Jesse Jones: Choose self-storage wisely

Finding a place to store your items in this area is getting pretty pricey.

The number of business advertising deals tells you how competitive the industry is at this moment.

“The problem is these self-storage units have become so expensive. I mean, even for a small size unit, you can pay $200 or more per month, and for larger units they can cost four or $500 or more.” says Kevin Brasler with Puget Sound Consumers’ Checkbook.

The group checked and compared storage unit rent prices around the Puget Sound and found, “Some charge 3 to 4 times more than what others do for the same size unit,” said Brasler.

In Puyallup, Brasler found prices ranging from $33 a month to $117 dollars for a five-by-ten-foot climate-controlled unit.

For the same size in Seattle, prices go from $68 a month to $189.

Brasler says it’s much like real estate in the marketplace, “I mean, it is like supply and demand and especially the ones that are, you know, closer to the city center are going to be more expensive than others.”

The prices for a 10-by-20-foot climate-controlled unit in Snohomish County range from $256 a month in Lynnwood to over $400 in Everett.

In South King County, Brasler saw rent prices from $179 in Auburn to $344 in Renton.

Another issue is storage insurance. We’ve shown you stories where consumer’s items were damaged by rodents and their policy covered very little of the losses. Brasler says to check your home policy before purchasing one from the facility, “So most self-storage companies will offer to sell you insurance to protect your stuff while it’s there. I think, you know, what most people don’t realize is that their homeowner’s policy or their renter’s policy does cover your stuff while it’s not in your home. And so it should be covered when it’s in a storage unit. And so often, the insurance that the self-storage places are offering is duplicative.”

Bottom line, don’t be in a rush to find a storage facility. Checking online reviews and talking to your neighbors really helps. The two things I’d check for are crime reports and rodents.

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