The self-storage industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in Britain. It accounts for 47% of the total European storage market place – and is still increasing at a quicker rate than the rest of Europe year on year!
Here are things to consider regarding the self-storage industry here at home:
How Many Storage Facilities Are There In The UK?
There are in excess of 1450 storage facilities currently operating in the UK. Between them they provide more than 42.2 million square feet of usable storage space. To give you some idea of the vastness of that available space, that’s the equivalent of some 127 football pitches, or 15,000 tennis courts!
What Are The Reasons To Use Self-Storage?
The UK has, on average, smaller homes than many of our European neighbours. British homes average out at around 72 square metres compared to the average French home of 79 square metres or the much more spacious average Spanish homes of 91, and German homes of 92.6 square metres respectively. The average UK home seems almost ‘dwarfed’ by the positively ‘mansion-like’ proportions of the average Italian home at 108 square metres!
Another factor in this is the relatively high-cost of property in the UK, in comparison with these other countries, which has led to more of us living in shared accommodation, or at home with family, until we are much older.
This need for alternative, extra storage of our possessions from our homes is the most commonly-stated reason for people utilising self-storage facilities – some 40% cite lack of space at home. A further 11% quote the ‘desire’, rather than the necessity, to just create some extra space at home.
21% of people use self-storage as a convenience when moving between homes, whilst another 6% take advantage of the facility to ‘de-clutter’ their home in order to better present it for sale. These figures suggest that people are using the service for more than a ‘short-term, stop-gap’ solution to their restricted space issues.
How Do People Choose A Storage Facility?
Figures suggest that, contrary to the modern awareness trend of carefully researching and comparing available offers and services, 68% of people choose a storage facility purely on a convenient geographical basis. The most commonly-stated reason for choice of facility was that people had seen it from the road in their local area!
Although many of these facilities will offer the latest security measures, it is advised that you research, and secure, self-storage insurance that is appropriate for your specific requirements.
Chelsea Self Storage
Chelsea Self Storage we have 30 years experience in providing the ideal storage solutions for businesses. We understand the optimal storage methods for archived documents and records and can help you calculate the right size of unit you’ll need to maximise your budget. With some of the lowest competitive rates in the capital, we’re convinced that we can offer a file management solution that’s just right for your business.
We are conveniently located near Kensington, a short walk from the Kings Road in Fulham, and have satisfied clients right across London who can testify to our capability and customer service.
If you need to reclaim valuable office storage space then contact us today and we’ll be happy to help you archive your records safely and securely.
