In this piece, we sit down with Dean Daly, our Operations Manager, to take it back to basics as we ask: what is self storage?!
You might be moving house, renovating or adjusting to a life transition and suddenly you realise you need extra space, somewhere to store your items where you can access them when and as you need to.
You might have heard the term before but are wondering what is self storage and what it is all about. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. While our team may know self storage inside and out, we understand that it can be confusing for those who have never used it before. That’s why we’re here to help!
Self storage is a secure, convenient, and affordable way to store your belongings for short or long-term periods. Whether you’re moving, downsizing, or simply need extra space, self storage is an excellent solution. In this tell-all, Dean answers all your questions with everything you need to know about self storage.
So Dean, what exactly is self storage?
When I first entered the storage industry 3.5 years ago, I had no idea what it really involved.
After all, it’s not as if anyone grows up aspiring to be a storage expert. If only school leavers knew how cool storage really is!
After 20 years in Housing and Construction, I felt a change was needed. I fell into storage by default having applied for a job in one of the group businesses. I was asked if I would consider a job in storage. My first reaction was, “I know nothing about storage!”.
I knew some of the major players and the household names but didn’t understand the concept, how it worked, and how much it cost. I quickly learned there is a lot more to it than people realise.
In plain terms, self storage is a space or a unit you rent from a storage company like blue self storage. This type of storage is referred to as ‘self storage’.
Within a storage facility, units of various sizes, purposes, and amenities exist. Customers can be both domestic and commercial, and it can be a long or short-term solution to a lack of storage space. Essentially a customer places their personal belongings into storage for a period of duration.
The customer has access to the items throughout the storage period (operating hours may vary from operator to operator – at blue self storage we offer 24/7 access). For these services, the customer will pay an agreed monthly cost. There will be several attributing factors which influence the cost (size, floor level, insurance cover).
When choosing self storage there are a few factors to consider:
Location
Research shows convenience is a huge factor when it comes to self storage, typically within a few miles of the customer’s home. We have 2 sites within East and North Cardiff (Wentloog and Llanishen) giving our Cardiff customers ample choice for whichever location suits them best. We’ve also opened a site in Tyneside (Newcastle), and Gloucester too.
Plus we’ve got more sites scheduled to open on the near horizon – watch this space!
Price
For some people, cost will be the deciding factor and that is fine if this is the most important factor for them. However, we never aim to be the cheapest. We want to offer the best value for money. Our prices are clearly displayed on our website, as we pride ourselves on transparency.
Is it secure?
Our sites are extremely secure, and we invest heavily in our security. We are one of the very few who have an in-house security team including patrol dogs. All our sites are monitored 24/7 by our security team and a third party (DSOC) to ensure nothing is missed. We complete penetration tests in real time to test response times.
Top tip: When you’re looking for storage, here are the 7 security measures you should expect to see in any storage facility.
Is there a commitment to customer service?
If you have an issue there is always someone at hand to assist and resolve the matter. We have a designated customer service and accounts team on hand to assist with whatever the query. As well as, a robust complaints policy and we’ve embraced digitalisation to ensure the sign-up process is as painless as possible. We have a fully automated online booking system and software to help you work out how much storage you need.
We hope that’s answered everything you wanted to know about ‘what is self storage’!
#StorageMadeSimple
New to self storage? Explore our #StorageMadeSimple series with our experts:
