In foresight of the holiday season every year, Lake County self-storage proprietor John Galgoczy adjusts his schedule to accommodate the rush.

Christmas decorations play a major part in the storage business. “As is the nature of any holiday decorations, they’re only used once a year and take up space the rest of the time,” said Galgoczy.

As residents begin to prepare for the holidays, they access storage for their decorations. “The biggest thing is Christmas trees. After Thanksgiving, we have a major rush for the trees all at once. Foot traffic makes the place crazy,” said Galgoczy.

Tina Maldren, wife of the owner, said “Sometimes husbands get into fights with their wives and end up moving stuff into their mini-storage.”

In order to accommodate the extra traffic, Galgoczy tightens up security. Galgoczy said, “I change the entrance codes at the end of each month. I check the cameras every week to look for any funny stuff.”

Any problems with security generally lead to even more problems. If a renter runs into legal trouble, the police may search their unit, causing a major blockage in the lot. By raising security, Galgoczy hopes to avoid these problems.

In the event that two renters begin to fight, the police may get involved. “About two years ago, we had two people drop their stuff and get in a fight over who owned what. The police were called and I had to shut the place down for the day. There were a lot of unhappy renters that day,” said Galgoczy.

Regular customers are able to access their units fourteen hours daily, but for an extra charge, they can obtain 24 hour access. The price helps to pay for extra running costs like lighting and gate operation, as well as extra maintenance and security according to Galgoczy.

Galgoczy also said litter is a big problem with usage. Oftentimes, renters drop small things while they’re carrying stuff. A weekly cleanup is necessary during the holiday season in order to keep the lot clean.

In order to maintain peace and safety on the lot, Galgoczy must devote more time to it. “I spend an extra four or five hours each week in November and December going over footage and checking locks,” said Galgoczy. “In the end though, December is the most profitable month.”

The end of the holiday season usually brings about new business as well. “After Christmas, people just realize they have too much stuff and decide to get a unit. We always make sure we have the keys to the open units ready,” said Maldren.