We all remember the Will Smith song about partying “in the city where the heat is on” and the accompanying music video with the girls and the convertibles and the beaches (#iconic). If you’ve decided to make Florida beach life your best life, you know that actually living in Miami requires you to think about “real world” things occasionally like housing, employment and storage. We’re here to help you with that last one, so that you can get back to killing time (and a few margaritas) on the beach.
Storage in Paradise
The greater Miami area including Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach has a huge market for storage. There are 560 storage facilities in the area. Thinking more locally, you can search more than
150 Miami specific facilities through us and choose from facilities that offer basic, outside storage units to those with ultra fancy amenities.
With so many options, it’s often overwhelming to consider what’s the best option for you (especially if this whole storage thing is new to you). Because of the availability of storage in Miami, you don’t have to subject yourself to the old “beggars can’t be choosers” philosophy. Availability of unit sizes and rates depend on location. If you’re storing closer to an area that’s populated by college students or apartment renters, you’ll probably have a harder time finding smaller units (like 5x5 spaces). If you’re storing in an area that’s has more homeowners or more money, those larger spaces will be harder to come by. Generally speaking, Miami storage unit rent prices aren’t a direct reflection of the cost of housing in the area as is the case in a lot of cities. The median cost of an apartment is $1,800 in Miami (ouch) but you can typically find a 5x5 unit for around $60 a month, though this price can spike to more than $150 in some areas. The bottom line? Finding storage that’s just above the national average is possible if you’re okay with looking a little bit harder. For the staggering 41% of the city’s millennials living at home, finding an affordable storage unit might be the key to finally moving out.
Se Habla Espanol
You might think that your college spring break trip to Cancun prepared you well, but unless you want to go through life only knowing how to ask for una cerveza por favor, you’re going to have to learn Spanish. This is a lesson that the storage industry in Miami has taken to heart. You’ll find
numerous facilities with staff members who speak Spanish, which is great news if that’s your native tongue or if you’re just trying to become fluent. About a quarter of Miami residents speak only English and that percentage is rapidly declining, so having a storage facility that understands the importance of speaking Spanish is more crucial now than ever. Having Spanish speaking staff members at a facility allows for better communication, so it’s a great thing to look for if you know someone who only speaks Spanish and is reluctant to call a storage facility due to the language barrier. Some people say that the best part of Miami is that it’s so close to the United States. Learn at least a little bit of Spanish and you’ll be in on the joke.
The Weather is Wild and so are the People
You can thank the Gulf Stream for Miami’s warm weather. Humidity is just as brutal as you’ve heard and they say you haven’t really experienced a thunderstorm until you’ve lived in Florida. You’ll find that out firsthand during the wet season which lasts from late spring to early fall. So how does this affect storage? Two words:
climate control. If you’re storing art, photography, antique furniture, a nice bike or a musical instrument, opt for indoor storage and/or climate control to prevent moisture in the air and rainwater from destroying your items. You’ve probably seen the pages of a book or the edges of a photo curl in your own home. Imagine that times like a thousand if you store items like this in an outside, non climate-controlled unit. For general storage, you’ll find a lot of multi-story indoor storage options (
Safeguard Self Storage is an excellent example) which give you added
security and the advantage of literally rising above any flood damage that can occur from having a unit on the ground.
The weather is also a reason to consider
storage insurance. Oftentimes, you can get this directly through your storage facility. If you’re storing an RV, boat or car, your auto insurance should cover your vehicle while it’s in storage. In either case, take the time to read your policy carefully and make sure it covers natural disasters. You already know about hurricanes, so we’re not going to scare you by linking to some crazy video of floodwater damage in Florida. We just want to gently remind you that if your insurance company doesn’t want to be held liable for “acts of God,” it’s best to know before they happen.
