Self storage tips for families travelling abroad this summer

Are you planning to travel overseas this summer? Perhaps you’re visiting family, taking an extended holiday or having a few weeks travelling with your children further afield. Before you go, have you considered whether you need to store your belongings while you’re away?

Most of us like to leave a tidy house behind when heading off on holiday. There’s nothing worse than coming home from a fabulous time away only to come home to dirty dishes, piles of laundry or the floor in need of a hoover. If you’re going away for a longer break, factor in some time to clean and tidy as usual, and take a bit of extra time to look into self storage for your belongings.

Here are our tips on how to use self storage this summer when travelling abroad with your family, so that you can relax knowing that everything is safe and sound.

1. Assess what you might need to store

Hopefully, nothing bad will happen while you’re away, but the risks of leaving your home unattended for a long period are theft, or damage caused by fire or flood. If your house will be occupied while you’re away (perhaps by pet sitters, or if you’re letting out your home while you’re away), there is the risk of damage or loss caused by your guests.

Go room to room and make a list of items that would be costly to replace if lost, stolen or damaged. Typically, these would be:

• Valuables
• Electronic items such as laptops, PCs, games consoles
• Fragile furniture (such as glass-top tables, antique furniture)
• Important documents

A top tip while doing this inventory is to take photographs of your rooms (including inside cupboards and drawers) so that if you ever need to make a claim on your home insurance you can prove what you owned.

2. Declutter as you pack

While you’re doing this inventory, you could also add seasonal items to your list, such as Christmas decorations, winter clothes / bedding, and winter sports gear if you’re thinking of using your self storage unit for the longer term. 

This is a great way to declutter your home and will make your house feel much larger and better organised when you return.

You can also declutter other belongings that can be given to charity, sold or recycled:

• Toys, activities and clothing that your children have outgrown, 
• Kitchen equipment you don’t use, 
• Old bills and paperwork (to safely dispose of anything confidential, either use a cross shredder or soak the paperwork in water, squeeze into balls and allow to dry).

The less clutter there is, the easier it will be to pack and the more usable space you’ll have at home to return to after your holiday!

3. Choose the right size storage unit

Once you’ve got a list of what you want to store, have a look at our self storage unit size guides - we have handy video guides and descriptions to help you visualise how much you could store in each of our locker and self storage unit sizes. If you need more help, please get in touch and one of our experienced team can help you to decide which size of unit is best for what you want to store.

It’s important to choose a unit with enough space to store everything without it being cramped (and risk damaging your belongings), without paying for more space than you really need. You can change your unit size easily with us, if you later find that you want to store more belongings (so need a larger unit), or want to leave some belongings in self storage after your holiday (so can move into a smaller unit at a lower cost).

4. Organise everything to be stored

Use clear plastic boxes with lids that will stack well inside your self storage unit, and add clear, descriptive labels for good measure. It’s a good idea to use separate boxes for the belongings of each family member so that it’s easier to unpack your unit later.

You can use shelves in your self storage unit to make the most of the vertical space, and clothing or bedding will take up less space if you pack them into vacuum storage bags.

Keep a list of what you’re storing, and / or take photos of the contents of each box for reference later so that you know which boxes to retrieve from your self storage units first, and which you might decide to leave in for longer.

When loading your self storage unit, put heavier items at the bottom and delicate or light boxes at the top. If furniture can be dismantled, do so to save space. You can wrap delicate items in blankets or towels, and ideally you should leave a path down the middle of your unit so that you can access everything easily.

5. Check your insurance policies

Before you head off, check that your home insurance policy covers your house and contents even if you are away for long periods. Some policies will be void if your home is unoccupied for more than 30 days. If necessary, pay to upgrade your cover to ensure that anything left at home will be covered by insurance should the worst happen.

We always strongly recommend taking out insurance for the contents of your self storage unit. We can arrange a policy for you or you can arrange your own cover, it’s up to you - just make sure that the amount you insure for would cover the cost of replacing everything new for old.

Your self storage unit with us can only be accessed by you. Our stores are covered by CCTV, and systems to protect against fire, pests and theft. Your belongings in your storage unit will be as safe as they can be, but we always still recommend insurance “just in case.”

6. Book your unit in advance

Summer is peak storage season: our stores closest to universities fill up quickly as students store their belongings over the long holidays, and stores close to airports and railway stations fill up with customers using our storage units as left luggage options.

If you decide that a self storage unit would be useful while you’re away, you can reserve a unit online anytime, or by getting in touch during our extensive opening hours. There’s no deposit to pay.

Can we help?

If you need some advice on self storage unit sizes or help with booking, or would like to find an available self storage unit near you within your budget, please give us a ring or send us a message and we’ll get back to you. You can find lots of helpful information on our website, and you can reserve a unit online if you choose.

Once you’ve moved your belongings into your unit you can relax and look forward to your holidays knowing that your home will be clean, tidy and clutter free when you come home, and all your belongings will be safe and sound. Safe travels!