Self storage can often be a convenient and cost effective way to store belongings and there are many reasons a person may consider using a Self Storage facility.
The most common reasons for using storage are:
- When moving house – you may find you need somewhere to temporarily store goods, particularly if dates don’t quite match up
- Renovating your home – storing your belongings while the renovations are done
- Traveling – A secure place to store belongings if you are travelling away from home for a long time
- De-cluttering – A place to keep valuable items if you are downsizing or de-cluttering your home.
- Nostalgia – Many people just can’t bring themselves to throw away un-used items for sentimental reasons, so they store them instead.
- University – students often use storage to store belongings while at University
What can’t I store?
Although self storage is very practical and convenient there are a few things you can’t store!
- People, animals or plants, you cannot live or sleep in a storage unit.
- Toxic waste
- Explosives and firearms
- Radioactive waste
- Food and decomposable items
- Cash and securities
- Illegal goods
Typical unit sizes & prices
Prices for storage units can vary hugely as there are many different sizes of storage available; here are the most common unit sizes and a typical price you would need to pay:
- 10sq ft – £5 per week
- 20sq ft – £10 per week
- 50 sq ft – £20 per week
- 100 sq ft – £30 per week
- 200sq ft – £60 per week
- 400sq ft (or larger if required) – bespoke pricing
There is normally a short notice period on self storage i.e. a week or two. But contracts can be for a week, month, a year or longer with discounts usually given for longer term contracts.
Helpful tips
Here are a few tips to help ensure you chose the right storage facility and get as much as possible for your money…
- Padlock – Take your own padlock, companies can charge a lot for a padlock onsite, so using your own means you can reuse it and save money
- Access – Do you need 24 hour access to your storage? If you don’t you could be paying more for a large company that offers 24 hour access – which you won’t use – check out smaller firms as they will be cheaper if this service isn’t offered!
- Research – You’d be surprised how much you can fit into a small unit, ask around for opinions, storage companies are normally happy to help with space enquiries
- Security – Do your research into the companies security before signing up – do they have a coded gate, passes, alarms on your locker and CCTV
- Look Around – Take a good look at the units before signing up; see if they are clean, light and water & damp free.
- Discounts – Storage companies will often give discounts for paying up front or signing up for a longer contract, think about taking advantage of this
- Free collection – larger companies may offer free van hire/ collection of your belongings.