Who uses self-storage?

It is no surprise that the self-storage industry in the UK continues to grow. The demand for services thrives. It is a relatively new phenomenon (first making a foothold in the early millennium) which many believe was caused by a shortage in housing and inflation. Many house buyers were prevented from taking the normal route of buying a bigger home when families expanded, or there was just a greater need to store stuff.

Once the self-storage services were available on the market it became quickly apparent that it had more uses than simply for those homeowners who could not afford to up-size. Fundamentally, it has become a service which offers extra space, and the consumer uses that space exactly how they choose. In this way, it is useful for people in all walks of life – homeowners; people moving home; students, businessmen; internet businesses needing to store products and travelling salesmen, to name but a few.

Let’s take a look at who uses self-storage:

1. Homeowners use self-storage in order to gain more space when buying new and bigger accommodation is not possible.
2. People moving home may use self-storage on a more temporary basis. They may find it useful to store valuables which, during the time of the move, they do not have room for.
3. Students living away from home often find self-storage is an aid to a transient lifestyle. For instance, accommodation by the college or university may only be needed during term time. In order to return home, a central location is needed to keep valuables in one place.
4. Businessmen want to take advantage of that tiny window when their businesses can grow. However, the physical space to allow that to happen may not always be available due to company budgets. Self-storage allows businesses to remove “impractical assets” from the organisational base so the location can be used more fruitfully. A good example of this is archiving.
5. As companies grow, demand for their products increases. Hence businesses need to have more of their products available to sell. Consequently, there is a need for extra storage space. Self-storage offers that extra space at reduced costs (i.e cheaper than renting new premises).
6. Companies with large product lines or those businesses which offer seasonal products will need expansive storage places at cheap rates.
7. Internet companies which are very much becoming the norm in the 21^st century can only offer a wide variety of product if they have the space to store the products which meet the demand. Self-storage offers a cheaper option for the smaller businesses – especially in the start-up days.
8. A travelling salesman may have various products he needs at hand but does not wish to take on every trip. Self-storage can offer a safe central location for all equipment and presentation accessories.

These are just a few of the types of people who are likely to use self-storage – but at the end of the day, it is space that is on sale here and space is probably something we can all do with a lot more of! If you would like to know more about the facilities available at Need A Space in Canterbury Kent please do not hesitate to contact us on 01227 751673