Shoe boxes under the bed simply don’t seem to be appealing anymore. Now enter Lai Chi Kok, where after a storm storage choices abound like mushrooms. Bob down any major road and you will see signboards touting everything from “Brilliant Storage Limited” to “climate-controlled warehouses.” spoiled for choice? Probably. Overwhelming? Of course.
To cut right to the point, size counts. There is variation in every storage space. Some cram your boxes and you into narrow passageways like those of a house-of-mirrors carnival. Others allow you to spread out two bikes with room to stretch, porridge bowls, and ski equipment. Give much thought to what you are storing. Is the porcelain tea set Nana bought invisible to sunlight? Or remnants from last season’s market booth, still lychees smelling? various spaces, various demands.
Security is used like a slogan all around. Actually, what does that lock and key look like? Certain locations go all-in with fingerprint access along with cameras flashing around all sides. Others depend on the manager’s eagle eyes and decent old-fashioned padlocks. Pose unusual questions. At two in morning, who can stroll on your floor? Should the unit open, will you be alerted? If you call to find out about your golf clubs, do they really give a damn? Make this your dealbreaker if your sleeping improves knowing your stuff’s guarded like a dragon’s treasure.
Humidity finds fun with cardboard crates. It slips in, renders everything musty, and destroys family photo albums faster than you would believe. For a price, several businesses offer air conditioning or dehumidifiers. Worth it if your things shrivel at the sight of wetness. If you are organizing stacks of secret love notes or electronics, be careful.
Let’s talk money; nobody wants to pay for an arm and a leg only to store ancient comic books. Match monthly rates. If you pay for months ahead or move in before Tuesday, some sites offer discounts. Pay attention to deposit rules (read the fine print; it counts). What about picky insurance needs or hidden handling costs or “administration charges” that find their way in when least expected?
You can be surprised by communal areas. One area features lifts and trolleys; another only has stairs and a meager “good luck.” Some provide 24/7 access, hence insomniacs can move their boxes at 3 am. Are you going to be visiting often? If so, cover the access cost. If not, perhaps save your money and choose a place that locks down tightly at night.
Location: a term worn thin yet very necessary. A warehouse hidden behind an alley? You’ll curse every trip on a rainy day. Beside a MTR exit or with parking close by? Perfect. Think about congestion in the roads. Do you want to slide in and out without sweating buckets or weave across packed streets supporting a rickety lampstand?
Ask around here for a hint. Often the finest horror stories and secret suggestions come from neighbors. Thanks to the third-floor apartment, one friend’s antique clock escaped three floods. Another left in tears by unidentified sticky pools. Not flashy brochures, people remember events.
At Lai Chi Kok, space is gold. Choose so a storage method that fits your needs and that of your goods. It does not have to be elegant. just pragmatic. Only consistent. And perhaps, just perhaps, a little bit fun—because why shouldn’t keeping the jewels of your life be an experience all by itself?