Renting A Self Storage Unit While Renovating Your Home in Essex

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Essex is a popular area for first-time homeowners. While properties are priced higher than the national average, it is significantly cheaper than those in big cities like London. As a commuter town, the average property prices are around £345,000, with new houses at £372,000 and established homes at £342,000

Most residents opt for old, established homes that they can buy for cheap and use the extra cash to make it a more personalised space. It doesn’t make sense to build your dream house from scratch when you can make it for half the cost. All you have to do is find a home in Essex with good bones and get to work. 

If you plan on renovating your home in Essex, a self-storage unit can be a handy partner. So before you start hiring builders and drafting plans – consider renting a unit first. 

Renting A Self Storage Unit in Essex

When you remodel, your belongings are bound to be displaced and moved to different parts of the house. It can crowd empty bedrooms and narrow hallways – decreasing your already limited floor space. Instead of forcing everything to fit, you can rent a self storage unit in Essex for the duration of the renovation. 

Clear out all the nonessential items from your home and make way for the things you need to keep. You can hire a removals company in Essex to help you transfer the bulky pieces to your unit. With these belongings out of the way, you free up a ton of space. See? A unit is a quick and easy solution for your home renovation. 

Questions You Should Ask Before Renting A Unit

When you are going to rent a self storage unit, you need to ask yourself these 5 questions: 

  1. Where Is It Located?

Storage facilities are scattered around the city. Most of them are located either in the centre of the city or in the outskirts. Try to find a facility that is most accessible and affordable for you. 

A storage unit in High Street might be easy to find, but their rates are high. And since it is in such a central location, you have to deal with rush hour traffic. Do you really want to deal with the traffic every time you need to pick up something? 

It would be best if you look for a facility that is close to home so you can easily access your belongings. With your unit nearby, you should have no trouble making multiple visits while your home is being renovated.

  1. What Are The Sizes Available?

You need to find a self storage facility that has your ideal unit size. Companies offer a wide variety, so it might be overwhelming at first. But again, it is about finding that balance. 

It should be large enough to accommodate all of your belongings comfortably without wasting too much space. A 35 sq ft to 50 sq ft should be a suitable range for most renovations. If you are redoing the entire house, you might want to consider units in the 70 sq ft to 125 sq ft range. 

  1. What Are Their Rates?

Choose a facility with the most competitive rates and excellent packages. Most companies don’t list their unit prices upfront, so you’ll need to send an enquiry first. When you get their free quotes, compare them and see which facility has the best price. 

A couple of tips when comparing storage units – remember that they should have similar features. It wouldn’t be fair to compare the price of a 25 sq ft unit with a 35 sq ft unit, or a facility with climate control vs one without. 

Lower rates don’t necessarily mean better value. If a company has the features you like or it is conveniently located, don’t be quick to write it off. These things might have a value that only you recognise. You’ll have to judge whether it is worth it or not. 

  1. Are There Security Measures In Place?

When you are renovating your house, there are bound to be many contractors going in and out every day. As an extra safety measure, it is best to move all your valuable and fragile items to your unit. These facilities have extensive security measures like CCTV networks and guards. Moving your belongings protects them from possible thieves and accidents. Even with a trusted team, anything can happen in a construction site. Do you really want to risk it?

  1. How Long Will You Use Them?

Keep the length of time in mind. Some facilities have lock-in periods. If you only need your unit for two weeks while replacing the carpets or painting the walls – look for something with a little more flexibility. However, if you are adding a new bedroom or redoing your plumbing, you should consider more long-term arrangements. 

There are so many benefits to renting a storage unit in Essex while going through a renovation. It protects the items from the rough construction work, and it offers more space for your contractors. With most of your items out of the way, they can work without any obstruction. 

Renting a self storage unit allows you to preserve the value of your items, work with a tight budget, and streamline the process for your crew. You can even choose to keep your non-essentials in storage permanently in exchange for more living space.

About the Author

Katherine is a creative writing graduate with a passion for DIY. She understands the importance of prepping your space before any build because of many, many brushes with chaotic workspaces. She learned that doing the (prep) work beforehand always pays off in the end.

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