Breaking down the cost of student storage: how you can SAVE money

While we know students don’t have a lot of cash to spare, putting your stuff into storage can actually be the cheapest and most hassle-free option in the long-run, and with facilities all over the UK you have complete flexibility around transporting and accessing your items. Here are some other costs that you might run into that you might not have considered...

Leaving furniture in the house

Cost: Your deposit (£350)

It happens to the best of us. You’re hungover, you’re sad about leaving your housemates, you can’t fit all your stuff into your mum’s Smart car. You decide to leave some small pieces of furniture in the house, reasoning that the landlord won’t mind. Unfortunately, they do. While some kind landlords might decide to throw it in the skip free of charge (about 0.5% of them), most won’t be as forgiving. Leaving items in the house is likely to breach your tenancy agreement and can result in anything from a charge to throw out the offending items, or you losing your entire deposit.

Taking your furniture to the skip

Cost: a few hours’ hire of a man and van, plus beers for your helpers. £175

So you’ve decided you want a clean slate, and the best option is to just take the unnecessary stuff to the tip. However, don’t forget the costs of actually getting it there. For items like sofas you’ll need multiple people helping out, whether pals who’ll do it for a couple of chilled beverages afterwards or professionals. You’ll need to hire a man with a van too.

Storing it at your parents’ house

Cost: a day’s van hire. £250 (inc. petrol)

Why pay for storage when you’ve got the Warehouse of Mum and Dad just a few hours away? Just load it all up into a van and drive it for a couple of hundred miles along the motorway, right? And then drive it back down when you need it. But when you look at how much it’s going to cost you, you suddenly realise that the £90 Ikea bedframe that you’ve become so attached to is looking more and more like a terrible investment. Not included: the silent and growing resentment of your parents as your stuff gathers dust and takes up all the attic room, meaning that your dad has to stash his collection of limited edition Star Wars figurines in the mouldy old shed (or with Access Self Storage!).

Leaving it home alone for three months

Cost: your Xbox, signed Gibson guitar, spare laptop, and more. £500

Maybe you’re a student lucky enough to have your living situation all sorted, and you figure your stuff will be just fine in the house by itself for three months or so. Yes, nobody else will be there, but you really can’t turn down this opportunity to go backpacking in Peru – it will be the experience of a lifetime, and it’s not like your stuff needs looking after, like a baby or a houseplant.

Unfortunately, empty houses are an easy target for burglars. Before you know it you could be a-top Machu Picchu cursing that dodgy back door that the landlord never got round to fixing.

However, put your valuable stuff into storage for the summer and not only will it be safe as houses, but you’re insured up to the value of £2000.

If you’re looking to store something during term time or over the summer, we offer student storage – to find out more information, visit our student storage page.