Self storage units come in a wide range of sizes, from lockers to large rooms, and people use them for all sorts of reasons. If you’ve never used
self storage before, you might not realise just how versatile and useful that extra space can be! Here are just 8 reasons why you might choose to rent a self storage unit.
1. Moving house
If you’re moving house, there might be a gap between leaving your old house and moving into your new home. Perhaps you’ve secured a buyer for your property and you don’t want to lose the sale just because your new house isn’t ready yet; or maybe you need to carry out some work on your new property before you move in.
All your household contents, furniture and furnishings can be kept safely in a self storage unit for as long as you need. Your removals company could take your contents directly to your unit and unload them into your storage room (many units have drive-up room access and loading bays available).
The size of unit you’ll need will depend on how much you need to store. As a rough guide, the contents of a one-bedroomed flat would fit into a 3m2 unit; a large two-bedroom house would fit into a 10m2 unit; and 12m2 would comfortably accommodate the entire contents of a large family home and shed.
2. Downsizing
If your children have flown the nest and you’re ready to move to a smaller home, or you need to downsize for financial reasons, you may find you have more furniture than will fit into your new home.
You could sell, gift or donate your excess household contents, but if you have items such as spare beds, wardrobes and sofas/tables, you could store them in your self storage unit for future use by family members, or for when you move back to a larger property.
3. Business stock and equipment
Traditional warehouse storage for business stock, tools and equipment usually comes with a lengthy commercial contract, which may not be flexible enough for your business. Renting a storage unit in which to keep your tools, equipment, stock and archives is an affordable, versatile alternative. Rental periods are much shorter, so if you need more or less space, you can easily switch to a larger or smaller unit at the end of your existing contract.
4. Divorce/separation
If you’ve separated from your partner or spouse, you may have to rent a small property for an interim period whilst you and your ex agree the terms of your separation/divorce. Many people simply leave all of the household contents behind because of a lack of space in their new, temporary property, and then have to buy new items to furnish the house they eventually settle in. It can be much cheaper to rent a self storage unit to store your share of the household contents until you have space for them in your long-term property.
5. House renovation/redecoration
No matter how tidy and careful you are, if you’re having work carried out on your property or doing some DIY, there’s a good chance your belongings will get covered in dust or paint, or otherwise damaged in the process. It’s also really hard work to decorate or carry out renovations when you have to work around large items of furniture!
Use your self storage unit to store your furniture and soft furnishings in a clean, dry environment until the work is complete.
6. Online retail storage
If you’re an online retailer, you have the luxury of not having to pay commercial rent, taxes or rates to run a physical shop. You still need somewhere to store your stock, though, and if your business has outgrown your ability to run it from your home then a self storage unit can make a great base. You can use it to store your stock, and can also set up a packaging area to make sure your goods get sent to your customers without delay.
7. Student storage
If you’re studying away from home but return home for the holidays, you may feel uncomfortable leaving all your belongings behind in your student digs. Sadly, burglaries of student accommodation are much more common during the holidays precisely because thieves know that those properties are likely to be empty for several weeks at a time. To keep your belongings safe without having to take everything home and squeeze them into your parents’ home, you can rent a self storage unit (a 1m2 locker should be fine) until you’re ready to go back to university.
8. Seasonal items
Belongings such as Christmas decorations, sports equipment or camping gear can take up a lot of room at home, and can easily become damaged if they’re crammed into a cupboard or loft. Self storage units are great for these items because you can leave them there for several weeks or months and retrieve them whenever you need them.
You can store all sorts of things in a self storage unit. If you don’t have enough storage space at home or work, a self storage unit provides a secure, clean and dry space for you to use for however long you need. You could treat your self storage unit as a mini extension of your home - somewhere to store everything that won’t fit comfortably at home or work - for far less than it would cost to move into a larger property.