Seattle is kind of a perfect storm for young professionals. It’s home to a growing population of young people and big businesses like Amazon and Microsoft who are always looking for bright recruits. More than half of the city’s residents hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher, so if you’re looking to thrive in the expensive yet rewarding Emerald City, you’ll need to start cracking the books, and if you’re in need of a place to store those books (along with everything else), here’s a few words of advice:
You Might Need Climate Control, But it Won’t be on Summer Break
Rain, rain, rain, right? If you’re new to Seattle and you’re surprised by the lack of constant downpour, here’s what the weather is really like in the area. Seattle is characterized by dry, sunny summers and cooler, wetter winters. Most students across the country looking for a storage unit end up considering
climate control during their summer vacations. It turns out that this actually only makes sense if you attend school in a place where summers are hot and humid. Think Florida. You know the saying “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity?” Well, that might as well be about storage. Here’s the lowdown on how weather and climate actually affect storage. Drastic temperatures (as in below freezing or above 100 degrees) and extreme humidity or lack thereof (think Houston humidity versus Las Vegas aridness) are the things that can damage the contents of your storage unit. During Seattle’s pleasant summers, you won’t really be dealing with either. If you’re headed home for a month during winter break, however, you might want to be a little more concerned, as temperatures are colder and the constant drizzle can cause moisture to enter your unit. Since you won’t be gone for a long time, this isn’t the end of the world unless you’re an art student storing important prints or an English major with a collection of first editions. And hey, if you don’t think you need climate control but you like to be prepared, there’s always facilities like
Ballard Mini Storage, which offers all inside units in a heated building.
Make Your College Roommate Your Storage Unit Roommate
One of the hardest things about living in Seattle on a student budget is that it’s not necessarily a student budget friendly city. The best way to save money on storage is to expand your search as far outside of the city as possible. You can find the exact same units (and sometimes even better amenities) at drastically lower prices if you’re okay with driving 10 or 20 miles to get to your facility. Another way to save money is by going in on a storage unit with a friend. If you’re living in a dorm room together, or even an apartment, you probably don’t have enough stuff to warrant needing a storage unit all to yourself anyway. This is also a great idea if you and your roommates have gone in on furniture together, that way you can keep it all in one place. Not sure how much space you need? Use a
storage calculator to figure it out and keep it organized.
It’s Not Like Signing a Lease on an Apartment
Hey, we get it. Commitment scares us too. When the storage facility manager says “lease,” it’s totally natural to picture the iron-clad document your landlord had you sign that you only pretended to understand. Unlike apartments, most storage facilities aren’t going to try and hook you for a whole year and then make you pay (literally) and ruin your credit when you try to back out early. Month-to-month leases let you store for as little or as long as you’d like. This is great if you’re moving from a dorm to a house and need a little extra space in between. You’ll probably notice flyers around campus advertising student specials, many of which will offer several months at a flat rate. If you’re in love with your school, you’re digging your apartment and your plans for the semester definitely don’t include the potential of transferring colleges, moving back home or any other major life change, these are great deals. If you want the flexibility, keep things as simple as possible.
