Renting a self storage unit is a great idea if you don’t have enough storage space at home or business premises, or if you’re a student and need to store your stuff over the holidays.
For some, especially those on a limited income or living where space comes at a premium in the cities, it can be a viable alternative to paying for a larger property. You might only be able to get a mortgage for a small house, but with careful budgeting you could afford to rent a storage unit to give you that extra square footage you need for the rest of your stuff.
If money is tight, but you need the extra space, here are some tips for finding self storage on a budget.
1. Rent the smallest unit you can
Storage unit prices depend on a number of factors, but it’s always the case that the larger the unit you choose, the greater the cost will be.
Firstly, take stock of exactly what you’ll need to store. Can you make it more compact? If you have a chest of drawers, for instance, can you fill the drawers with some of the other stuff you need to store, such as bedding or books? Think about how your things could be stacked or reduced in size - could they be dismantled and stored flat or propped up on an edge?
Storage units have plenty of vertical space that is often wasted - think of ways you could use shelves or other items of
furniture to make the most of the space at the top of the unit.
It can be really difficult to visualise how much space you’ll need for your belongings or stock - how many of us really know what 25 sq ft looks like, anyway? Unless you have prior experience of using a self storage unit, you’ll need a way to figure out how large each unit size really is in practical terms, and then work out how much stuff you can fit in it.
So, once you have a good idea of how much you need to store, have a look at our descriptions and
walk through videos of each size of unit we offer. That might be all you need to do, but if you need a bit more guidance then give us a call and speak with someone who has experience of how much will fit into what size of unit. Tell us what you’re planning to store, and we’ll give you our honest advice on how large a unit you’ll need.
If you’re likely to need more space at certain times of the year than others (e.g. if you’re storing business stock that fluctuates with demand), plan ahead to increase or decrease the size of your unit so you always have enough room but never have to pay for more than you really need.
2. Be flexible in your location
Storage unit prices are also affected by where they’re located. Stores in areas of high demand, close to city centres or populated areas, cost more to run so they tend to cost more to use.
Get quotes for stores in your area and a little further afield. The most efficient way to do this is to call us and ask our friendly team to help you find the cheapest available option. We’d never pressure you to reserve a unit, we would simply help you to make an informed decision with no obligation to rent a unit with us.
3. Share a unit
Travelling to a cheaper store might not be an option because:
- you might need a store that’s close to your home or business, because you’re planning to store items that you’ll need to take in and out of your unit fairly regularly, or
- you don’t have easy access to a car and need a store that’s a single bus journey away.
If you can’t travel to a cheaper unit, could you consider sharing a unit with someone? A neighbour, perhaps, or a fellow student?
Our units are secured with a padlock that you buy or provide. If you choose to share your unit with a friend or family member, you could simply ensure that they have a spare key to the padlock.
4. Stay for longer
You might need your unit for:
- a few days/weeks (e.g. when moving house, to cover a gap between selling your old house and moving into your new home),
- a few weeks/months (e.g. for seasonal items like camping gear, sports equipment or Christmas decorations that you don’t use most of the time) or
- a few years (e.g. for business stock, or general household storage as a cheaper alternative to buying a larger house).
You can rent a storage unit with us for a couple of weeks at a time, but if you know that you’ll need it for longer then why not take advantage of our long-term discounts for self storage? If you’re a new customer and know you’re going to stay for at least 2 weeks, you can have 50% off the price of your unit for up to 8 weeks.
5. Find discounts on self storage units
It’s always worth asking, or even just looking at the terms and conditions for self storage discounts.
We offer a range of discounts, including:
- 50% discount for the first 8 weeks for new customers or students who stay for at least 2 weeks,
- 10% discount for Emergency Services, Armed Forces and NHS staff.
Special offers can differ between stores and some stores may offer additional discounts or preferential rates. It’s always worth calling us to find out what’s available in your chosen area
6. Save money on packaging
You don’t need to buy special packing boxes. There are plenty of places where you can get
free cardboard boxes and you can use spare bed sheets or towels to keep your belongings protected against breakage and free from dust.
7. Shop around for insurance/protection
Whilst it’s unlikely that anything untoward would happen to your belongings when they’re in storage, it’s always recommended that you take out adequate contents insurance to cover the value of what you’re storing. We offer StoreProtect, our insurance alternative, but you're not obligated to choose it from us and can shop around to find the best quote for your circumstances.
8. Check notice periods
If you want to empty your unit and end your contract, it’s important that you give the correct amount of notice before doing so (we ask for 14 days) or you’ll end up having to pay for your unit even if you’re no longer using it.
By keeping your self storage costs to a minimum using these tips, hopefully you’ll be able to find a unit that fits your budget. Your belongings will be kept secure, clean and dry and out from under your feet!