The self-storage industry has gained considerable recognition in recent years. Self-storage services operate as a system that rents out containers/space/ lockers as a storage place for any sort of belongings. The self-storage industry in the UK kicked off around the 1980s and has since flourished slowly yet steadily. Around 1500 storage places are located all over the UK, and a majority are present in London. The self-storage industry became popular with increasing customer demand as well as the population. Even though it is considered as a developing industry in the UK, the main reason happens to be unawareness among most people.
How Students Have Benefitted from Self-Storage Services
Self-storage has been a worthwhile investment, especially for international students living in London to study. Traveling to study at prestigious colleges and universities has become quite common, and some extra space is always helpful, especially when you’re living in sharing or renting out a room to a friend. Other than that, students do deserve their much-needed summer breaks. Self-storage solutions relieve some of their stress and give them mental space. Renting a storage unit near their university provides them easy access and ensures full safety. Various student discounts and shared storage options help keep things organized while staying within the budget.
Commercial Usage
The second leading factor for the rise in popularity of self-storage is its commercial use. Renting office/storage space for your business can cost you a fortune in London. Since startups need immediate positive results to have a steady ground, most of them contact self-storage services for extra space. They temporarily store extra stuff at the office in the rented unit to focus more on getting established and working as soon as possible. Businesses of larger sizes use these for temporarily storing extra furniture or long-term for inventory items. Larger companies are now opting for self-storage services as a low-cost alternative to warehouses and rent multiple units to satisfy their needs. The storage space is rented on average is also increasing due to the rise in commercial use where the space rented is usually larger as compared to personal use. Companies even use them as temporary storage while shifting offices or for making renovations.
Personal and Household Usage
Storage solutions are also gaining popularity for household use. People use self-storage options to keep extra furniture, collectibles, tools, etc. to maximize small spaces at their homes or to temporarily store stuff during moving or renovations. These services are especially helpful while moving as it can reduce the load of unpacking in the new place. You can keep your stuff at the storage facility while you settle down and can then move things in when it’s convenient.
However, with the rising prices of real estate in London, moving to a bigger house or apartment is not a reasonable option for everyone. For families that outgrow their current house, self-storage solutions are an affordable option to store their extra stuff and make space for the essentials.