Looking for good car storage – key tips
There are a number of key points to take into consideration ahead of getting a good car storage service booked in for your car. The storage facility should appear clean and well cared for. This will reflect how your car may be cared for. If it looks good, it usually means it will be good too. Find a good environment. A stable, dry and secure storage area is the single most important point to remember when thinking about storing your car. Anyone can put a car in a barn. Are there a team in place to do the work? are there other key add on services also offered too? all of this will really be of help. Put simply, do your research and you will be sure to find a good set up to look after your car.
You need to know a few key points
Before we start, let’s just clarify when we mean by storing your car. Car storage is a very detailed service after all. Under normal circumstances, experts recommend driving your car every two to three weeks. Using the car any less than this will increase the likelihood of problems flaring up when you plan to get back out on the road. It’s perfectly possible that you could leave your car in a garage or parked outside for months with no problems but the longer you leave it, the greater the chance of issues developing and the more measures you should take to mitigate the risk. We look here in detail to good degree at reducing that risk of the worst coming to the worst when the time comes to put your car back on the road again.
Security is vital
It’s important to keep your car secure while it’s laid up and there are a few precautions you can take to ensure this. Firstly, if your car is fitted with keyless entry, keep the key inside a Faraday pouch to prevent it falling victim to a relay attack by car thieves. Any car storage company should know of this. There are also some other services too related to car storage that should help with all of this too. Car storage services are wide and varied after all.
There is then the paperwork you also need to deal with
If you find yourself with some extra spare time and want to be productive, it’s worth going over your car’s paperwork and making sure everything is up to date. Keep an eye on your insurance and VED road tax to avoid any unexpected fines and consider registering your car as SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) if you know it’ll be off the road for some time.
From the offset, trust is key
There is rarely anything better for business credibility than a personal referral from a trusted source. And as most ‘first time’ users of car storage will testify, trust is essential. Therefore, in the absence of a personal referral, a car storage company’s websites is often the first port of call. A few quick questions should help you decide… Does the site look professional? Is it up to date even.If there are forms, do they work? Does the business get back in touch with you quickly and courteously? All fairly obvious stuff (you would hope).
In detail
If they have in place some business has social profiles, have they been updated recently? Is the tone of voice of any posts professional? This is a great check. Do they engage with followers at all? We all have our preferred methods of correspondence these days, does the company have plenty of means of contact. Is it easy? As much as we can’t 100% trust online reviews alone, does the company have any? If they have a few, what does this mean to you? Is it safe to assume they’re from actual customers? Read the most recent Google reviews or Facebook reviews and decide whether they are relevant to you and your requirements.
Overall
When choosing a long term storage location, always try to find a secure, dry location. Your initial choice of garage or storage shelter will ultimately determine the condition of your car and spending a little more time finding the right location may save you a considerable amount of time and money long term. Protection from large changes in temperature, humidity and condensation are key to avoiding negative effects on your vehicle like mould, rust and expensive damage to trim and interiors. Carefully check for rodent droppings or mouse holes in the exterior walls as vermin will chew through exposed wires and upholstery. Worse still, they may decide to take up residence in your engine bay or interior.