Storage During Military Deployment

If you’re going to be deployed overseas, having a strategy to protect your personal belongings while you’re away is essential. It takes just a little planning to ensure you have total peace of mind while you’re abroad. Here are our top tips:

1. Determine which of your possessions you consider irreplaceable and which ones are replaceable.

2. Assess storage options and pricing for safe deposit boxes and self-storage units.

3. Pack and store items to protect from theft, mould, and flooding.

Store small valuables in a safety deposit box

It isn’t a good idea to store your most valuable, irreplaceable items in a large self-storage unit. Even a facility that claims its units are temperature-controlled and secure might not be able to provide the highest level of protection, so there is the risk that your belongings could be damaged or stolen.

Irreplaceable valuables might include jewellery, antiques, heirlooms, bullion, currency, data, important documents, and other items like family photos or anything that has a high sentimental value.

The only question you need to ask yourself is: what do I own that I’m willing to pay to protect?

Renting safety deposit boxes for your most valuable items often makes more sense than paying for a large self-storage unit. At Custodian Vaults, an extra large safety deposit box that could store a carry-on bag will cost $85 per month.

With Custodian Vaults:

• Rather than leaving your valuables at home, where they might be susceptible to natural disasters, fire, or theft, you can rent a safety deposit box that will be completely secure in a controlled environment.   

• You can store your valuables in a state-of-the-art private vault that’s physically monitored 24 hours a day. And when we say private, we mean even Custodian Vaults staff won’t have access to your personal vault.

• You could choose the appropriate safety deposit box based upon what you’ll be storing and how much space you’ll need.

• You can choose from monthly and yearly rates, as well as short-term and long-term leases, so you can pay for the vault for only as long as you need it based on how long you’ll be away from home.  

• You’ll receive a unique security key and bio-metric identification to ensure that only you will be able to access your safety deposit box—unless you allow for authorised individuals (such as family) who could also gain access to the box by providing the same strict entry requirements.

You can have your safety deposit box insured for even more peace of mind.

Rent a self-storage unit for large items

Renting a self-storage unit is a great way to keep your larger and replaceable valuables safe while you’re away from home, whether you’re deployed across the country or across the world, and whether you’ll be gone for a few months or a couple of years. This could include the personal items that are found throughout your home, as well as the furniture, appliances, and electronics in your house. Plus, you could even store your car in a rented self-storage unit, especially if you don’t have a garage of your own.

When booking your self-storage unit, it’s best to choose a size that’s most appropriate for your needs. This will prevent you from paying for more space than is required for your things.

There are a lot of storage units that you can rent, but not all of them will be created equal. To be certain that you’re renting the right self-storage unit that will keep your belongings safe and secure:

• Ask about the company’s security cameras and find out if the facility provides 24/7 surveillance of all of the storage units.

• You might also want to opt for a facility that has fencing around the perimeter to provide additional security against break-ins.

• Having a personalised lock or access code could ensure that you will be the only one who can access the unit. Providing that lock or code to family members or friends whom you can trust will also give you additional peace of mind in case they need to get into the storage unit on your behalf.

• A climate-controlled facility is also a must, as your belongings could be damaged by exposure to things like sunlight, humidity, and temperature fluctuations. It’s also a good idea to ask the facility about what it will do to protect your belongings against things like mould or natural disasters like floods.

A few extra storage tips

To keep your belongings in the best condition possible while they’re in storage:

• Clean your items before putting them into boxes. If you can, dismantle your items as well.

• Don’t store your belongings in sealed plastic bags, as doing so could lead to mildew.

• Add cardboard corners to framed photos and artwork and then cover them in bubble wrap. Unframed photos and artwork could be laid flat between sheets of cardboard to prevent creases.

• Cover fragile items in bubble wrap.

• Leave the doors of your appliances slightly ajar in order to prevent mildew and mould.

Smart storage strategies will help keep your belongings in perfect shape

With the right plans in place for everything from your smallest valuables to your car, you could store all of your belongings securely whenever you’re deployed for your next military assignment. The peace of mind that comes with knowing that your possessions are in a safe place, where they can’t be stolen or damaged, will help you focus on what you need to do until it’s time to head home again.