Seasonal storage in Marquette, MI, both directions.
Here the year splits cleanly in two, and so does everything you own. Half of it is in the way for six months at a time. STOVA takes whichever half is dormant, stores it climate-controlled, and brings it back when the season turns.
The Upper Peninsula owns two wardrobes
From November the garage belongs to snow gear: boots, helmets, base layers, the parkas that make February survivable, and the shovels and salt that live by the door. Everything else gets pushed to the back wall and stays there.
Then the snow goes and it inverts. The camping gear, the bikes, the life jackets and the patio cushions all need the space that the winter kit is still occupying — so most households spend the summer walking around gear they will not touch until Thanksgiving.
A swap, not a one-way trip
Seasonal storage only works if getting things back is easy, which is where a rented unit falls down: the swap means two drives, a truck, and an afternoon. Here you request the totes for the season that is starting, and the ones for the season that just ended go back on the same service day.
Because you are billed for the totes actually in storage rather than for a space, a household that stores six totes in summer and four in winter pays for six and then four. Nothing is wasted on an empty half of a unit.
Why an attic or a garage is the wrong place
Off-season belongings sit untouched for months, which is exactly the condition in which slow damage goes unnoticed. An unheated garage on this side of the lake swings from well below freezing to warm and humid, and holiday decorations, fabric and paper all pay for it.
Everything we store is kept climate-controlled and logged tote by tote, so the box of ornaments that goes away in January comes back in November in the state it left.
What people rotate through storage
- Winter coats, boots, base layers and gloves
- Holiday decorations and ornaments
- Camping and hiking gear
- Patio cushions and summer textiles
- Life jackets and water gear
- Off-season clothing and bedding
Common questions
- When should I swap winter gear for summer gear?
- Most people do it twice: once the snow is genuinely done, and again before the first real freeze. You do not have to guess the date — request the totes you want back and send the others in on the same service day, so the swap happens in one visit.
- Can I send some totes back and keep others in storage?
- Yes. Totes are tracked individually, so you can request the two with your camping gear and leave the rest where they are. Your bill follows what is actually in storage, so a seasonal swap changes the cost automatically.
- Do skis and snowboards fit?
- Skis, boards and poles do not fit in a tote — those need a different solution. What we handle is everything around them: boots, helmets, base layers, gloves, goggles, and the bulky outerwear that takes up most of the closet.
- Is it worth storing holiday decorations?
- It is the most common seasonal use we see, because decorations are bulky, fragile and needed for a few weeks a year. Climate control matters here more than people expect — paper, fabric and old glass ornaments all suffer in an unheated attic.
Ready when you are.
We currently run in Marquette. Check your ZIP code and we will tell you straight away.
Keep reading: Why climate control matters · What it costs · Compared with a storage unit