It is not the price that makes you look twice. It is the number of steps to go through before renting a storage unit in Hong Kong. Not impossible measures, just. rather than what you think you might do – read here to see recent information!
You do not simply walk in, point at a space and get your stuff into it.
The majority of destinations begin online. You shop sizes of units that are strangely abstract–square feet is no good until one is inside one. The first time I was mistaken. Reserved something too small, noticed that it was too small halfway during the packing stage, and had to upgrade even before trying to move a single box.
Surprisingly, that was not difficult.
Everything about it was a little annoying. ID checks, deposits, brief contract, occasionally insurances, that are added silently unless you direct otherwise. Nothing is hard but it accumulates. You walk in thinking that it will be 10 minutes and walk out an hour later.
Next there is access setup. Cards, PIN codes, even an app. One of these offered me three ways of entering, which was impressive until I forgot which of these I was supposed to go to the door.
The day of the move-in in itself is smooth or a bit chaotic.
In case the facility is contemporary, it is nearly too easy. Waiting trolleys, lifts that are hard at work. You begin to think why you got all stressed out about it. However, in old structures it is another matter. No space between people in the lift, all loaded at the same place, waiting around due to someone also moving furniture.
Renting storage in Hong Kong is not complex, meaning it is not difficult to comprehend. It is more of friction. Minor distractions that hold you back. A shape, a law, an item you did not happen to enquire.
Billing is one of the details that people do not pay attention to. Monthly charges are easy to understand, but the wheels do not necessarily go round as you move. You may even pay additional days which you did not intend to use. Not that great a loss, one of those unobtrusive expenses that creep up.
Then there is the process of exit. You would have assumed that it is easy to move out by just emptying the unit and going. Sometimes it is. There are instances when you must provide notice, surrender access cards, wait to receive deposits refunds. Nothing dramatic, but not instant either.
Once one reads it more than once, the process becomes a predictable one. A bit clumsy initially, but easy when you become used to the rhythm.
The biggest surprise? It is not as hard as it is expected. The concept of renting storage in Hong Kong is alright, but you do not sail through it as easily as you might think initially.