By Edita McQuary
“Self-storage is not a new concept. People have been storing things as far back as 2000 years ago,” says Joshua Nathan, manager of Capitola Self Storage. “Self-storage as we know it now really started taking off in the 1970s and is a business that has grown every year since. There’s more people with more stuff.”
According to Google, there are more than 48,500 storage units in the U.S.A; that’s over five square feet of storage for every person in the country! Nine percent of households use storage and it keeps growing.
“There are people who suddenly inherit antiques, furniture and china from parents or grandparents. These days, the kids aren’t interested in old-fashioned stuff so what do you do with it?” Nathan adds.
He explained other scenarios such as people simply not having room to store additional items, or they may have down-sized into a smaller dwelling. There may have been a divorce, job relocation or even an eviction necessitating storage of belongings.
“The mix of people and the reasons for storing are all over the map,” Nathan says.
He has been the manager of Capitola Self Storage since 2012. There are usually three full-time employees. The business is owned entirely by local shareholders, and it is reflected in how they do business.
It is not just a storage facility but also strives to be a community resource. The Capitola Museum stores their precious historical antiques and photographs. There’s even an antique popcorn machine in the office!
The facility is climate-controlled and has low humidity so your items remain in the same condition as when they were originally stored.
As you walk down the main corridor, historical photographs of Capitola from the 1800s and 1900s are displayed on the walls. Street signs displaying names of Capitola streets hanging along each row are a whimsical touch that allows for easy navigation to your storage unit.
They have a collection of old Begonia Festival posters and hope to soon display all 65 years of the posters. They have sponsored the Sand Castle Contest of the Begonia Festival and have supported many local charities through the years discounting or donating space to worthy local causes.
A three-section community bulletin board hangs on the wall in the main corridor for tenants’ use. They can put photos of their pets in one section, advertise their businesses in the middle one and post community events in the last section. It’s a great way to connect with the community and to find local professionals.
The staff is always happy to recommend local places, and discuss local events. We like to think of ourselves as “the concierge of Capitola,” said Nathan. “We know most of our customers by name.”
Capitola Self Storage just renewed its Monterey Bay Area Green Business Certification.
“The building is constructed entirely of metal and, of course, has sprinkler systems in each unit in the unlikely event a tenant’s belongings start a fire. We are converting the facility to LED lighting, we use only green cleaning supplies, even our toilet paper is made from recycled paper,” according to Nathan.
Each storage unit is individually alarmed, digital cameras and motion-sensitive lights all contribute to a safe and secure environment.
“We have not had a break-in in over nine years, and even local law enforcement tell us we have the safest and most secure storage facility in Santa Cruz. In fact, several Capitola Police officers have rented storage units over the years, and the Capitola Police Department has been provided with a 24-hour access code in the event they are ever needed inside the building,” says Nathan.
They log every alarm, and keep access records for the tenants. They can always print a report showing every time a tenant’s unit is opened, if their code was entered, or if there is an alarm event. The staff is vigilant; they want their guests to feel that their belongings are safe here.
They are very strict with their rules, which are posted in the office and on the corkboards. Access hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the spaces are only for storage. You will not see people taking naps, or have to listen to band practice!
According to Nathan, the most popular storage space sizes are 10’ x 10’ and 10’ x 15’ and there is a waiting list for these units. You can reserve a unit or make an appointment on their very efficient and easy-to-use website. The website also has packing and storage tips with unit visualization. You can actually see how much a certain size unit will hold.
The office sells packing supplies and boxes of all kinds, and high security disk locks for storage, of course.
So if you are thinking of de-cluttering or improving your home and want to keep your important items safe, give Josh and his staff a call, or just come on by Capitola Self Storage. They will do an excellent job for you!
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Capitola Self Storage is located at 809 Bay Ave., Suite H, in Capitola, south of Nob Hill Market. Telephone: (831) 465-0600. Gate hours of operation are: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. 7 days a week. Office hours are Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.