Let me be straight with you. I spent my first year in this business telling everyone to just get the cheap unit. “It’s fine!” I’d say. “It’s just stuff!”
Then Mrs. Gable stored her late husband’s wooden boat models in a regular unit for six months. When she opened the door in August, the smell of mildew hit us like a wall. Those beautiful, hand-carved models were warped and fuzzy with mold. She cried right there in the doorway. I felt like the biggest jerk on the planet.
So now I tell people the truth.
What a Regular Unit Really Is
A regular unit is basically a really clean, secure garage. It keeps your stuff dry from rain and safe from thieves. But the air inside? That’s the same air that’s outside. When it’s 95 degrees and humid in July, your grandmother’s wooden rocking chair is sitting in what feels like a tropical jungle. When it’s 10 below in January, your vinyl records are freezing solid.
What Climate Control Actually Does
Climate control isn’t some fancy luxury. It’s basically a unit inside a building where we run the AC and heat. We keep it between like 60 and 80 degrees year-round. But the real hero? It’s not the temperature control – it’s the fact that we’re pulling moisture out of the air.
My Simple, No-BS Guide
Here’s my simple, no-BS guide:
If you’re storing any of this, get climate control:
- Wood furniture you actually care about (that expand and contract thing is real).
- Family photos or important documents (I’ve seen photos melted together into a brick).
- Electronics or musical instruments.
- Nice clothes, especially leather or wedding dresses.
- Artwork.
- Anything with glue in it (like books or that guitar).
If you’re storing this, a regular unit is perfect:
- Lawn mower and tools.
- Patio furniture.
- Tires.
- That extra refrigerator.
- Christmas decorations in plastic bins.
- Sports equipment.
Look, I run HarrisonBurg Storage. We have both types of units because different stuff needs different homes. I’m not trying to upsell you. In fact, if you come to me and say you’re storing garden tools, I’ll tell you to save your money and get the regular unit.
But if you’re storing your mom’s antique dresser? I’m going to look you in the eye and tell you to get the climate-controlled one. I don’t want you to have that Mrs. Gable moment. Nobody should.
The Bottom Line
Just think about what you’re storing. If it would break your heart to see it ruined, spend the extra twenty bucks. If it’s just stuff from your garage, save your money.
That’s it. That’s the whole truth. No marketing, no scare tactics. Just what I’ve learned the hard way.
Come talk to us. We’ll give you the straight answer.
0 Comments