The Reality of Climate-Controlled Storage:
Who Really Needs It?

• What it means to have climate controlled storage
• When do you need it?
• Items that benefit the most from it
• The cost vs benefit analysis you need
• How to evaluate the right one
• Alternatives to investing in heated storage units
• Breaking some common myths

• What it means to have climate controlled storage: As the name suggests, these are temperature control storage units that regulate the temperature inside to give your belongings the extra care they need. They have inbuilt heating/cooling facilities so you minimise the impact of outside weather conditions on things you own. This protects them from external factors and keeps a consistent temperature inside. Typically, these units are kept between 55°F and 85°F (13°C to 29°C), with humidity controlled between 30% and 50%.
• When do you need it? Temperature controlled storage comes handy when you're storing things long term or are living in extreme weather conditions during parts of the year. You may be storing something that is passed through generations and is extremely valuable, artwork, antiques or sensitive items like musical instruments. Places with high humidity or extreme heat can cause damage to things specially if they are stored long enough.
• Items that will benefit the most from it: Leather goods like sofa coverings, handbags or event clothes could avoid cracking because of heat, warping in wooden furniture can be avoided, photographs or paper documents could be stored for years without spoiling them. Additionally, alcohol bottles of say wines can be stored at optimum temperatures and pharma products and medicines can be kept without the risk of them going bad. Sensitive clothing items or antiques can avoid corrosion or natural damage.
• The cost vs benefit analysis you need: To begin with, evaluate the worth of the item/items you would be storing and compare it to the price of a climate controlled storage unit. This may not break even if you are storing items that have an emotional value attached to them like archives or old photographs. If you are storing old items, identify the replacement cost of those good and compare it with the price of the storage unit. The costs of these units can be anywhere 20-50% higher than a normal one and the benefit would be the longer life of what you own.
• How to evaluate the right one: Check for it's price and the maintenance it needs- how much would you have to regulate it with changing external factors. Check for insurance and a good security measure in place so your belongings are safe. Check for its consistent performance and reliability while ensuring the size you get is ideal for storing your belongings. Many have various featured like temperature regulator, dehumidifying capabilities and so on- find what suits your needs the best.
• Alternatives to investing in heated storage: A cheap alternative if you have small belonging like clothes could be vacuum bags or airtight containers. Renting a portable solutions for small items could also be cost-effective. Using dehumidifiers at home can also increase the life of items and regular temperature and moisture in the air. You could also buy small temperature controlled storage units for your home if the items are being stored temporarily or in small sizes.
• Breaking some common myths: People often believe that climate controlled storage is fancy and only the affluent invest in it. In reality, anyone who can find the benefit greater than the cost, can use it because it entirely depends on the monetary and emotional value of the items you'd like to save. Investing in them in the short run could save you money in the bigger picture. They are also assumed to be perfect in their conditions but often need regulation and monitoring to know what is best for the items stored inside. People believe that it is useful for only long-term storage but in reality it can be used to store anything that needs special conditions and protection- no matter how long it is being stored for.

In short, climate controlled storage units are useful for many items that hold high monetary or emotional value and need to be preserved. It would be good to do a cost- benefit analysis to find if it is the right choice for you. We hope you make a smart investment!

Climate controlled storage units factor for fluctuations in temperature and humidity outside the unit and maintain a healthy and consistent atmosphere to preserve the items kept in it. On the contrary, regular storage is suitable for durable and less-sensitive items because it doesn't regular itself and is directly affected by the conditions outside it.

Yes, you can assume climate controlled storage to be 20-50% more expensive that regular storage solutions but can be benefits if you benefits outweigh the costs. Depending on what you're storing in it and how sensitive the item is, the costs can be justified.

Sensitive materials like leather, artwork and antiques, painting and photographs, wine and electronics are a few things that face wear and tear just by virtue of storing them in unfavourable conditions. Hence they lead to important considerations regarding the need for a temperature regulated storage unit.