Our storage advice has been compiled from many years of experience in the storage industry. We want to help making storing your possessions as simple as possible.
How Much Space Will I Need?
This is a very common question but the reality is that every body has differing amounts of belongs to store, even if they are both in the same size properties.
A storage unit size is measured in square feet (a room 6 feet by 6 feet is 36 sq ft). On average the height of these rooms/units are up to 8ft tall therefore a box measuring 1ft x 1ft x 1ft would fit into the 36 sq ft room 288 times stacked 8 high.
If you need to access your items whilst in store, you will have to pack them loosely in the storage unit, leaving space to move items about or even a walk way so allow for a bigger self storage room / unit. If not you can fill all of the available space in the storage unit.
We have provided this page as a reference to help you store either household items or business assets efficiently and securely. When you book with us, we will provide a bespoke storage solution that will fit your needs perfectly.
This is just a general guide, so please assess your own space requirements to ensure they meet your needs.
01234 889020
Kitchen Appliances
If you going to to defrost your fridge and freezer, do it no later than 3 days before your store them. Run the contents of these down a couple of weeks before you store them.
Appliances such as fridges, freezers or washing machines that contain water should be drained and allowed to dry out.
Household Items
Carefully pack all fragile items separately and stack them at the top of all other boxes.
Most beds require to be dismantled before they can be stored. Consider this and plan accordingly.
Furniture & Furnishings
Self assembly furniture does not usually store well over a period of time. Make arrangements to have it dismantled beforehand. You should also arrange for it to be packaged accordingly whilst being in storage.
Remember it is easier to stack your boxes on top of furniture, so always move your furniture into a storage unit first.
Over & Underfilling Boxes
Do not overfill boxes, remember they have to be lifted both into, and later on out of the storage unit. Also, they may break under the strain. Try to distribute your things evenly in the available boxes
This may seem stupid after the previous tip but partially filled boxes may collapse if heavy items are placed on top of them.
Boxes & Packing Materials
Be careful not to buy cheap, low quality boxes. Chances are if you are buying them online they will not be professional storage boxes even if they are advertised as so.
Boxes For Storage can be provided within your quotation if you require. We offer new or used professional storage boxes.
Taking Care Of Your Things
When packing your valuable and fragile possessions please remember that newsprint will rub off and does not protect belongings very well. Use Bubble Wrap for Glass, Ornaments, China and all delicate items. The boxes holding these items should be clearly marked as “fragile”.
Ensure that you don’t place heavy items with sharp corners on top of sofas and other upholstery. These can be damaged quite easily if you do this.
Do Not Store
You’ve decided to hire a self storage unit at Bedfordshire Storage, and are planning what to put in it.
There are actually a few types of items that cannot be stored in one of our storage units. If you’re unsure please don’t hesitate to ask.
Food
If you leave food unattended for long periods of time it will rot and the smell will attract insects and rodents.
This will potentially lead to an infestation of the entire facility. These critters can nibble their way through your belongings and even build nests in them.
Animals
This may seem like an obvious one, but please don’t leave animals in storage units. Storage units aren’t well ventilated so are not suitable for pets.
Chances are, it’ll end very poorly for them. The same applies to plants. Plants, living or dead, cannot be stored in a storage locker.
Humans
You are not allowed to turn a storage unit into a permanent residence or use them as an office. It may seem highly unlikely, but there have been recorded cases of people living in their storage lockers.
This is dangerous and simply unsanitary as there are no bathroom facilities or anything else you need to be able to survive.
Illegal Items
Items such as stolen goods, smuggled tobacco, unlicensed medicines and similar things cannot be stored in a storage unit.
Any sign of anything like this and we will pass the occupiers details over to the local police.
Flammables & Chemicals
Chemicals and hazardous materials, along with flammable materials cannot be stored in one of our storage units at Bedfordshire Storage. This is because of the inherent risk they pose to the entire facility.
Please don’t store gas, paint, petrol, propane tanks, acids, asbestos or toxic waste in your storage unit. If you’re unsure as to whether an item is something you cannot store with us, please feel free to ask a member of staff, who will be happy to clarify for you.
Money
Although we have high-end security at Bedfordshire Storage, we’d still recommend you keeping money and very high-value objects somewhere more specialised, like a bank or secure deposit box or safe.
Due to the nature of money, it is not covered by insurance policies.
