It can be difficult to get rid of old items, even if they are cluttering your home. Whether its clothing, books or sports equipment, there is always that difficult to answer question; what if I need this in the future? Renting a garage to store these items means that you have the best of both worlds; a clutter-free home and the removal of regret for not ditching your old possessions. However, before you rush into storing your valuables in the first garage space you find, make sure you take into account the following key aspects.
Though you may already know the garage you want to rent, it’s worth checking the price of other local garages so that you get an idea of the average rate of the area. This can prevent you from paying too much and it gives you room to negotiate the price. But before deciding on whether to rent a particular garage or not you must first ask yourself some questions regarding security; will your goods be safe in the garage? How difficult would it be to break in to? Is there some kind of insurance included in the price of the rent or will you have to take out insurance yourself?
Safety in numbers
You should also check if there is CCTV focused on the garage, and, if it is part of a row of garages, find out who else has a garage there and how often do these people visit the area. If there are others around often then this could help deter any potential thieves, making friends with those that have a garage neighbouring yours means that they can keep an eye on yours when you are not about. Visiting the area at night will give you an even better idea of how vulnerable the garage is to thieves and will show you how well the area is lit at night.
Apart from finding out if the garage is in a safe location, making sure that the garage is close to where you live is another benefit, especially if there is an emergency. If you are storing a vehicle, does it have easy access to enter and leave the garage? And is there parking available close by for when you visit and need to bring items to store?
Fit for purpose
The garage may look the part but look a little closer, is it structurally sound? Only by visiting the space in person will you truly get a sense of the state the garage is in. Checking the walls for cracks and the roof for leaks will help minimise any possible future setbacks. While garage documents may state the height and length of the garage, measuring these aspects yourself is recommended – you don’t want to rent the garage and then find out that the bumper of your pride and joy antique car doesn’t actually fit.
Though you may already know the garage you want to rent, it’s worth checking the price of other local garages so that you get an idea of the average rate of the area. This can prevent you from paying too much and give you room to negotiate the price.
There are many websites where you can find garages to rent, like the classified adverts site GumTree. Local newspaper listings are also a good place to look and you can apply to rent a garage from your local council here.
If you own a garage that is rented out and your garage is damaged and needs repair, don’t hesitate to contact our skilled engineers. We have thousands of spare parts in stock even for doors that are no longer in production.
