At various points in life, we can find ourselves in need of a bit of extra space, whether it’s due to relocation, decluttering, renovations or another reason. Self storage is quite often the first option that springs to mind. Moving our belongings to another location gets them out of the way easily, out of sight out of mind. Another option is to buy or hire a shipping container to keep at home/on the business premises, but which is the best choice? You can of course opt for a standard self-storage facility, but have you ever considered buying or hiring a shipping container to assist you in the safe storage of valuable items? Here are a few starting points to think about…
Self Storage
- Self storage facilities are available all over the country and many are flexible in terms of what kind and what capacity of space they provide.
- Self storage facilities get your items out of the way and you can get access to them relatively easily, within the owner’s discretion/opening times.
- Security at these units can be good, but this should be checked first; for example at Universal Containers, we have 24 hour CCTV and floodlights in our fenced off self storage area, and all our units are secured with galvanised steel locking handles.
Shipping Containers
- Buying or hiring a shipping container can be a cost effective solution as it generally works out cheaper than using self storage and they retain a good resale value. If you need the storage long term then buying a shipping container is a no brainer, but even hiring is usually a cheaper option as well.
- The downside in “adopting a shipping container” is space. Not only do you need to have enough space to pitch the container, but also enough to allow for delivery. This can be an issue for some in the UK, for more information, get in touch.
- When it comes to security, shipping containers are usually very secure, being made of steel, but external security measures such as CCTV are left up to you.
- Access to your own shipping container is easy as you can put it anywhere you like, so travel can be kept to a minimum and you don’t need to pay extra costs such as van hire for transporting items backwards and forwards.
Cleared things up a bit? Of course, self storage is the go-to option for some people but in most cases, it’s only to go-to option because they’ve never really considered buying or hiring a shipping container for storage purposes. Storage – for whatever purpose – is a necessity for a lot of people, and with valuable items in question, it is absolutely imperative that your storage solution provides the impeccable security needed to give you the peace of mind you deserve.
At Universal Containers, we provide both shipping container purchase/hire and self storage. We hire and sell containers at competitive rates and if you are on a tight budget, we have used containers on offer. Our self storage facility is second to none and has a fantastic reputation. If you want advice on which option is best for you call our team today on 0845 0500 330
