It is a nightmare experienced by more and more apartment renters who find themselves having to settle for smaller and smaller spaces: not having enough room for your stuff. George Carlin routines aside, running out of room for your personal possessions isn’t funny, but it presents a whole new problem concerning what to do with your things. Every large city, Dallas included, has several public storage facilities that charge competitive rates to keep your things safe and secure, but before you shove yourself into a cubicle, there are certain things you need to look for first.

When shopping around for the perfect self storage facility, you need to look for one that is air conditioned or one that keeps all of its storage units at room temperature. The ravages of nature can still warp and fade wood furniture and precious keepsakes even if they receive no direct contact with the elements. Often times, public storage facilities that offer shed-like storage units are significantly cheaper, but they provide no real protection for your things.

A common fear at many public storage facilities is that of theft, so make sure that the one you choose offers 24 hour, around the clock security. As more and more public storage companies fight against this perception, it may actually be difficult to find one that doesn’t have their own security, but make sure you ask specifically, never assume.

Public storage can be an economical way to keep your belongings close by, but not all facilities are created equal.