Finding the right company to store and maintain your valuables and personal belongings is essential
In New York City, you don’t have to look far to either see a storage facility or an advertisement for one. By one estimate, there are more than 900 self-storage facilities in New York City covering 50 million square feet of space. To put that into perspective, this is equivalent to 1.8 square miles, which means New York’s storage facilities cover more area than Central Park.
Most storage units are used for the expected—out-of-season clothes, clunky sports equipment, and family heirlooms you might want to keep but not use or see daily. Not surprisingly, some New Yorkers have been known to use their storage units for more creative endeavors. For example, thousands of local artists store work in self-storage units and some artists have even staged events in their units. In 2016, Manhattan Mini Storage sponsored its own exhibition
featuring the works of artists who rely on their facilities. But whether you’re storing art or old ski equipment, how do you find the best unit?
Considerations When Selecting a Storage Company
• Size: A small unit (5 x 5') might fit the contents of a dorm room. If you’re storing the contents of an entire home, you’ll likely need to look for something in the 10 x 20' to 10 x 30' range. Fortunately, most self-storage companies offer access to a room size calculator to help customers estimate how much space they will need to store their belongings.
• Cost: In the world of storage, you pay for size, location, convenience (i.e., 24/7 access and pick-up and delivery services), and specialty services (e.g., environmentally controlled conditions). When searching for a storage unit, it is essential to have a price point in mind, but don’t be overly stubborn. In the end, renting the wrong type or size of unit or renting in the wrong location can also be a costly decision.
• Location: In most cases, you’ll want to store as close to home as possible for convenience. If you happen to be storing items on a long-term basis, however, you may realize considerable cost savings by opting to store your items further out in the suburbs or even in a smaller city or town.
• Accessibility: If you’re stashing away your grandmother’s antiques, you likely won’t require regular access. If you’re storing out-of-season clothes or sports equipment, it will be a different story. Depending on what you’re storing, you may even want to opt for a storage bin service, like RedBin or MakeSpace, with a convenient pick-up and delivery option.
• Insurance: In most cases, you’ll be on the hook if something happens to your belongings while in storage. Your current home or rental insurance may cover your personal belongings while in storage (usually at a lower limit), but it all depends on the policy. To be sure your belongings will be insured in storage, check with your home or rental insurance provider first. Be prepared to purchase additional insurance if the items you’re storing are of high value.
Five Most-Trusted Storage Companies
Ad via Manhattan Mini Storage Flickr photostream
Manhattan Mini Storage, ironically founded in New Jersey in 1956, is the city’s largest self-storage company and one of the oldest. For more than half a century, Manhattan Mini has been helping New Yorkers find more space for their personal belongings. But bear in mind that Manhattan Mini’s prices reflect NYC real estate. If you want to store your stuff in Inwood, prices start at $16 per month.
Gotham Mini Storage website (https://www.gothamministorage.com/)
A truly made-in-NYC storage solution is Gotham Mini Storage. With competitive prices and many units in the NYC area, including Manhattan, Gotham Mini has a lot of offer. It also has come up with innovative storage solutions for specific demographics. For example, the company offers a $49 per month tool storage option to construction workers who don’t want to lug their tools around on public transit or don’t have space to store their tools in their own homes. In addition to offering storage, Gotham Mini provides a range of other services, including parcel acceptance.
Capture from Moishe's Self Storage's website (www.moishesselfstorage.com)
Another familiar name in self-storage in the New York City area is Moishe’s Self Storage. Moishe’s Self Storage is just one arm of Moishe’s Moving Systems—a local and long-distance moving service. As a result, Moishe’s not only offer self-storage but also complete packing, pick-up, and delivery services. Small units (4 x 4 x 2 or 32 square feet) start at $26.10 per month. If you need to store your entire two to three-bedroom home and require up to 1,600 square feet, expect to pay at least $336.33 per month.
Capture via Cube Smart website (https://www.cubesmart.com/)
CubeSmart was founded in Maryland back in 2004, but since its founding has made inroads in the crowded NYC self-storage market. In Manhattan, small lockers start at $26 per month, and larger units start at $185. Going up to the Bronx or out to Long Island or over to New Jersey will result in significant cost savings. CubeStart is also one of the few local storage companies that can accommodate larger items, including boats, motorcycles, and even RVs.
Capture via Red Bin's website (www.redbin.com)
RedBin is one of the many newer players on the market that offer storage bin rentals. In essence, RedBin is a bit like storing boxes in your parents’ garage or basement, but without the guilt trips or risk that your mother will read your old diaries. Also, the process is likely easier. First, you request the bins, which are brought to your door. You throw your stuff in the bins and arrange a pick-up. A RedBin driver arrives, takes an overhead picture of the bin to help you keep track of what you’ve thrown in, and then takes the bins to a storage facility. When you need your stuff back, you can request which bin or bins to have delivered. Remember, you’ll have a photo of each bin available online to help ensure the bin that comes back actually contains the stuff you need. Bins start at $7 per month for 3 cubic feet.
Specialty Storage Services for New Yorkers
• Best for Rapid Retrieval: If you have smaller items that you need to access regularly, RedBin, or one of the company’s competitors—for example, MakeSpace
or Clutter
—are likely your best bets. These companies specialize in quick retrieval and delivery and are perfect for storing out-of-season clothes, sports equipment, household tools, and other supplies that you might want but not have the space to store year-round.
• Best for Storing the Contents of Your Entire Home: If you need to store the contents of your entire home between moves or because you’re moving overseas, the best options are self-storage companies that also offer packing and moving services. Moishe’s Moving Systems is an establisehd player. CubeSmart
is another good option, especially if you also need to store your car or canoe.
• Best for Fine Art: Some items require extra special care, and this includes fine art. After all, if you’re storing fine art, even minor fluctuations in temperature or humidity can cause damage. For this reason, fine art and valuable antiques are best kept in facilities exclusively designed for this purpose. Among the better known local options are Christie's Fine Art Storage Services, Uovo, and Crozier. These companies also do more than store your fine art in a temperature and humidity controlled environment, as they also offer packing and transportation, installation, and viewing rooms among a host of other fine art management services.
Capture of Chistie's Fine Art's website (https://www.cfass.com/new-york/storage/cfass-managed-vault/)
Contributing Writer
Cait Etherington
Cait Etherington has over twenty years of experience working as a journalist and communications consultant. Her articles and reviews have been published in newspapers and magazines across the United States and internationally. An experienced financial writer, Cait is committed to exposing the human side of stories about contemporary business, banking and workplace relations. She also enjoys writing about trends, lifestyles and real estate in New York City where she lives with her family in a cozy apartment on the twentieth floor of a Manhattan high rise.
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