House Removal Storage Costs: A Guide
October 3, 2018
There’s no doubt that a typical moving day can be a tricky event to organise. As well as hiring a good-quality removal company, you must book time off work, arrange your new property’s energy, water and broadband providers and declutter your home.
However, even with all the planning in the world, you can still make mistakes. For example, you might arrive at your new home only to find that you need access to it, or you may need to move your belongings before moving. When you do not have a new property to store your belongings in, renting space with a professional storage company is usually best.
Why hire a professional storage company?
A storage company can keep your belongings completely secure, whether it is just overnight during a long distance home removal or for several days, weeks, months or years. They will be able to provide an environment with impressive security equipment, as well as fire safety measures and insurance policies to protect your items.
You can use a storage company for almost anything. Everything from clothes to furniture can be kept safe, though you will usually need to provide the packaging required to keep everything in good condition (however most offer packing services).
It can be particularly useful to store furniture before a move. Bulkier items can take a great deal of care and manpower to pack, which could slow your moving day down. In cases when your removal companies have to deal with several flights of stairs, poor packing or a lack of access to your new property, delays could end up dragging out your schedule and leaving you with higher fees to pay.
It is also worth keeping in mind how difficult it can be for removal companies to deal with valuable, heavy or fragile items on the moving day itself. In some cases, they may need to hire specialist equipment, additional manpower or even extended insurance policies in order to pack and transport everything successfully. For the sake of saving time, it can be a good idea to pack these items in advance and leave them in storage until you have a space in your schedule to bring them to your new home.
Choosing a storage company
Unfortunately, not all firms provide the same quotes or range of storage services. If you do not collect prices from enough different candidates, you may risk spending more than you need to. Worse yet, if you make a decision based on price alone, you may risk the safety of your belongings with an inferior service
At this point, you may be wondering exactly how much it costs to use a storage company. In most cases, hiring storage units in a facility for a month will cost around £120 per month, while a weekly service will cost £30.
If you are using a removal company who is experienced in organising jobs in your local area, they should be able to recommend a storage firm. Failing that, you should be able to use a price comparison website to compare your options, though it can still be worth contacting local companies, as they may not be included in tools that focus on the largest candidates.
Most providers will also have websites or social media pages with their prices listed, so it can be a good idea to check them just in case the information on your price comparison tool is out of date. Once you have collected at least three different quotes, it is a good idea to look at the customer reviews for each of your candidates. Remember, you are looking for a storage option which not only offers a fair price, but can also be relied on to provide a high level of service and make things as easy as possible for you on your moving day.
You may be tempted to simply go with the largest candidate available in your area, but this is not always a good idea. Nationwide storage providers typically have to deal with higher overheads, which can mean more expensive storage costs for customers. As long as you check the rates available with enough local providers, you should not need to worry about wasting money.
In most cases, the best candidates will be able to provide:
- CCTV
- Fire alarms
- Padlocks for each unit
- Smoke detectors
- Security fences
- 24/7 guards
When agreeing to a storage company, be sure to check the conditions for picking up your belongings. Certain providers may have limited opening times. Most, for example, will close early on weekends, so you will need to consider this carefully when planning your move.
Storage for moving overseas
Storage is definitely worth considering if you are planning to move to Europe or any other overseas destination. In many cases, these moves will be temporary, and the additional costs of moving all of your belongings via boat or plane will simply not be worth it. Instead, why not take exactly what you need and leave everything else in a secure location for when you eventually return?
In the event that you are moving overseas, your storage provider may even be willing to pick up your belongings from your current home. This will naturally save you a great deal of time and effort, but it is still worth being cautious. If your storage provider does not have the insurance premiums necessary to safely transport your belongings, it could be worth doing so yourself or choosing an alternative provider.
Hiring a storage company as a student
Hiring a storage company can also be a good idea when you are a student. During the holidays, students can benefit from additional security for the belongings they leave behind while visiting friends and family.
Many providers typically offer lower rates for student moves than other customers, though the conditions for these services may be somewhat limited. Colleges and universities may even be able to recommend lower cost suppliers, who not only offer fair costs to students but also provide a reliable and streamlined service.