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Blissfully Organised – To store or not to store? The ins and outs of self storage

To store or not to store? The ins and outs of self storage

Jane Howdle,  Herts Advertiser Property

 

For many of us, renting a storage unit is a solution to a space shortage at home – but might we be better off getting rid? Tracy Ross of Blissfully Organised considers the options

My clients often rent a storage unit following home renovations or a house move, then continue to find it useful to store things that don’t fit into the space at home. They also book storage units following a divorce until they are ready to decide on what to do with these items. Each client and their situation is unique.
Here are my top tips on how to decide if you need a storage unit or how to manage a rental that you already have.

When do you need a storage unit?

Short term

My advice is to only plan to store items that you will use in the foreseeable future and only if doing so is cheaper than replacing them. If you are storing items to get them out of the way you are better off selling, donating or recycling them.

Ongoing

Often small business owners find it useful to rent out a unit to store key equipment and stock. Alternatively, you may choose to live in a smaller space (rather than move) and rent a storage unit to store a small number of seasonal items that you need to access less frequently, such as ski equipment, camping gear, a kayak or bicycles.

Things to think about before getting a storage unit

1.What are you planning to store?

Don’t rent a space with the idea that you’ll just fill it up as time goes by. Make a list of the items that you want to store and what it would cost to replace these items.

2. How much space will you need?

As an approximate guide you will need the following:
• Transit van: 35-50 sq ft
• 20 foot removal van: 140 sq ft
• Studio flat: 50 sq ft
• Two-bed flat: 75-100 sq ft
• Three-bed house: 25-150 sq ft

3. Cost

Calculate the total cost for your full rental period, for example £100 a month may sound reasonable but that’s £1,200 per annum. Assess your needs and stick within your budget.

Savings: Prices vary widely. There are often discounts offered for paying in advance or booking larger units i.e. 25 sq ft for a short term let costs £12 per week while a 50 sq ft unit will be £18 per week. Compare the cost of the items that you would like to store with the rental costs. It may be more cost effective to sell or donate items instead.
Extras: Don’t forget to budget for transporting your items to/from the storage unit, packing materials, any deposits, access charges, use of lifting and carrying equipment, insurance and VAT.

4. Timeframe

Decide on how long you need to rent the unit for. The longer you are planning to rent a unit the cheaper it becomes i.e. 100 sq ft for up to 3 months may cost £34 a week but if booked for a year goes down to £25 a week

5. What kind of space do you need?

If you want to access items during the rental period, consider getting slightly more space than you need so that you have space to walk around. If you are simply storing items for a set period until you move, a space that fits perfectly is fine. If you are storing photos or electronics, you might want a climate-controlled unit

6. Location

If you want to access your stored items regularly you may want to rent a unit close to your home. For longer term rentals it may be cheaper to consider locations further away

7. Quotes

Gather quotes based on your specific needs. To save time you can use comparison websites such as www.storagepricecomparison.co.uk

8. Labels

Label everything going into the storage unit. It’s also useful to take photos of all key items and keep an electronic inventory

9. Single item storage

If you only need to store a small number of things there are also companies such as Love Space who will collect your items and delivery back to you when you need them (www.lovespace.co.uk)

Managing an existing storage rental

If you already rent a storage unit and are thinking about downsizing or terminating that rental space I would recommend the following:

1. Calculate how much you have spent on the storage unit during the rental period
2. Ask yourself: do you know what is stored in the unit and the value of each item?
3. Create an audit list of all items in the unit
4. Assess if you need to reduce the size of the rental unit; find out if you are on the best rate for your current storage unit and compare that with other suppliers
5. Decide if you will continue to rent a unit or terminate the rental
6. You can then decide which items you will keep in storage, move back to your home or dispose of entirely (sell, donate or recycle).

If you need support in planning to put items into storage or auditing items that you currently have in storage please contact me

Explore more

  • Tracy is amazing. We were renovating our house and finally was able to plan some extra storage. Tracy helped us to plan out new fitted wardrobes and then came back a few months later to help me get into a system with my laundry ( one of the things as a family I find hard to keep under control! ). She is kind, non judgemental, motivational & inspirational! I would say most people could do with a bit of Blissfully Organised in their lives!

    thumb Laura Dannan
    December 14, 2020

  • I first met Tracy in 2019. I live overseas and wanted to help my Mother clear a downstairs room to become a bedroom, I needed a gentle, trusted professional to complete the task after I had returned to my home. We all met and agreed upon a plan, but it was not to be as my Mother’s health deteriorated very quickly and she passed away. Although I did return to the UK a few times that year, decluttering wasn’t a priority. Then Covid put an end to my being able to return. Finally, in spring of this year, flight restrictions were lifted and I saw an opportunity to return to the UK, now faced with the task of clearing the family home. I contacted Tracy and thankfully, despite short notice, she had some free days to help me. We arranged 6 days throughout my 2 1/2 weeks to help me stay on track and motivated. Tracy helped me stay focussed and helped me believe we could achieve a fairly daunting task of going through a lifetime of memories, papers, photos and possessions. I had to be very disciplined about what was kept as whatever I chose to keep was to be shipped back to my Country. Tracy gave me time to tell a story about an item and why it made the “keeper”, or “think about it” pile, yet didn’t break stride in her work whilst listening. It was a very cathartic process. I felt like I was talking to a long time friend. She has a talent for putting you at ease, and for helping you see objects with a critical eye. Not once did I feel she was making the decision, more that she helped me verbalize my attachment, or not, and that really builds a bond of trust. After each session, I had “homework” to complete before we met again and a follow up email charting the successes of the day and the plan for the next session. As I was on my own during my stay in my family home, this could have been rather lonely, but knowing that Tracy was coming, both broke up the monotony of going through endless boxes and kept me on task such that the job was successfully completed.

    thumb Andree Stow
    May 9, 2022

  • Tracy has helped me many times over the years, and I think I must have known her for 10 years now! When I first contacted her I had reservations about letting someone into my home, making judgments and telling me what I should do. But Tracy's service is NOT like that at all. She did a full home audit and we chatted about what I hoped to achieve. For years I'd been frustrated by our storage area, a large room under the house which was hard to access and full of things we hadn't seen for years. We agreed to tackle it and Tracy suggested that to start with, we took everything out. I thought she was completely mad at this point. Three hours later we had done just that, assessed what was there, got rid of some of it, sorted some and made plans for the rest. It was like a massive weight had lifted from my shoulders. After that she helped me organise rooms, and filter through boxes of stuff. More recently she helped me prepare for a big move. It's always an absolute pleasure to see Tracy and she is very thoughtful in her approach. Her service is life changing and I am very grateful that I contacted Tracy all those years ago. Contact her now, you honestly won't regret it.

    thumb Clare Suttie
    June 11, 2020

  • Tracy is exceptional at what she does and is generous in what she gives. Highly recommend.

    thumb Jayne reah
    February 23, 2022

  • Tracy helped my young girls and I declutter before a house move. In particular I was impressed with how Tracy got on well with the girls (7 yrs and 3 yrs) straight away and explained the sorting process simply. This has had a lastly impact on my children, getting them to appreciate you can’t keep everything!! I too enjoyed spending focused time with Tracy looking at my wardrobe. I will definitely be implementing the learnings for my clothes purchases such as reducing my tendency to buy some items in too many colour ways! Thank you Tracy for all your help. Jo

    thumb Joanna Dew
    August 25, 2020