Living in London is a dream come true. After all, who wouldn’t want to live in one of the most globally-recognised cities in the world? However, the desire to live in London is shared by hundreds of millions of people. With London’s land area spanning only 1,572 km², most of its residents have to compete to find an affordable and spacious place.
It also does not help that the cost of living in London is one of, if not, the highest in the country. That means if you really want to pursue the London dream, certain sacrifices must be made such as cost-cutting, having to take on multiple jobs and even downsizing.
One common reality shared among most London residents is the experience of downsizing. With space becoming a limited and valuable resource in London, many have no choice but to share living spaces or reside in “micro-flats”.
So where do all of their stuff go? In self storage London, of course! There are several storage companies in London that provide storage units to residents so they can have extra space for their items.
5 Ds of Storage
In the storage industry, there is something called the 5 Ds which states the most common reasons as to why one would rent a storage unit.
- Divorce
Divorce can be a messy ordeal. One of the best ways to avoid any further complications is to rent a storage facility to store all of the items that would be divided between partners. Once the divorce is final, you can then come to the unit to collect the things that were considered legally yours. Moreover, there is always an option to divorce online via special services like divorceonlineutah.com
- Displacement
Moving to a different location is quite a stressful process. Storage units make it easier by providing residents with space where they can store all of their items while they settle into their new place. Regardless if you’re moving to or away from London, renting a storage unit will lessen the number of headaches that you’ll have during the moving process.
Many professionals working in London live in Croydon, Islington, Mitcham, and Slough – London’s outer areas and nearby cities with a lower cost of living index.
- Death
It’s challenging to lose a loved one. When they leave us, it can be quite painful to see their personal belongings lying around. To help cope with the pain and loss, many individuals choose to rent a storage unit to keep the items that have been left behind.
The majority of the items will also be divided between relatives according to the late person’s last will. The storage unit acts then as a repository where relatives can pick up the items that were left to them.
- Downsizing
Living costs, most especially rent, is quite expensive in London. To be able to live in London, many of its residents choose to live more frugally. Aside from cutting down on non-essential expenses, there’s also the downsizing movement. London residents are living in “micro-flats” or co-sharing a regularly-sized one. This creates a shortage in space that is best solved with self-storage.
Some couples in London intentionally choose to live in micro-flats to save up on a downpayment for a house mortgage. For just a few years of saving, they get to enjoy a spacious home courtesy of a mortgage that they took. Brokers like Adelaide Broker recommend saving up for a high down payment so the length of loans and interest rates are reduced.
You can check out how to protect your home with mortgage protection life insurance here.
- Decluttering
According to Regina Lark, a professional home organizer, an average household can contain an average of 300, 000 items! The sheer amount of bits and bobs inside one person’s home is enough to make it cluttered and hard to live in. During your annual spring cleaning, gather all the items that are essentially non-essentials to your daily life. However, don’t just throw them away. You’re not made of money. You can opt to keep them in a safe and secure storage facility site so you can still use them whenever you want without it messing your place up.
Here I have listed down some of the factors to look out for when looking for a storage facility in London.
Price
Of course, the first factor that you have to consider is the price of your storage unit. Financial restrictions are one of the most common reasons as to why residents in London rent self-storage. It’s best to look for a storage company that offers affordable prices, discounts and promos.
Henfield Storage, for instance, has a price-match guarantee that ensures that they stay as the lowest-price storage unit in the market. Aside from this, they regularly give out discounts and promotions that make the cost even lower.
Size
As with real estate, the size of your unit is essential to determine two things: the number of items that you can store and the price of your unit. To save cash, you need to make sure that you rent the perfect size for your needs. Storage units range from 10 sq ft lockers to as huge as a 200 sq ft warehouse.
Don’t get something too small. It won’t fit all of your items, or it might damage them. At the same time, don’t rent a unit that is too huge as it would be too expensive and you’d have nothing to put inside except for air.
Amenities
There are several amenities that you can choose to add to your rental. There’s climate control to keep items such as your wooden furniture and electronics safe from moisture and extreme temperature changes.
There are also unique customisations that can be made, such as built-in shelves, an internet connection, and even a ramp. Look for a storage company that offers flexible solutions so you can solve all of your storage needs.
Location
Take into account the difference in the location of your storage unit from your house. You want a storage unit that’s close and accessible to you but far enough from the city centre that the price stays affordable.
If you live in Central London, for instance, you can choose to get a storage unit that is, at most, an hour’s drive away. This way, you can still collect your items whenever you need them without affecting your schedule too much.
