Tips and tricks for negotiating storage options

Do you have too many items in your home and not enough space? Then, it is time to fix this situation and find a good storage unit for your items. However, storage services are not exactly cheap, so you will have to pay rent every month. For this reason, you can try negotiating storage options with the company. Here are all the tips and tricks you can use in order to achieve this feat. If you already have previous experience in negotiating, you can apply them here as well.  

See what do you want to store 

Before you even start looking for a storage unit, you need to decide what should go to the storage. If you are decluttering your home, for example, you should make three piles, one to stay, one for storage, one to throw away/donate/sell. The items for the storage should include, 

• Clothes that are not in the season like winter gear 
• Items of sentimental value that you do not want to throw away 
• Valuable items 
• Documents, pictures, and so on 

In addition to this, set up the budget. You should know how much money you are willing to spend so you can negotiate storage options later. Lastly, learn how to pack your items so you can save money on the size of the storage unit. 

Compare companies when you are negotiating storage options 

There are many companies that offer storage services. For this reason, you do not have to settle for the first one you see. When you search for storage units Reynoldsburg Ohio, see what comes up. Then, make sure to read reviews so you can avoid fraudulent companies. After you make your selection, contact several companies. Ask about their prices and go to visit the storage units. If you end up liking one unit but it is a bit more expensive, then it is time to negotiate. Tell to your preferred company that you really like them but you found the same service at the lower price. You can then see if they are willing to match that lower price. Even if they refuse, they should tell you why their service is more expensive. You can see if their services are worth the higher cost. 

Ask for discounts, special offers, and promotions 

The best way to save money is to use discounts, promotions, and special offers. You can see on the companies’ websites when they have special offers. However, sometimes you need a storage unit right at this moment when companies do not have any discounts. Since you are moving to Columbus Ohio for example, you cannot wait for those offers. For this reason, you should ask if you can get any discounts. Maybe people from the company can find some way or some reason to give you a special discount. You will never know until you ask, so do not be shy. 

Be persistent and offer flexibility 

You should never give up when you are negotiating storage options. Maybe the company will refuse to lower the price, it can happen. However, that does not mean you should not try again. After a day or two, you should talk with the representatives again and see if they changed their minds. You can talk to a different representative and maybe they are willing to negotiate. It is in every company’s interest to have more customers. If they say no once, but you ask again, then they might agree to give you a discount. In addition to this, do not forget to be flexible. You might not get want you to want, but do not strictly follow your original plan. Maybe the company will offer you a discount but it might not be the one you hoped for. Do not insist if you see they are not willing to negotiate. 

See what you need when you are negotiating storage options 

When you are asking for discounts, you can use another weapon at your disposal. For example, you can say that you want to rent a climate-controlled unit that is on a larger side, so it would be reasonable to expect a discount. Another example would be if you are moving as well. You can add storage service to your moving bill and see if you can get a discount since you are paying for two of their services. Those are just two examples. Depending on your situation, try to see if you can somehow convince the moving company to lower their price. You can use the same negotiating tips for a moving package.

Save money when you are storing 

Lastly, you can try to save money by storing bulky items somewhere else. As you might already know, large and bulky furniture will take up the most of your storage so you will not fit anything else inside. Then you will need to find the bigger unit which is more expensive. For this reason, have your bulky items store somewhere else. This is possible if you are moving and you need to store your furniture somewhere for a short period of time. Then, you can ask your friends and family whether they can keep it at their home or garage until your new home is ready. 

Share your storage unit  

There is no better way of saving money on a storage unit than sharing it with someone else. You can find someone trustworthy like a friend or a family member and rent a storage unit together. This means you will pay 50 percent of the rent. This is a perfect solution if your friend also needs to save money on the rent.  

Negotiating storage options 

As you can see, these are all the important tips and tricks when you are negotiating storage options. Apply some or all of them next time when you want to rent a storage unit. Just remember to be polite when you are negotiating and do not give up if they refuse your offer.