Pricing
The most popular storage unit size in Ontario is a 10 ft x 10 ft unit. Depending on where in the GTA you are looking to rent, the price of a 10 x 10 could range anywhere from $190 to $400 dollars a month. There are a lot of factors that determine the cost of a self-storage unit. We will go over all these factors so that you can make an informed decision when choosing the best storage uni to fit your needs.Location
Location is by far the impactful factor that affects the cost of self-storage. Self-storage units in densely populated urban centers, like downtown Toronto, will cost more than units in more remote rural settings. The higher cost is because of the ease of access to the unit. If you must drive an hour and a half to get to your storage unit, that would not be very convenient, but the cost of rent will be lower. You must ask yourself if that increase in price is worth the increase in proximity.
Storage Sizes
This one might seem obvious, but the larger the size of the unit, the more it is going to cost. Although, as you go up in size, the cost per square foot usually goes down. When you are calculating the cost per square foot of your unit, you must also consider the height of the unit. Some facilities have units that are only 8 ft tall while other facilities, like Storwell, have certain units that are up to 10 ft tall. That extra vertical space can make all the difference if you are stacking boxes or need the extra few inches to fit your van inside your unit.
Facility Quality and Features
There are certain self-storage facilities that will offer tremendous discounts in order to attract more customers but are lacking in terms of facility features. One major factor to consider is the access hours for a storage facility. Some facilities only allow access to your unit during office hours, meaning that you are paying full rent for your unit but will only be able to access it for a limited 8-hour window of time. Storwell offers 24/7-unit passcode access to our facility so that you get the most out of the storage that you paid for. Another feature that many new facilities are foregoing is on-site management. If a facility has 24-hour access, an on-site manager is essential to deal with any problem that might arise outside of the office hours.
Power-ventilation
Power-ventilation controls the humidity of a storage unit keeping it a stable level, which is very important for storing extremely fragile items such as antiques, high-end jewelry, and certain vintage vehicles. All of Storwells’ self-storage units are power-ventilated to ensure that whatever you store with us – whether it be furniture, electronics, tools, appliances, vehicles, or other equipment – is well taken care of and protected from moisture and rust damage.
Seasonality
The months between April and August are the busiest months for self-storage facilities. This is the time of the year when most people are doing their spring cleaning or are moving homes and need extra storage for home staging and decluttering. Self-Storage prices tend to increase at this time of the year because of the higher demand.
Full Service Storage vs Traditional Storage
In the past few years, “full service” storage companies have been starting up. These companies act as a moving service and a storage service all in one. They will take your items and store them in a communal storage locker with the items from all their other clients and only charge you for the space that your items take up in the warehouse. While this service is advertised as more convenient than traditional storage, it takes away a lot of your anonymity as a renter. You do not have open access to your items, you are unsure of who is taking care of your things, and ultimately you are at the mercy of the storage company. While this full-service storage solution might come at a lower cost it is an inferior option to more traditional self-storage solutions. Storing with a reputable self-storage company like Storwell comes with a plethora of advantages including:
- A wide range of units ranging from 18 to 1000 square feet.
- Unlimited access to your belongings.
- Gate access 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
- A high-security lock with each unit.
- Deliveries accepted at the front office.
- Large aisles and drive-up units for easy access
- Ground-level units means there is no need to deal with elevators or stairs.
- Insurance that is specialized for storage.
- On-site managers that can assist you in any emergency situations.
- Discounted prices and promotions.