Storage types / Personal storage / Life events
When things change
Life events storage
Bereavement, separation, a new baby, a job in another city. Some of the reasons people need storage are not ordinary house moves, and they tend to arrive without notice.
Why people come to us
The usual reasons.
Clearing a parent’s house
Usually there is a deadline from the estate or the landlord, and nobody in the family is ready to decide what happens to any of it. A container takes the deadline out of the decision: clear the house now, sort it when you can.
Separating
One household becoming two, often before either person knows where they are going. A container is a neutral place for one person’s belongings, taken in one name, with one key.
A new arrival, or a new job
A nursery that used to be the study, or a posting to another city before the family follows. Both are the same problem: a houseful of things and nowhere to put it for a few months.
Which size
What you will probably need.
20ft container
A full house clearance
£280 a month
plus 20% VAT — £336 a month
What most house clearances need, with room to walk in and work through it later.
10ft container
One person’s belongings
£160 a month
plus 20% VAT — £192 a month
Enough for a flat’s worth, or one household’s share after a separation.
Worth knowing
What we would tell a friend.
Take the paperwork out first
Documents, photographs and anything irreplaceable should not go into storage at all. Keep them with you.
One name on the agreement
The agreement is with whoever signs it, and only that person holds the key. Worth being clear about on day one.
You do not need to unpack to store
Boxes can go in as they come out of the house. Sorting them is a separate job for a separate day.
Ring rather than book online
If the situation is complicated, a two-minute phone call usually sorts it faster than a form. 020 4597 5633.
Questions we get asked
How fast can this happen?+
Same day, in most cases. Bring photo ID and a padlock, or buy a padlock from us at the yard.
Can someone else collect things for me?+
Yes, as long as you tell us beforehand and give them the gate code.
Can I pay for someone else’s container?+
Yes. The invoice can go to whoever is paying while the agreement stays in the name of whoever holds the key.
Something not covered? Ring the yard on 020 4597 5633. Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm.
Also in personal storage
Other reasons people store with us.
Containers free at all three yards.
Woolwich, Charlton and Chessington. Move in today, 24 hour access, one month's notice whenever you are ready to go.