The Storenextdoor Guide to Student Storage

The Storenextdoor Guide to Student Storage 

Even though the number of students that choose to live at home while they go to college or university is on the rise, the majority (81%) still move away to another city or town. Given that the average course is 3 years long (with many taking an additional gap or placement year) and that students tend to live in a number of different temporary accommodations over that period, the logistics involved in carting clothes, books, and household items from one residence to another are not to be underestimated - especially if you don’t have a car.

It’s good news then that storage companies are stepping in to assist; as well as coming up with attractive offers to suit student budgets, many offer special services to students to make the storage process easier.

Student discounts

A local convenient self storage locker means that you can keep a stash of your stuff (seasonal clothes, sports equipment, archived books and folders, etc) nearby and use it like a bit of a spare room - there are usually much better rates available if a) you are a student and b) you are prepared to commit to longterm storage.

Seasonal storage

Some halls of residence or private landlords offer a storage option over the summer - however it might be cheaper to club together with your flatmates and use a commercial unit instead: compare the prices as you might be pleasantly surprised about the deals that you can get. It’s a good idea to shop around as there are various levels of service and prices available; local companies may be prepared to match the prices of the big storage companies so it’s always good to have a go at haggling!

Transport

If you don’t have your own car then don’t worry as there are an increasing number of options available Most storage companies either offer a good rate on van hire or else can recommend a local ‘man and van’ service to pick up and deliver your items.

Pick up, pack and deliver

To make things even more simple there are now storage companies dedicated to providing an end to end service; they will come to your accommodation and either bring boxes for your to fill or pick up your pre-packed items. You can book collection and delivery online and even arrange the final drop off address to be different from the pickup one; giving you the flexibility to move house in between.

Overseas students

There area some great ‘concierge’ services available now for overseas students which will deal with the shipping of your stuff to and from your home country - sometimes your college or university can arrange this or it may be a service that is offered by your landlord or student residence.

Inventory

It’s always good to do an inventory - preferably with pictures. You can do this as you pack your boxes or your unit. It also helps when you have forgotten what exactly you have put away into storage and which box it might be in if you need to go and retrieve it!

Insurance

Sometimes insurance is included in the price - especially with the end to end pick up and deliver services. The larger storage chains insist that you take out insurance and will usually recommend a supplier - unfortunately the majority of home insurance policies don’t cover the period that your stuff is in self storage so you will need to take this into account when you weigh up the costs.