Is it Safer to Buy a Shed or Rent a Storage Unit?

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If you’ve simply run out of room to keep heirlooms, seasonal items, or inventory, you might be faced with a tough decision. Is it a better idea to buy a storage shed for your yard or rent a storage unit? There are a few considerations to make.

First, whether you rent or own your home, if you have space in the yard for a storage shed that doesn’t mean you can legally put one there. Different cities, counties, and HOAs have various rules when it comes to exterior buildings. You might need to get a permit for a shed, and it might not get approved. Since laws vary place to place, it’s impossible to “shed” the light on all of them, but just keep in mind that even if you own your land outright that doesn’t mean you have the right to put a shed there. It might not seem fair, but that’s the way it goes.

What if You Can Put a Shed in Your Yard?

If you go through the hoops and pay the permit fees to put a shed on your land, that could be a great move—or not. It’s convenient if you regularly have to go in and out of your storage shed for items. However, that usually isn’t the case. Generally, if items are relegated to any type of storage, they are inherently not used very often. That means the top priority isn’t convenience, but rather safety.

Many items don’t do well in spaces that aren’t temperature-controlled. There are surely some sheds out there that offer this feature—and at a very high price. You’ll be paying not only for the cost of that posh shed, but also potentially high electrician bills to get it connected to your power source.

Mold, mildew, and contraction and retraction are just a few things that can happen in a non-temperature-controlled shed. There’s also the risk of pests like mice, birds, and even larger animals, such as racoons, seeking out shelter in your shed. You won’t have to deal with controlling temperatures or keeping on top of pests if you rent a storage unit.

What about Break-ins?

Burglars are opportunists. They don’t want to get caught. You may have seen headlines about burglars breaking into storage facilities, but these incidents make headlines because they’re so rare. You’re not going to see news about a break-in to a home because they are relatively common.

For burglars, it’s much “safer” to try to break into a shed that’s not connected to a home rather than a high-security storage facility. Even if you install cameras (another added cost), they’re simply not going to be as good as the ones at a large facility. Plus, facilities have added securities like on-site staff, controlled entry, and much more.

Sheds on your property can be useful for very specific purposes, such as housing lawnmowers. However, if you want to really protect your items, a storage unit at a reputable facility is best. Contact Oquirrh View Storage today.