Interior Units or Drive Up Units?

Ah, the age-old self storage question, “Do I want drive-up or interior storage units?”. Well, this may not be on your mind, buts it a very important thing to consider when moving into a self storage location. At North Shore Mini Storage we offer interior units, but we do have a drive-up dock for those larger items too. Lets find out which you need.

Drive-Up Units v Interior Units

Keep in mind that both are options are great for self storage, it just depends on what you are storing.

Drive-Up Units

The main reason that people choose drive up units is that they are storing some very large items that cannot be easily carried. This type of unit is ideal if you are accessing your unit many times during the week/day. You can simply drive up and drop off your things. The doors are typically bigger on drive-up units, allowing for large furniture items to be easily stored. However, there are some major drawbacks to using drive-up units. The main one being the weather, with no cover, your things can become wet and damaged. There also is not an option for climate control, so if its cold out or boiling out, your items are susceptible to the temperature.

Interior Units

An interior unit is great, think of it like an extra closet or spare room. It’s very easy to walk in and organize the place, and most importantly, you stay dry. The weather has no effect here, rain, sun or snow, your items are well-protected. The time of day is also never an issue, dark or sunny, interior units are lit anyway. Unlike drive-in units, where you might be stranded in the dark. There are some downsides to interior units, you have to walk a bit further, no driving up. You must carry your items with you (we provided dollies) and the hours may be restricted.

Overall, both are a great choice, so its really a tie, and your choice will come down to what you are storing and how large it is.

North Shore Mini Storage offers climate-controlled interior units in North Vancouver, BC. Call today for a free quote on a storage space.

sweda

Mike Olsen

18:58 16 Oct 19

This is inexpensive storage that operates 100% as advertised - they do not offer 24/7 access and do not charge 24/7 access pricing. They are incredibly responsive to requests to unlock doors and provide access. It is not fancy but if you need a clean, dry place to store your stuff, you can't beat these guys. Don't expect bells and/or whistles but you also won't be paying for them.

Dave Shirlaw

01:54 10 Jun 19

Have to phone to have buildings unlocked. Annoying.

megan chow

23:06 21 May 19

sara ~

01:04 25 Sep 18

Prices are 1/2 the price of other storage units but it shuts down (locked gates) from 10 am - 6 pm except if you have the enormous ground level outside facing units. Those hours are impossible. The technology getting items up to the second story is an actual forklift thats made stationary. You balance your items up the forklift (and you raise the wooden pallet up yourself) Then you must walk up stairs and hope their is a dolly available to wind precariously around tiny turning hallways. Budget carpentry and ancient carpet in the units. The trolleys sound and feel like their from 1980's and are either coached to disobey or they keep their own counsel. They say its secure but I had a neighbor pick something up and they weren't even asked for permission. I explicitly stated only I was to have access. They said they do not let it happen. The locks are your own, but the flip closure is attached by 3/4 wood screws easily and possibly quite quietly could be opened and emptied with no one batting an eye. A kid could detach it with anything. They have "24 hour security" which means a guy lives on site. Does he/she have CCTV access? Probably not, nor would you want that job. Are there motion sensors? Not likely as sometimes the lights won't turn on and finding a switch in the straggly wandering corridors is impossible. They do not offer insurance. You have to sign forms saying all the things you will and won't do, but they are not liable if anything happens: theft, fire, water, vandals, pests etcSo despite all those complaints, its still 4/5 only because of the prices.