Phoenix Climate-Controlled Self Storage Looks After Your Precious Items

With its 300 sunny days per year, Phoenix is a great place to live – in fact, Phoenix is one of the country’s top cities people moved to in 2020. There are good reasons to do so. The city has a thriving job market, with high demand for people in health-related fields, the IT industry, and manufacturing. The cost of living is another incentive – compared to another city of its caliber, like Denver, for example, Phoenix boasts 15% lower consumer prices and 26% lower rent prices.

However, one of the greatest attractions of Phoenix is the easy access to the great outdoors. Located in the gorgeous Sonoran Desert, with the Salt River cutting through the city (ideal for tubing or rafting), and surrounded by mountain ranges such as McDowall Mountains, Sierra Estrella or White Tank Mountains, the city is a huge playground for those interested in outdoor sports and activities.

The need for self storage is always high in cities with an important influx of new residents and in those where outdoor sports and activities are popular – and Phoenix checks both. There’s, however, another particularity to the city: Phoenix gets very hot in the summers, with the June to September temperatures around and over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In this type of climate, it’s recommendable that self storage users choose climate-controlled units, to protect their belongings, particularly when it comes to long-term storage (longer than a couple of months). Here’s why you need climate-controlled self storage in Phoenix, and the categories of belongings you should always put in such a unit:

• Why you need climate-controlled self storage in Phoenix

The belongings people usually put in self storage, such as furniture, clothing, appliances, tools, collectibles, books, and so on, can be easily damaged by excessive heat. Average temperatures in Phoenix are very high for a good portion of the year. Adding to that, most storage units are actually made of metal, which means they get even hotter than average daytime temperatures.

This is the main reason you should get climate-controlled units for your belongings. Otherwise, the very hot and dry air will affect them negatively. In case you’re planning to store your belongings for a short period of time only, like a month or so, in preparation for a move, then you can also use regular units. However, if you keep things like your sports equipment, seasonal items, extra furniture and appliances in self storage long-term, it’s strongly recommended that you get climate controlled.

Here are the belongings that you should definitely put in climate-controlled self storage if you’re living in Phoenix:

1. Antique furniture

Antique furniture is generally made of natural materials, such as wood, natural fiber upholstery and leather, which, combined with its age, makes it particularly vulnerable to environmental factors like heat. Dry heat can damage the varnish on the furniture and affect its joints. Also, any fiber and leather surface on the furniture risk getting brittle and breakable.

2. Books, photos, papers

Whether it’s family memorabilia or other books and papers that have sentimental or monetary value, it’s important to keep those in climate-controlled self storage. Paper literally disintegrates after being kept long-term in a hot environment, so make sure you preserve your important possessions in a climate-controlled unit.

3. Sports equipment

Sports and outdoor equipment, whether it’s a good tent, a kayak, a mountain bike and so on, are generally expensive. A lot of people use self storage for these categories of belongings because they don’t use them on a daily basis, and storage space at home is usually insufficient. However, it’s important to protect these belongings in a temperature-controlled unit to make sure you can enjoy them long term. Heat damaging outdoor and sports equipment could potentially cause safety issues for you and your family.

4. Collectibles and artwork

Valuable items like collectibles and artwork should always be kept in climate-controlled units regardless of location – and all the more so in Phoenix. Such items are inherently fragile, and even the slightest damage could affect their value drastically. Make sure you keep such items well-protected in a storage unit with constant temperature and humidity.

5. Household appliances, consumer electronics

If you decide to put such items in storage, a climate-controlled unit is a must. Heat expands things, as we all know, and in the case of appliances and consumer electronics, it will cause cracks and other types of degradation to the delicate circuits and components of such items.

Now that you know why it’s important to rent climate-controlled self storage in Phoenix and what categories of belongings should always be kept in such a unit, here are some of the best facilities in the city that provide this type of service:

• SmartStop Self Storage – 1500 East Baseline Road

This self storage facility offers climate-controlled units of various sizes, starting with small 5×10 ones and going up large 10×30 units. Some of the unis have drive up access, while others have elevator access. Both covered and uncovered RV/auto/boat storage is also available. Prices start at around $70 for small units, while a large, 10×30 one rents for around $250 per month.

• Arizona Storage Inns – 6750 West Buckeye Road

Arizona Storage Inns offers a variety of air-conditioned self storage units with drive-up access. RV parking is also available. The facility is fenced, gated and fitted with security cameras. Monthly rates start at around $50 for a 5×5 unit and go up to $250 for a 10×20, for an air-conditioned unit.

• Extra Space Storage – 3650 West Broadway Road

The Extra Space Storage facility offers a huge variety of climate-controlled storage units, starting with 5×4 lockers and going up to huge 40×9 units. The rate for a small unit is around $80, while the largest of sizes available with climate control rent for over $500 per month. Other amenities include onsite manager, security cameras, and drive-up access to the units.