When the time comes to rent a storage unit, you'll have two basic options from which to choose. You can go with a standard garage-style storage unit, or you can pay a little more for climate controlled storage units. Garage units have their place for storing things like lawn mowers and patio furniture, but if you're storing anything you'd typically keep inside your home, there are a few reasons why climate controlled storage is a better choice.

1. You don't have to worry about mold.

When you think of climate control, you may first think about maintaining a consistent temperature. But moisture levels are also held near-constant inside climate-controlled storage units. This means there won't be too much moisture in the air, so you don't have to worry about soft materials like furniture and clothing absorbing moisture and then starting to mold. Mold is neither attractive nor healthy, so you'd probably throw moldy items away. Climate control prevents this waste.

2. Leather won't dry out and crack.

When it comes to leather, you can have the opposite problem in a garage-style unit. If the space is too dry, the leather might crack -- and there's really no way to repair cracked leather. In climate control, your leather will neither mold nor crack, which is good news since leather items can be pretty expensive to replace.

3. There should be fewer bugs.

Granted there are some very clean non-climate-controlled storage facilities where bugs are not an issue. However, the likelihood of bugs is always higher when the moisture level in the air gets too high. In a climate controlled unit, not only will the constant humidity level keep bugs from invading, the unit will also be better sealed (to prevent wasting heat), so there will be fewer cracks and crevices through which bugs can enter. At the rate moths and beetles can eat fabric, fewer bugs are definitely desirable!

4. You can store household chemicals and cosmetics.

Read the label of your dish washing liquid, hand soap, and even your makeup. Chances are, the labels will say the item needs to be stored under certain temperature conditions. These items might be ruined if you store them without climate control. But in a climate controlled unit, you can stash them away and be confident they'll be in good shape when you pull them out again. This can reduce the amount you have to spend on replacement products.