Article takeaways
- Using a garage as a catch-all storage space makes it hard to find important items and difficult to actually fit your cars inside.
- A self-storage unit is a cost-effective and safe way to store things that would otherwise clutter your garage.
- Self-storage units come with climate control, better security, better organization, and more flexibility than a garage does.
If you’re a homeowner with a garage, you likely have plenty of things stored inside it that aren’t your car(s); tools, sports equipment, and even cleaning supplies. This works for short-term storage and easily accessible items, but garages can easily get cluttered, making your essentials difficult to access, and leading to weather and impact damage if you’re not careful.
Your garage shouldn’t be a catch-all place to store everything that doesn’t have a specific location, and using it as one can get out of control and become impossible to manage in no time. Fortunately, you can save yourself from a horrifically cluttered garage with a self-storage unit. Here, we’ll go over five important reasons to choose self-storage vs. garage storage: climate control, security, organization, extra space, and keeping your garage in order.
1: Climate control
Garages aren’t known for their desirable climate or humidity levels. Lack of insulation and airflow leaves them vulnerable to extreme heat, blistering cold, and excess humidity throughout the year.
Anything you store in a garage is at risk of damage from the elements, from electronics sustaining moisture damage to important documents becoming brittle in extreme dry heat.
You’ll find plenty of self-storage options with built-in climate control to prevent this damage if you opt to rent a unit. Storing your belongings in one place will help you protect your investments in valuable items you may not be using right away, and keep you from having to re-purchase items that might otherwise be damaged beyond repair in your garage.
Climate-controlled self-storage units are kept at a predictable temperature and humidity range, making them safe to store delicate items like wooden furniture, documents, and other paper heirlooms, and important electronics you may not need. The rental cost of a climate-controlled unit is a bit higher than other units, but it’ll save you plenty of money in the long run if you can avoid replacing your belongings.
2: Better security
Storing valuables in a garage is risky; automatic garage door openers, thin doors, and windows are all easy entry points for a criminal looking to make a lucky score. Self-storage units prevent this entry with dedicated security staff and features to protect your valuables, from gated access to robust locks on unit doors.
Investing in self-storage will give you much greater peace of mind knowing that your valuables are safe and being looked after by security professionals. A facility with on-site, 24-hour surveillance through a network of security cameras will be the best choice for maximum protection.
3: Better organization and accessibility
A garage is intended for storing cars, not just everything you can’t fit in your house. A self-storage unit is perfect for storing those extra items and overflow while being much easier to organize, with easy loading areas and much better lighting to help you see your belongings as you’re grouping them. Larger units also have wide, dedicated aisles to help you navigate through the unit.
Storage units are also just as easy to access as your home garage. Most facilities offer 24/7 access, enabling you to visit your unit even if the management office is closed and plan around however busy your schedule may be. If you organize your unit properly, you’ll save time and reduce stress finding the items you need.
4: Flexibility
You don’t get much flexibility when using a garage for storage, considering you have to store your cars in there as well. The free space you have is limited and difficult to organize, as mentioned above.
Renting a self-storage unit not only gives you a variety of sizes to choose from, but you can change over to a different size unit if you need more space or you find you’re paying for space you don’t need. If you’re storing seasonal yard decorations, this is also an excellent option to save garage space out of season.
5: Freedom to use your garage as a garage
Clearing out your garage makes it better for doing what it was made to do–storing your cars. A clutter-free garage is much easier to park cars in and store what you actually need inside, such as tools and small yard equipment. If you store everything else in a storage unit, you’ll be able to access these tools much faster and park your cars without worrying about running into clutter.
Cluttered garages won’t let you fit your cars inside, forcing you to leave them outdoors where extreme temperatures and weather might damage them. Parking a car in a cluttered garage can also lead to scratches if you collide with some of your clutter, so having a clean, functional garage means minimizing car damage and insurance claims. Enough space to park will make it that much easier to use the cars for daily routines as well.
Some other benefits of self-storage
If you’re still wondering whether self-storage is right for you as an alternative to your garage, here are a few more advantages you’ll find when renting a unit.
| Self Storage Benefit | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Liability and Insurance Coverage | Many storage facilities offer built-in insurance policies to protect your belongings on the off chance something happens to them. |
| No Maintenance Responsibilities | Since you’re just renting the unit, you can leave the act of cleaning and maintaining the facility to the owners. |
| Expert Facility Management | If you have any questions or concerns or just need help finding the right storage unit, facility management will be there to address and assist. |
| Shared Loading Equipment | Renters can make use of equipment stored in the facility to help them load and unload their units. |
Self-storage costs vs. garage storage costs
According to Storage.com data from 2024-2025, a garage costs about $52 per square foot, while renting a storage unit will cost you from $0.85 to $2 per square foot each month.
Garage storage has all kinds of hidden costs within as well, such as racks and organizers, which can run up a hefty price tag over time.
Meanwhile, self-storage units are transparent with their monthly pricing, making sure you’re paying exactly what you set out to pay.
The monetary benefits go beyond initial savings, though. The convenience and peace of mind you receive from storing your belongings in a storage unit are worth the investment, and you’ll save money in the long run by protecting valuable items from damage instead of needing to replace them.
Find the right storage unit for your needs
Climate control, security, organization, accessibility, and giving you the freedom to use your garage for the purpose it was designed for are all excellent reasons to rent a storage unit instead of just storing any old clutter in your garage. We recommend taking a look at your garage to see if the storage situation inside needs a refresher, and if so, doing a little more research into storage units to help you clear it out.
Many homeowners find that they don’t have enough space for all their stuff; according to SelfStorage.com’s survey of 1,004 homeowners, 76% say that shrinkflation (the trend of homes getting smaller as prices go up) is killing the American dream. Using your garage as a catch-all is tempting, but storage units are much more cost-effective and useful for saving space.
If you’re looking to compare prices and find a storage unit that fits your budget, take a look at our built-in search tool to find facilities near you and get a good look at their pricing structures.
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