Are you looking for the BEST long term storage solution in London?
Storage costs, safety, insurance and more. You’ll find it ALL here.
So, if you want to find the best facility for your next long term storage, you need to read this guide.
Let’s get started.
Storing for more than 6 months?
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Section 1: What is Long Term Storage?
First, let me give you a bit of context regarding long term storage.
If you know what long term storage is already, you can skip this section.
Roughly speaking, there are two types of storage:
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- Short term storage,
- Long term storage.
Let me explain what long term storage is with a simple example.
For the sake of the example, let’s assume that you live with your wife in Chelsea London:
And, that you expect a new member in your family.
Thus, you need a storage solution to store items that take extra space.
How much space?
Well, let’s assume that they take no more than 12 sq. ft.:
The thing is that you don’t know when you’ll be able to get your items back.
It may be in one year; it may be in two.
Which means that you need a long term solution.
Because, when your new member comes in life, you’d want to have every inch of space available.
After all, it’s your comfort that matters.
This is a typical example of long term storage, that covers a particular need:
The need for extra space, for an extended period.
So, I guess that this answers your question:
“What is long term storage.”
Now, let’s see how much your long term storage will cost you.
Section 2: Long Term Storage Cost
Assuming that you need a 12 sq. ft. closet space—and since you are storing for more than six months—the cost will be:
This means that for a full year (365 days) of storing with bySTORED, you will pay £631.45.
Other options you can consider are:
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- 25 sq. ft. studio flat
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- 50 sq. ft. 1 bed flat
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- 75 sq. ft. 2 bed flat
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- 100 sq. ft. 2 bed flat
- 150 sq. ft. 2 bed flat
And, here is the cost for each one of those options.
For a 25 sq. ft. studio flat, the cost will be:
This means that for a full year (365 days) of storing with bySTORED, you will pay £1,087.70.
For a 50 sq. ft. 1 bed flat, the cost will be:
This means that for a full year (365 days) of storing with bySTORED, you will pay £1,817.70.
For a 75 sq. ft. 2 bed flat, the cost will be:
This means that for a full year (365 days) of storing with bySTORED, you will pay £2,638.95.
For a 100 sq. ft. 2 bed flat, the cost will be:
This means that for a full year (365 days) of storing with bySTORED, you will pay £3,460.20.
For a 150 sq. ft. 2 bed flat—or a bigger storage unit—you can contact us here.
Now, let’s compare bySTORED prices with three well-known storage solutions in London.
As I mentioned earlier, a 12 sq. ft. closet space will cost you £1.73 per day.
What will you pay if you choose another storage solution?
Note:
Rates are post promotion, correct as at 27th June 2018 & based on SW6 postcode
† Estimated 20 needed per 25 sq. ft.
‡ Based on 1 day zip van hire
Section 3: Long Term Storage Insurance
bySTORED offers a £500 standard liability insurance for all people who store with us:
This is very important because other storage companies either charge you for that or take no responsibility for your stuff.
There is no doubt that your stuff should be insured while in storage.
Even though most storage facilities are safe, still there may be damages either while in storage or between moves.
I highly recommend that you check the insurance policy of the companies that you’ve shortlisted.
You can do that by searching on Google with something like:
Or:
This will pop-up the insurance policy of the company that you think to hire.
And, trust me, it’s important to know the insurance policy of the storage company that you are going to hire, especially if you need long term storage.
Section 4: What to Pay Attention to
1) The storage facility has to be as close to you as possible
This one is important.
Why?
Because you are going to pay your moving company based on the distance between your current location and the storage facility.
And, you want to avoid a long distance move.
In London, most companies charge £55 to £65 per hour for one man.
Which means that the longer the distance, the more expensive the move.
Thus, you want to check the distance between your location and the storage facility.
2) The storage facility has to be secure
This one is self-explanatory.
The storage facility you are going to use has to be secure.
Now, depending on your needs, you may be storing in:
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- Storage containers (or portable storage containers)
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- Storage units
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- Storage boxes
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- Portable storage units
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- Storage pod
- But, regardless if you’ve chosen a storage pod or a storage unit, you have to be sure that your items will be secure.
And, yes, a simple storage locker is not enough.
For example, at bySTORED, we offer 24/7 surveillance in our London warehouse:
This means that your items are safe.
So, make sure to check the company’s security policy, before deciding to store with them.
3) Check the charges (especially the hidden ones)
Keep in mind that some companies won’t charge you for returning the items back to you.
All in all, things you should pay attention to when it comes to long term storage costs, are:
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- How many of sq. ft. does the price quote include
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- What is the price per crate or per box
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- What is the price of the van hire
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- How much does the insurance cost
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- What is the price of the padlock
- What is the cost of the fuel
For example, here are the differences between bySTORED and other well-known moving and storage solutions:
As you can see, you need to know everything about costs because there are companies that will charge you even for a padlock.
And, it is essential that the company is clear as to what their pricing policy is.
4) Keep in mind that you may have to upgrade to a bigger storage unit
It is pretty common for people who are storing with us to upgrade to a bigger storage unit after a short period.
The needs of our clients are always changing, so someone who chose a 12 sq. ft. closet space, in the beginning, may want to switch to a 25 sq. ft. 1 bed flat after a while.
Thus, I highly recommend that you ask if there is a switching cost when upgrading to a bigger storage unit before you choose a storage company.
Section 5: Before you Go!
If you want to find the perfect storage unit for your needs, you can use our Storage Estimator:
And, to see our pricing, you have to visit our Pricing Page.
If you have any other questions regarding long term storage, make sure to leave a comment below, or contact us at 020 3637 1234.
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