If you drive around any city, you’ll see loads of storage facilities. It seems like they’re everywhere and the demand keeps increasing. However, the high cost of storage rates has many turning to the often more affordable option of vault storage. Understanding the pros and cons of using these will help you to make a sound decision
What Is Vault Storage?
Vault storage is a method of basic storage that involves placing items into large wooden crates that are closed with clamps. The crates are then moved into the moving company’s warehouse where they’re kept until the customer needs them. There, the moving company will stack the crates with the help of a forklift.
Vault storage is typically recommended for individuals who won’t need regular or repeated access to their things. This method makes it a great option for temporarily storing items that will not need to be accessed for weeks, months, or even years.
When Should Vault Storage Be Used
There are a few situations that are would be well served by using vault storage:
- House renovations-If you’re tackling a major house renovation, vault storage can be used to keep your things out of harm’s way while contractors are working on your home.
- Home staging-To effectively stage a home so that you can put it on the market, you need to get rid of as much clutter as possible. Vault storage would allow you to remove items for a time while prospective buyers are viewing your home.
- Relocations-People are often transferred by their employers, and the timing of locating a residence in the new location doesn’t always line up as you’d like. Your household goods can be loaded into vaults, then transferred by truck to a warehouse in the new town, until you find a new place.
- Temporary transfers-When an individual is being deployed to another county for a temporary assignment, they may not want to take all of their belongings with them. Vault storage will safeguard their possessions until such time as they can return and set up a new residence.
What are the Advantages of Vault Storage?
In addition to the obvious benefit of having a secure location to store unneeded items, vault storage offers the following advantages:
- Packing delegation-Professional moving companies are in the business of expertly packing and moving things. Vault storage allow individuals to turn their storage items over to a moving company who can the pack the items in a wooden crate with precision and care.
- Cost effective-Generally, vault storage is less expensive than self-storage in that it allows users to pay only for the space needed rather than spending additional money on predetermined spaces that may or may not be the right size for their things.
- Limited access by others-In a typical self-storage facility, other customers can come and go as they please, and this increases the risk of theft or fire. Most vault storage facilities are only accessible by the moving company’s personnel, as the vaults are usually kept in the company’s warehouse.
- Facility monitoring-Most reputable moving companies provide around the clock surveillance, year round.
- Theft deterrent-In a self-storage facility, an individuals belongs are typically scattered around in a garage type unit which, if accessed by trespassers, could facilitate theft. Vault storage with wooden crates that are clamped shut and stacked inside the mover’s warehouse makes theft much less likely.
- Flood protection-Vaults are usually raised off the ground, just enough to offer protection from sudden storms or leakage from a neighboring vault.
- Fully enclosed-Vaults are sealed on the top, bottom, and all 4 sides. This helps to keep your things free from dust, dirt, pests, and smells.
- Less wear and tear on your possessions-In a typical self-storage unit, your things are loaded onto a truck, moved to the storage facility, unloaded into the facility. When you need to retrieve your things, they are handled again, loading them onto a truck to transport them to your home. With vault storage, your valuables are carefully loaded into a crate. The crate is then stored in the moving company’s warehouse until you need those things back. Then, the crates, still sealed from when they were packed, are delivered to your location. Thus, all of your furniture and other belongings are handled far less often, saving wear and tear.
It’s Not Perfect and It’s Not for Everyone
While vault storage is ideal for some, and even though it offers many benefits, there’s one major drawback, and that is accessibility. If you want to access your things, you have to notify the warehouse facility, schedule an appointment for you to visit the warehouse to pick up your items or have the movers bring your crates to your location for unloading.
Final Words
When storing your valuables, safety and security are of the utmost importance. With vault storage, your furniture and other valuables are kept in a climate-controlled warehouse with limited access by others. The warehouse will offer 24-hour security and protection from the risks of burglary, fire, or flood. However, vault storage isn’t for everyone. If you need to access your items from time to time, you may be better served to go with a more traditional self-storage option.
For over 20 years, Firefighting’s Finest Moving & Storage has been providing quality moving and storage services in the Fort Worth, Dallas, Austin, and Houston areas. Our highly trained moving crews offer the utmost in customer service and will treat your belongings as if they were their own, with care and expertise. We treat each and every move with the high quality attention to detail and service that our customers have come to expect. We have a reputation for excellence and have received numerous awards within the moving industry.
If you’re contemplating a move, if you need to rent storage space, or if you’d just like more information about our company, visit our website or contact us for a free estimate at 844-715-6625. We look forward to hearing from you!
