Types of Storage Solutions

When you move home you may find that not all of your belongings will fit into your new property, and as a result, you may have to throw some things away, there is an alternative to disposing of your things however, you should consider storage solutions. Every area, even the SW2 area has some storage companies offering storage facilities to people like you.

There are two main types of storage solutions available to you:

1. Self-storage companies

Self-storage is becoming more used and more popular recently as it offers certain benefits over the storage solutions offered by storage companies. The main difference being that with a self-stoagr solution you are given the key to your storage area, you fill up your storage and lock it away, only you have the key and therefore only you have access to your things. To add to this self storage solutions are often cheaper than going to a storage company as there is less work involved for the self-storage company and so they can reduce their prices.

2. Storage companies

This storage facility will take control over your belongings, you will give your boxed up things to the company and they will place them into your storage space within their warehouse. This does mean that the staff from the storage company will have access to your things, which makes them less secure than if you were to store them with a self-storage company. Because there is more work involved for the storage company they often charge a little more than a self-storage company would, however, with this they are able to offer additional services and potentially more storage space. The additional services storage companies provide range from helping you to pack up your things, to transporting them to the storage facility for you, and even helping you to load and unload the removals van. All of these services will carry an extra charge for using, therefore you should consider how much you really need the help of the storage company.

You should do an internet search to find some storage facilities in your local area, and make a list of the ones available to you. You will need to call around these storage companies to get a quote from them and to ask them some questions about the storage and services that they offer, think of this as a mini-interview in which you want to understand how your things are going to be protected, how established and reputable the company is and what their quote includes. Try to get quotes from 5-10 different companies if you can. Here are some of the questions you should consider asking:

• Are you a member of ‘The Self -Storage Association’ or for storage companies the ‘The Storage Association’? Why aren’t they?
• What security measures is in place to protect me and my things? Who else can access my stuff, and when can they?
• When can I get into my storage space, and how often? If you can’t access your storage whenever you like, you should ask why this it.
• Do you have the amount of storage space that I need?
• What condition are the storage units kept in? Are these units cleaned regularly and do they look well maintained? Are the units damp and pest free?
• Are your entrance points easily accessible?
• What kind of insurance is included or can be offered?
• What am I paying for and are there likely to be any additional charges?