Guide to Storage in London
Looking to store stuff between house moves, or have a whole floor of office equipment and need long-term storage?
If you’re based in London and need storage, read on. We’ve put together a complete guide to storage in Greater London, covering everything you need to know.
This includes information about self-storage and how it works, and of course how much it costs. We’ll also run through our self-storage locations in South West London and the surrounding areas, so you can find the most convenient option for you.
Self-storage in London – what to expect?
If you’re new to self-storage, here’s a quick rundown of what to expect.
Storage units come in a few different forms, including individual self-storage units, lock-up garages, crates and containers. The most common type are self-storage units, which are lockable units inside a multi-unit building. Your unit will be clean, fire-protected and ready to fill.
You can take your pick from multiple unit sizes, depending on how much space you need. These units usually come with round-the-clock security, flexible access and other features.
For example, at Kiwi Storage, we offer:
- 24 hour monitored CCTV and alarms
- Full access to your unit during opening hours (via PIN code)
- Clean facilities free from damp, moisture and pests
- Flexibility to move in and out whenever you need to
- Multiple unit sizes, including temperature controlled units at some facilities.
Depending which storage provider you go with, you’ll also have a choice of short or long-term contracts. Or in the case of Kiwi Storage, you can manage your storage flexibly – paying by the week.
What is mobile storage?
In addition to self-storage, you may also have heard of something called mobile storage. But what actually is it?
Mobile storage like those we offer here at Kiwi Storage are ideal for people who don’t need regular access to their belongings. They’re also great if you might find it difficult to transport your stuff to a self-store unit. For example, if you have too many boxes to fit in your car (or you don’t have a car) – or your stuff is just too heavy for you to move safely.
Instead of you having to drive your belongings to a storage facility, we come to you. Our experienced removals team will bring a specially designed mobile storage unit to your address. Your goods will be collected, carefully packed and then taken wherever you need them to go. This could be to an onward address (if you’re moving house, for example) or to a storage facility.
It’s essentially a door-to-door service, offering hassle-free collection and storage. Depending which storage provider you go with, you’ll also have a choice of short or long-term contracts. Or in the case of Kiwi Storage, you can manage your storage flexibly – paying by the week.
Business storage in London
Need to store the contents of an office, or piles of extra stock? You’ll want to make use of business self-storage solutions in London. These are specialist solutions, usually offering much more space. Although if you’re a sole trader or the owner of a small business, a standard self-storage unit may still be a suitable option,
Our business storage facilities here at Kiwi Storage also include additional services. We offer inventory management, competitive international shipping options, labour hire, delivery services and much more. We even have specialist solutions for landlords.
When choosing a business self-storage unit, it’s crucial to get the right size. Whether you’re storing office chairs or computer equipment, merchandise or eBay stock, you’ll need plenty of space - and it’ll need to be accessible.
Student storage in London
If you’re about to finish university, move into smaller accommodation or go abroad for a placement year, you might need some storage. But on a student budget, affordable storage can be difficult to find - especially in an expensive city like London.
The good news though is that there are specialist student storage solutions out there. For example, at Kiwi Storage we offer short and long-term self-storage units for students starting from just £10 a week.
What to look for in a self-storage facility
London is bursting with hundreds of self-storage facilities, from large warehouses to smaller and individual units. In fact, the city has one of the largest amounts of storage capacity per person than anywhere else in the UK.
With so much choice out there, it can be hard to know where to start.
Let’s run through some pointers on what to look for in a London self-storage facility, to help you find the perfect storage solution for your needs. These include:
- Location
- Ease of access
- Security
- Flexibility
- Price
- Extra services
Location
For most people, location will be one of the most important factors in choosing a storage solution. You don’t want to be travelling too far to drop off your stuff, or to pick it up again.
It’s even more crucial to find the right location if you’ll need regular access to your storage units. For example, if you’re running a business in Kingston upon Thames and are storing extra stock in your storage unit, you’ll need it to be just a short drive away. You don’t want to waste time (and money spent on fuel) travelling across the city to collect goods when you need them.
So, the first thing to look for in a self-storage unit is proximity to your address. This could be your current home or business address, or somewhere you’re moving to.
Discover all of our current London storage locations at the bottom of this page.
Looking for self-storage in London? Here at Kiwi Storage, we have a number of storage facilities, predominantly located across South West London and surrounding areas.
This includes self-storage units in:
Looking toward East London, we have locations in:
We choose locations based on where is most convenient for our customers, so you can be confident that you’ll be able to access your unit easily.
We also provide moving and storage solutions throughout the whole of Greater London.
Ease of access
Along with where your unit is located, you’ll also need to think about how you’ll actually access it. Here are some key questions you should be asking, before choosing a London self-storage provider:
- How easy is it to access your stuff?
- Do you need to book in or wait around at reception, or can you come and go as you please?
- Is there a charge for accessing your unit?
- What are the opening hours like at the storage facility?
- Is there 24/7 access to your unit, or are you restricted to the daytime opening hours?
When you store with us, you’ll be able to access your unit whenever you need to during our opening hours, using your own secure PIN code.
Security
Whatever you’re storing at your unit, you need to be assured that it’s safe and protected. You may have valuables in there, such as art work, jewellery or antiques.
You could be storing stock for your business, which of course has a monetary value. Or it could be that you simply have items of sentimental value in your storage unit, which naturally you’d be devastated to lose.
This is why it’s important to check what security measures are in place before booking a storage unit. Feel free to ask all the questions you need to about locks, access methods, CCTV cameras and alarms. Once you’re happy, you’ll be able to store with complete confidence.
At Kiwi Storage, we provide 24 hour monitored CCTV and alarms, along with secure PIN access to your unit.
You can either insure your items yourself, or take advantage of our add-on insurance policies. This way, you’ll be completely covered.
Flexibility
When you hire a storage unit, will you be locked into a long-term contract? This is the case with some storage providers. Either that, or they offer you better rates or discounts for long-term storage.
If you’re looking for a long-term or permanent storage solution, this could work out well for you. But if not, you might need to look for something more flexible.
Some London self-storage facilities offer pricing based on weekly or monthly storage. You’ll need to check the terms and conditions carefully though, especially the cancellation policy.
Will you be able to cancel when you need to, and how much notice do you need to give? Can you pay by the week, or do you need to sign up for a month at a time? These are all crucial questions to ask before committing yourself.
At Kiwi Storage, we aim to make it as easy and flexible as possible to store your stuff. You can book storage by the week, and move in and out whenever you need to. If you need to cancel, you only need to give us 14 days written notice. For business storage customers, the notice period is a little longer at 28 days.
And if you change your mind before you move in, there’s no charge to cancel.
Price
And now we come to what for many people will be a top priority - price. It’s only natural that cost will be a concern when hiring a self-storage unit, especially somewhere like London where prices are high.
And of course, London is a city where space is very much at a premium. Storage space is in high demand, especially for young professionals needing to downsize due to high property rental prices. This unfortunately means that storage unit prices can be higher than you’d like, especially for facilities in central locations.
But a word of caution about using storage facilities with bargain basement prices. While it’s great to find an affordable solution, we’d always advise you to be wary of ‘too good to be true’ prices. You could be in for a nasty surprise, with facilities not remotely up to standard. In a worst-case scenario, your stuff could end up being stored in a dirty, unsecured garage in an out-of-the-way location. Needless to say, you definitely want to avoid this!
So, while keeping an eye on the price, it’s just as important to find clean, spacious, secure and easily accessible facilities. Ideally, with a reputable company which cares about its customers.
Get a quote for self-storage in London with Kiwi Storage here.
Our self-storage prices start from £31 a week (for a 35 square foot unit), with student storage from just £10 a week. We also have special price packages and services for business storage, including storage for landlords.
Extra services
Along with storage, you might find that you need other services. For example, if you’re moving house and need boxes, packing solutions and the services of a reliable removals company.
In this case, it could be really handy to use a self-storage company that offers these additional services. It could save you both time and money, and make life a whole lot easier.
Storage in South West London
If you live, work or have a business in South West London, you’re in luck – as we have centrally located self-storage hubs throughout the whole of the area.
Here’s where you’ll find us:
- Kingston upon Thames
- Richmond upon Thames
- Twickenham
- Surbiton
- Teddington
- Wimbledon
- Wandsworth
- Battersea
With so many centrally located storage facilities, it should be a breeze to find one close to you. And if you live slightly further afield, we also have self-storage in East Molesey, West Molesey, Esher, Weybridge, Burnham-on-Crouch and Hampton Court.
If you need help finding storage solutions in the area or in other parts of Greater London, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Give us a call on 020 8877 9682 and our friendly team will be happy to help with all things storage-related.
We also have a sister company - Kiwi Movers. They’re the ideal choice if you need help moving your items to one of our storage units. Alternatively, you can choose one of our mobile storage and we’ll come to you. Our team will load up, store and deliver anywhere you want.
How much storage space will I need?
In the world of storage, size matters. It’s important to get the right sized unit for your needs. Otherwise, one of two things can happen. Either you end up paying more for space you don’t need or use, or you end up with a unit that’s bursting at the seams. This will usually result in an extra cost anyway, as you have to upgrade to a larger unit (or get another one).
So, it’s good to be as accurate as possible when assessing your storage needs. The good news is that there are online tools available to help, such as our space estimator. Here’s a quick guide to unit sizes and how much they hold:
9 sq ft - a locker suitable for small boxes and backpacks, ideal for student storage
25 sq ft - a small unit suitable for multiple boxes and large furniture, including white goods and beds
35 sq fit - a medium-size unit which can accommodate the contents of a small 1 bedroom flat
75 sq ft - a large unit which can fit in the contents of a 1 bedroom house, including outdoor furniture
100 sq ft - a large unit suitable for storing the contents of a 2 bedroom flat
150 sq ft - a large unit which can accommodate the contents of a 3 bedroom flat
200 sq ft - an extra-large unit suitable for the contents of a 4 bedroom house, including outdoor furniture.
So, as you can see, you’ll have a lot of options to choose from. However, not all facilities will offer so many different size units. The above are all options at Kiwi Storage facilities, but other providers may limit you to small, medium or large. It’s good to have lots of choice though, as it means you can find the closest possible match for your needs - which also means only paying for exactly what you use.
How much does self-storage in London cost?
As we’ve touched on earlier in this guide, self-storage in London can be higher than other parts of the UK. You’ll need to compare providers carefully, not only on price but also on value. The crucial question to ask is - what will I be getting for my money?
Here at Kiwi Storage, we offer clean, secure, easy-access and conveniently located storage units in South West London - with prices starting from £31 a week for personal storage.
How to book and pay for self-storage
The last thing to consider before you take the plunge and sign up for a storage unit is how you’ll actually go about booking it. Will you need to visit an office and sign some forms, or can you book and pay online?
For our self-storage units in South West London, we aim to make it quick and easy to book storage space online. You can contact us for a quick quote, then book your unit and pay for it in just a few simple steps. All you’ll need to do is a couple of forms of ID ready, such as your passport and driving licence.
If you prefer, you can also book storage space over the phone. Call us to discuss your options and we’ll email you over the contract to sign electronically. Then, all you’ll need to do is upload your ID and make a secure payment.
And if you need help choosing a unit size or have any questions at all, the Kiwi Storage team is on hand to help.
Just give us a call on 020 8877 9682 and we’ll talk you through how it works - and then get you set up with safe, convenient and affordable storage in London.
