San Francisco played a key role in World War II and other notable conflicts, but that doesn’t mean that’s it’s uniformed spirit is in the past. On the contrary, San Francisco is home to so many unique and interesting pieces of military history that a walk through the city often feels like a walk through the past (admittedly, the creepy fog helps). In addition to landmark structures and ships, there’s also a small pocket of active duty men and women. If you’re lucky enough to be stationed in the beautiful City by the Bay, here’s some advice on finding a storage unit to fit your needs:
San Francisco Military Housing and Storage
If you’re working at
US Coast Guard San Francisco station on Yerba Buena Island, your base includes administrative offices, deck department ships, station engineering shops and barracks. Besides the barracks, housing is available through the government. It isn’t required, but if you want it, it does have to be applied for and waiting lists are common. This means that you might find yourself living somewhere temporary and much smaller while you wait for your ideal home to become available. If you’re new in town, this is understandably frustrating, but that’s where storage comes in. There are more than
150 storage facilities in and around San Francisco all of which offer flexible lease terms and a wide variety of units so whether you’ve got a whole house’s worth of furniture or just a carload of clothing and extra stuff, you can find the right option to make storing your belongings in between moves as painless as possible. Incidentally, needing extra space as a result of moving is cited as the number one reason why people seek out storage, so you’ll be in good company and you’ll be dealing with facility managers who understand your concerns.
Independent Housing and Storage
If you’re stationed at
US Air Station San Francisco, you’ll be working alongside the US Coast Guard and you’ll have the same government housing options available. Of course, either branch is welcome to opt for independent housing in the city. Just remember that if you’ve never lived in San Francisco before (or California for that matter), housing prices are the highest in the country. This means that the $3,000 a month that got you a four bedroom home in the last place you lived might only get you a studio apartment in San Francisco. Don’t get discouraged if the high prices in San Francisco don’t leave room for all of your furniture at your new place. Just store it. That way, when you can afford a bigger place (or you’re moved to a new city), you won’t have to get all new stuff.
Military Discounts and Storage
Most storage units in San Francisco try to keep their prices competitive to everyone, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t still try to get a discount. Your military ID will get you all sorts of discounts at local San Francisco restaurants and attractions, so don’t forget to ask about what it can do for your storage needs. The most common discount is 10%, which doesn’t sound like much but it’ll help you big time if you’re planning on storing for a while. Another component about storage that saves military members time and hassle is the existence of military lien laws. This means that if you’re deployed and your storage unit rent goes unpaid as a result, the facility can’t auction off your belongings as easily as they can if you’re not in the military. Hopefully this is never a lesson that you have to learn firsthand, but it’s a good thing to keep in mind wherever your military career might take you.
