Lock 'Er Up

[kevin_standlee]

Having concluded that we would not be able to fit everything from the Yuba City storage locker into our garage and still be able to park at least one of our vehicles (the Small Orange Pickup) in it, we needed a storage locker. There was one place within easy walking distance (just beyond the post office), but all of their lockers were either too small or too big, and it cost more than the one we're clearing out in Yuba City. To our astonishment, the storage places on the outskirts of town along US-50A are even more expensive. There is one place not too far from us — we could walk if we had to do so — that had an 8 x 8 locker at a not-unreasonable price. This afternoon, after going over to the City Hall to vote early for the primary election, we went and had a look. Lisa had her tape measure and pronounced her satisfaction with the unit, so we put down the money and rented it today, even though it may be a few days before we can actually move anything.

Lisa plans to install some free-standing shelves that are currently in the garage in the locker. (You of course can't attach things to the walls in a storage locker.) This will allow her to upgrade the shelves in the garage to some heavier-duty shelving that she can attach to the walls, it being our own garage and all that (one of the nice things about owning instead of renting). We'll then be able to move as much of the boxes we want to store (mostly Cheryl's books, actually; it's cheaper for her to pay me to store her stuff than to ship it and find a place in the UK) into the locker, and that will free up enough room to get the last of the boxes from Yuba City and close out that locker.

Of course, now that we've taken the plunge on a locker in Fernley, it's increasingly urgent to close out Yuba City so that we won't pay double rent. Unfortunately, a very busy travel season looms ahead in July-August, but we'll mange somehow.

Comments

[scott-sanford.livejournal.com]

I'm a little surprised at this; a glance at the map would suggest that Fernley has rather more open space than Yuba City. Do you know why storage is expensive there?

Random speculation: There are lots of seasonal Amazon employees who store their stuff in Fernley through the off periods.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

I'm at a loss to explain it. I would have expected rates to be perhaps as low as 50% of Yuba City, based on how much less expensive real estate is around here; instead, it's either the same more more expensive. I was paying only about $0.45/sf/mo in Yuba City. The new locker costs less, but is smaller, and thus costs $0.63/sf/mo. What's worse is that the ceiling is lower as well, so if measured by cubic capacity it's a big let-down ($0.05/cu ft/mo versus $0.08 in Fernley). It's possible I should have investigated prices before moving, but we originally thought everything would fit into the garage. Also, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to do a good turn for my sister by giving her my almost-unused-but-stored-for-20-years sofa.

[buddykat.livejournal.com]

If the units are climate controlled, my guess is the insane cost to keep it semi-cool during the summer.

Sounds like a business opportunity... buy some cheap land, and build your own, cheaper storage facility.

There's a storage facility that we have stuff in out here, and it's *much* cheaper then all of the others we have looked at in the area. Because they use geothermal for their heating and cooling, which cuts down on their overhead - big investment up front, but much less in the way of ongoing costs for electricity.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

Nope, no climate control. Just basic boxes. The books and papers are going to have to take their chances with the heat, I'm afraid.