"First month free" is one of the most common promotions in self storage, and it's easy to see why it grabs attention. But the real question for anyone comparing storage costs across the Upper Valley, whether you're looking on the Vermont side or across the river in New Hampshire, is what that unit actually costs once the promotion runs out. Catamount Self Storage in Hartford, VT currently runs a similar deal, buy two months and get the third free, which makes for a useful case study in how promotional pricing compares to the real, ongoing rate.
How Promotional Pricing Actually Works
A promotion like "buy two months, get the third free" effectively discounts your first quarter of rent by about a third, but it doesn't change what you pay every month after that. If a unit normally rents for $150 a month, that promo brings your first three months down to roughly $300 total, an average of $100 a month for that initial stretch, but from month four onward, you're back to paying the full $150.
That's an important distinction from a flat "first month free" deal, which only discounts a single month and has less impact on your overall cost if you're renting for a year or more. Either way, the sticker price you see in an ad rarely reflects what you'll actually pay across a full lease term, which is exactly why comparing facilities on promo pricing alone can be misleading.
What Storage Costs Look Like Across the Upper Valley
Regional pricing data gives a useful baseline for comparison. In Vermont, published rates for a 10x10 unit commonly run in the $114 to $120 range per month, with climate-controlled units adding roughly 10 to 15 percent on top of that. Smaller 5x5 units typically start around $50 to $72 a month, while larger 10x20 units often land between $150 and $180.
Across the river in New Hampshire, storage prices tend to run somewhat higher overall, with small units commonly priced between $75 and $115 ...
Catamount Self Storage
August 10th, 2026
