs and move them with ease, leaving enough space for you to work properly.
Pest free storage units
Usually storage companies do pest control in warehouses to keep them away, but still you should make sure that the warehouse is free from pests problem or else your goods will be damaged by rodents or termites. They can chew your wooden furniture. Cockroaches can invade boxes of household goods. Ask the storage facility management about their facilities for pest control management and whether they have any previous problems with pests. Pests and bugs could be dangerous and unfortunately they love storage units and can easily hide behind.
Security and insurance cover
Make sure that the warehousing facility has its security in place; you don’t want your goods to be stolen or damaged. Check with them whether they have security cameras and enough security forces to counter an emergency, such as attempt of robbery or stealing, or what precautions they take to prevent fire or the counter measures for any natural disaster. Check with them about how they are going to repay for any possible loss of your property.
How to book and save on household storage solutions
As I said above, when you are availing storage facility, most likely you are renting it out for a few months. Hence safety, cost and reliability is really an important part of it. So just before you book a storage company, here’s what you can do to book a credible and reliable service provider and book at the right price.
Talk to a couple of companies, get estimates and negotiate with them on rates
Meet them in person and make it a point to visit the facility where your goods will be kept
Do some of the packing yourself and you can easily save on packing costs
Prefer a warehouse which is closer to your home, that way you can save on two way transportation costs.
Don’t trust on face value, do check everything yourself, verify all of the papers and ensure there is no hidden costs other than what is mentioned in written quotation
If you follow these basic tips, most likely you will be able to book a credible storage facility provider, but you can always ask your friends and use social network to do cross check about the background of the company.
Over to you
Before settling for a particular warehouse make sure to clear some questions with the owner, manager or the concerned person, like what will happen if you miss or are late on a payment. The last storage unit I rented gave me a scare tactic, and reminded me that I should always timely pay the rent or else the unit would be scheduled for auction and I would incur daily late fees. Make sure you are well aware of your storage unit’s policy. Do pay them in advance if you have to or pay them online. You may consider the above tips before booking a warehouse, and do check on multiple service providers before finalizing one to get it right.
