Why Do People Even Use Self-Storage?

Self-Storage is one of the fastest growing industries in the UK. People are accumulating more and more belongings while space is becoming more-and more expensive. There are now over 1,500 self storage sites across the country, yet 60% of people couldn’t name a single storage company. Research shows that 39% of self-storage customers are moving house and a large majority of the rest use self-storage for business. Many people don’t realise the endless possibilities of renting a storage unit. Below are some examples of when a storage unit could make your life much easier.

 

1. Changing Seasons

As the seasons change so do the contents of your house. Over the Christmas period you may have accumulated a wide variety of decorative items from trees to inflatable santas. Likewise, over summer you may have impulse bought a new patio furniture set  or even a paddling pool on the one and only hot day of the year. Instead of shoving this in the garden shed, self-storage ensures your seasonal items are safe and ready to use the next year.

 

 

 

2. Travelling For An Extended Period

No one who has gone away to ‘find themself’ wants to find themself in a pool of debt. With rent becoming increasingly expensive it can be more cost effective to put your items into storage rather than to pay rent (not to mention bills) if you’re going away for an extended period of time. Storage will give you peace of mind that while you’re away your belongings are safe, leaving you to enjoy travelling!

 

 

 

3. Getting Married

Getting married is the biggest day of many people’s adult lives. It is also an event that requires a great deal of stuff from invites, to decorations, to outfits. The sheer amount of extra stuff may not fit into your house or the clutter may simply cause extra unnecessary stress. Instead of leaving it lying around a good idea may be to put it in storage. This way everything will be organised in one place making the planning process painless.

 

 

 

4. Having A Baby

An extra person requires extra space (even if that person is incredibly small). Storage can provide a quick solution for the clutter you have lying around the house to make room for essential baby items e.g cots and highchairs. You may also wish to store any potentially dangerous items, such as tools,  to keep your baby out of harm’s way

 

Storage allows you to store items for as long as you want allowing you to hold on items from you pre-parenting days that you can’t bear to part with.

 

5. Getting Divorced

According to the Self Storage Association the most common reasons for using self-storage are significant life events, unfortunately not all of these may be happy. Storage can help if you need to move your belongings out at short notice. Making a difficult situation a little bit easier. 

 

6. Having A Makeover

In life, three things are inevitable; death,  taxes and becoming bored of your appearance for no apparent reason. Instead of impulsively chucking out all of your clothes, shoes and other accessories it could be a sensible move to temporarily keep your old possessions in storage. Just in case you realise being an emo isn’t really for you, as your favourite colour has always been pink and  you simply can’t hide your love for Harry Styles. 

 

 

7. New Hobby

Starting a hobby can be a great way to fill your time and make new friends. Some hobby’s however may require bulky equipment. If it is your life’s dream to become an expert in fencing but don’t have a sword shaped space in your house, self storage could be the ideal solution.

 

 

 

 

8. Big Collection

People will collect just about anything. From garden gnomes, to vacuum cleaners, to creepy (definitely possessed) dolls. If your collection has grown to the point where it will no longer fit in your house,you might feel inclined to stop. But why limit yourself? Self-storage can provide an ideal storage solution for your collection. Short term contracts mean that you can move to bigger and bigger units as the collection grows. You can even add shelving to showcase your collection the way it deserves to be showcased. 

 

9. Storing A Caravan

With a caravan the world is your oyster. No longer do you have to fork out for expensive hotels as you can stay the night anywhere you can find a parking space! There is however the issue of where to keep it once you get back home. You may not feel comfortable leaving it out on the street and the garage may not be an option – so storage could be the perfect solution! With storage units coming in all shapes and sizes, one is bound to be the perfect fit for your prized possession.

 

 

10. Keeping Sentimental Items

Over the course of a lifetime the number of sentimental items you own can easily build up. Looking at old baby clothes previously worn by your children or at souvenirs from holidays can be special but it’s not something you do everyday. These items, despite being priceless, will only be appreciated every so often and take up valuable space. Storage allows you to keep hold of items to look back on without resenting them cluttering up your house!

This is just 10 examples but the list really is endless – self-storage can be with you at every stage of your life. Many people only see the value of storage once they have tried it and decide to keep their unit much longer than anticipated so it’s well worth giving it a try. 

 

Why would you choose to use a storage unit?