Storing belongings whilst travelling to London

03 Mar Storing belongings whilst travelling to London

If you’re travelling to London for a lengthy stay, a temporary stopover while you set up home, you’re a student moving into digs, or you are visiting the capital to jet off abroad for a period, the chances are that you’ll have quite a lot of belongings with you.

That will mean you may need to explore options for local storage in London.

A self-storage facility in central London or a storage unit in Greater London is a great way to securely put away all those items you can’t take with you or will not need for a little while.

Other storage options in London

You might be lucky enough to have friends or family who could store your things for you.

This is often the most cost-effective option – unless they charge you – for storing things, but is not without its pitfalls.

Sticking stuff in someone’s garage is easy enough if they have room. Likewise utilising someone’s attic. But consider that London is the area in the UK with the highest number of burglaries from domestic dwellings every year.

There are nearly 80,000 burglaries in London every year. That figure includes houses, garages, sheds, and outhouses.

It is also the case that your belongings stored with someone else may not be covered on their home and contents insurance. This means that if they’re stolen or damaged either through accident, flood, or fire, you may not receive compensation.

It’s always essential to check with the person’s insurer to find out if your items will be covered. The insurance policy will also need to include personal liability cover to recompense you in the event your friendly custodian damages your things themselves.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that attics and garages tend to attract pests – notably rats and mice – that could damage your things.

Storing belongings in a garage to rent in London

You may be able to find lock-up storage in London. This will typically be a garage or similar type of building you can rent. A garage to rent may appear to cost less than a self-storage unit but there are several factors to consider.

Some local authorities rent out garage space but there is usually a lengthy waiting list. The majority of garage spaces to rent will be owned by a private individual or company.

You are unlikely to be offered any security features other than a standard lock, and a garage or similar storage space is unlikely to have other amenities such as CCTV, staff on-site, or any maintenance and cleaning services. You should also check if there is a lengthy minimum term for the rental period.

At the bottom line, renting a garage in London could cost around £100 to £250 a week. That’s usually no cheaper than a self-storage unit. You may also need to pay a deposit.

A self-storage unit in London makes sense

The key benefits of a self-storage unit include the security which will be in place and the versatility that such a facility offers.

You will have the flexibility to access your belongings when you need to. There will be controlled entry whereby only you have admittance to your unit. There will be intruder alarms, 24-hour surveillance cameras, and staff available on site for security and to deal with any queries.

Self-store units can be as large – or as small – as you need. You can rent one for as little as a week and for as long as you require. You won’t need to pay a deposit either which makes this a very flexible choice.