Most people who are interested in attending local storage unit auctions are quite familiar with how the whole process works, thanks in large part to reality TV programs that depict these events across the country. Affordable Storage Fall River has put on a couple of these special auctions throughout the year and has gotten quite a surprisingly large turnout. In order to make sure that you get the best possible deal and bid appropriately on each of the Fall River storage units that are available, one of the best storage auction tips to learn is how to properly assess the unit to estimate its worth.
Before the bidding process even begins, the people who attend these events are given the opportunity to look at the storage unit. In most cases, you will not be allowed to step inside the unit, touch anything, move anything or get within a certain distance from the unit. In fact, some areas prohibit such behavior at storage unit auctions via state laws, so it is important to find out the rules, guidelines and legal limitations before you do anything that could get you into trouble.
What Is It Worth?
That is the million dollar question when storage unit auctions are involved. In many cases, you might only have less than a minute to look at the things that are inside of the Fall River storage units before the auctioneer moves the crowd along to begin the bidding. You will need to hone your skills so you will be able to effectively estimate in just a glance to avoid making a costly mistake. While you won’t always hit the jackpot with every single purchase, the more you attend storage unit auctions and practice these storage auction tips, the better your results will be.
Things that you should take time to study and learn more about include:
- antiques
- electronics
- collectible items
- sports equipment
- modern furniture
- music memorabilia
- tools and parts
In some cases, you might be able to snap a photo of an item and send it to an expert or search for something online via your smartphone or another type of mobile device, but you don’t want to count on that being able to happen. The more you can learn about the common types of items found inside of storage unit auctions and the value that they hold, the more likely you will be to bid effectively and make a profit.
INSIDER’S TIP – Many of the storage facilities where these storage unit auctions are held are usually found in remote locations, industrial areas or small towns. What this means is that you might not have a good cell signal or access to a Wi-Fi connection to use your mobile devices.
How Will You Sell It?
Most of the people who visit Affordable Storage Fall River and other facilities to attend storage unit auctions have brick and mortar stores or online shops that they use to sell the things they find. High value finds can be sold individually online or placed into a specialty auction for collectors in order to fetch the best price. Bidders who run an antique, consignment or other type of resale business often have an advantage in that they work with many of these items on a daily basis and can easily spot something that is of value.
INSIDER’S TIP: Don’t be afraid of a little dust. A unit that is neat but is coated in a layer of dust could simply indicate that the person has not visited the Fall River storage units in a long time. It might just reveal that the unit was forgotten for many months or years before pre-payment ran out and it went to storage unit auctions.
In fact, many of these shop owners are very experienced bidders and will only bid on units where they can see something of value. They are not typically those who participate in what is known as “blind bidding” in the storage unit auctions business. Blind bidding is when a storage is filled with bins, boxes or other types of storage containers and the objects inside cannot be seen. Other examples of blind bidding include Fall River storage units that have so much stuff inside of them that you can’t see to the back of the space.
Seeing the Unseen Value at Auction
Learning how to look for signs of value that might give you a hint as to what is hiding inside can help you to gain an advantage, even over these experienced and professional bidders. There are a few storage auction tips that you can use at the next event held at Affordable Storage Fall River to ensure that you make off with a great deal.
- Organization – A unit that is well-organized can be a sign that there are items of value hiding inside. If everything is in a box or bin and those containers are stacked neatly, that shows that someone cared about the items that are inside.
- Cleanliness – A unit that is clean and neat is also a sign that there is something valuable stored there. Even if the things are just placed in there without being inside of boxes or bins, a clean and neat storage is another sign of caring about what is inside.
- Type of Containers – One of the more useful storage auction tips is to consider the type of containers that are being used inside of the Fall River storage units to store the person’s belongings. Many veterans swear that liquor boxes – either cardboard or wooden – are usually a sign that valuables are hiding inside. Paid for boxes, such as plastic bins, wooden crates and boxes that appear to be brand new and purchased just for the purpose of storage are also indicative of value.
How to Attend Affordable Storage Fall River Storage Unit Auctions
To find out about all of our storage unit auctions to be held at the Fall River storage units, give us a call at 508-675-1177 or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/AffordableStorageFallRiver to get updates. We are conveniently located on Lawton Street in Fall River, Massachusetts and serve customers for our storage unit rentals and Penske Truck rentals throughout the South Coast area.