Are you stuck between moving houses? Has your tenancy ended at one house and you’re waiting to move to another? Are you moving home for the summer, but don’t want to cart all your stuff back home and then back to uni? It can all get to be a bit of a hassle.
We pulled together everything you need to know about student storage units, how it all works, and cheap storage options to save you money and hassle.
The first step is to browse through the storage unit providers below, and find one with a branch nearby to you. Once you’ve found the right fit for you, you simply need to sign up, and secure a unit of your choice. You just need to pick the size of the unit, and the length of time you’re renting it for. Most storage units offer a month by month rental policy, so it’s fairly commitment free.
There’s all sorts of reasons why you want to lean towards getting yourself a self storage unit. Generally, we’re all about saving money, and if you’re a hella hoarder, it might be time for a clear out rather than getting more space. But for those of you who just need some storage space for your things in between student flats, renting a storage unit can be really handy.
When the academic year finishes, save yourself the hassle of lugging your dorm room back home during the summer break. Finding a place near campus can save you a lot of effort, and even save you some money for transport to and from uni with your things.
Storage unit facilities tend to offer various different sized storage units for rent. Sizes will tend to range from smaller units, room for a few boxes, and others that will fit half a house’s belongings inside! Naturally, the price will vary depending on the size unit you go for.
The price you’ll pay for a storage unit is normally based on the size of your unit, how much you store, and how long you want the storage unit for. You’ll more often than not sign up to a month by month contract basis, so it keeps it pretty risk and commitment free, for you to sign up only for as long as you want. Some providers also offer week to week contracts, or even day to day, and so are super convenient for those of you looking for a short term let.
If you have a car, great news, it’s as easy as filling your boot up and heading on down! If you don’t have a car, or a friend you can lean on to drive you up there, don’t you worry, there’s another option!
Some storage unit facilities will look after that hassle for you! They’ll drop by where you live with a van, load up all your belongings, and take everything over to your new storage unit!
Once you’ve found a unit right for you, and you’re all signed up, there’s a few things you’ll need to remember before you pack up your stuff and put it into storage.
Pack Everything Carefully
: pack away your items into boxes, wrapping in newspaper or bubble wrap any delicate items. It’ll just make sure everythings nicely organised, and avoids any breakages of things in transit.
Take An Inventory Of Your Things
: whenever you leave your things in storage, always list down and take pictures of everything you’re stowing away. In the rare chance that anything bad happens to your belongings, you’ll need these for insurance purposes.
Label Boxes
: keep track of what you have packed where and label each box with what’s inside. It speeds everything up for you in case you need to pop back and pick something up in a rush. Don’t forget to add these labels to your inventory list too.
Clean Your Items
: before storing anything away, make sure to give everything a quick clean. If it’s clothes, wash and dry them before storing them away for a while. Anything else, give it a quick wipe down. It helps keep your things fresh for when you next need them, and avoids the chance of anything going nasty or mouldy.
Double Check The Rules
: wherever you rent out a storage unit, you should always check the facility’s rules and restrictions, and make sure you are aware of what is and what isn’t allowed to be stored. As a safe rule, anything hazardous or flammable is not allowed, along with perishable food items.
Before putting any of your belongings into a storage unit, we recommend making sure they are properly insured, or making sure your storage unit has insurance included. It gives you total peace of mind, and again in the rare case that anything gets damaged, broken or stolen while in storage, your items are insured and you’ll receive their value back to replace everything.
The great news is, your belongings might already have coverage by your homeowners insurance, or if you’re away at university they might be covered by your parents home insurance. Always double check these details beforehand so you’re not caught short in a worst case scenario.
We pulled out a list of the top storage facilities for students, with locations up and down the country, so you can find the best deal, at a storage unit near you.
EasyStorage is one of our favourite storage facilities for students. They offer a super simple service, and unlike many storage facilities, will come to your door, load up your items going to storage, secure everything up for you, and take them to the nearest easyStorage facility.
Their prices are really competitive too! EasyStorage offers a price match promise, so even if you find it cheaper elsewhere, they’ll price match, and will even give you 10% off that price! What’s more, you can get 50% off your storage for the first 3 months!
Big Yellow Group is perfect for those of you looking for a budget storage unit, tailored to students, to help make your move a little bit easier. They offer flexible services, and have storage facilities in plenty of University towns, so you don’t have to worry about your things being a fair distance away from you.
They even offer a Big Yellow Student Discount of 50% Off for up to 8 weeks storage! These storage units won’t break the bank, offer secure 24 hour CCTV and pin code access. Big Yellow Group also offers a price match, so if you find a better quote they’ll match it!
Safe Store have nearly 50 storage units in London, and almost 80 more elsewhere around the country, so you’re likely to find one near you! All units only have a single keyholder, so only you have access, alongside 24 hour security and CCTV, keeping your belongings safe with Safe Store. No surprise it’s in the name!
Safe Store have a lowest price guarantee, so you know you’re getting a good price. Safe Store also offers a 50% discount off of your first 8 weeks, so if you’re looking to store your things for the summer, you can save a bit of money!
Love Space are another storage facility that will come and collect your belongings from your doorstep and take it to their storage for you.They will also deliver it to any UK address when you’re ready to move on! You have the option to store your things by the box, or for those of you with a lot more to stow away you can hire an entire storage unit.
Love Space also offers a seperate removals service, so if you’re moving out of one house and straight into a new one, then they have you sorted. Pricing depends on what you’re storing and how long for, with flexible and affordable options to suit you.
Storage King is another great option if you’re looking to store your things between moves. They are proud to be completely transparent in their costing, charging you by the month, rather than by the week. You can get your first month’s storage for only £1! They offer safe and secure storage, and also offer insurance tailored specifically to your storage needs.
Store First are incredibly affordable across the board, but especially for students. Whether you only want to hire a locker, or you’re looking to hire a space that’s about the size of a transit van, they have all sorts of options for you. Prices naturally will depend on the size of the storage unit, for example a 50 sq ft unit costs as little as £9.50 a week! They have 24 hour access for you to get at your things at any time of day.
Stashbee offers a whole variety of options for finding something exactly the size you need, which fits your budget. It has an Airbnb vibe, giving a platform to those with space to let it out to those who need it! They have 1000’s of spaces listed on the website, and each of their hosts are ID verified for full security.
If you’re struggling to find something that’s closer to you, or you’re looking for a specific space, then Stashbee might be the right choice for you. It makes finding a space for your things super convenient, whether you’re looking for self-storage units, garage lock ups, or even if you’re in the market for a car parking space, Stashbee has it all.
So if you’re looking for somewhere to store your things while you’re in between places, hopefully now you know the best options that won’t break the bank! They’re all student friendly, affordable, flexible and convenient!
If you're looking for more advice on your accommodation at Uni, check out our
Student Guide To Rentingto learn the ins and outs of renting as a student, what to prepare for, and what to think about. For more advice on life at Uni visit our
Student Advice Hub.