There are many reasons why you might need to be away from your home for an extended period of time – work, school, or volunteering abroad. Or you might have just decided that you want to travel the globe for a whole year!
There are many things to consider before you depart, like what you will do with all your belongings, for example. Paying rent for months on end might not be economically feasible, and your friends and family might not have the space to keep all your stuff either. The best solution to this problem is to use a professional long-term storage service.
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Long-term storage benefits
There are more than a few reasons why moving your belongings into long-term storage is the best thing you can do both for your items and your peace of mind! Long-term storage has lots of benefits:
Long-term storage reduces loss or damage risk
Long-term storage helps keep items in good shape, preventing them from deteriorating due to humidity, temperature fluctuations, or light exposure.
If you have very valuable personal items, expensive sports equipment, or you own precious antique furniture and decorations, then it’s completely normal to worry about the safety of these belongings while you’re travelling long-term.
The thought of something happening to your things while you’re away, be it a burglary, a burst pipe or even a fire, might keep you up at night or just not let you fully concentrate on your work or relax during your holiday.
So, if you don’t want to worry about the possibility of any of these things happening while you’re halfway around the world, moving all your valuable belongings into long-term storage, where they will be under lock & key and 24/7 surveillance, definitely is the safest approach.
A long-term storage facility is cheaper than renting a flat
Long-term storage is less expensive than renting an apartment only to keep your belongings. It’s usually more expensive to rent a flat than to rent storage space. Apartments usually come with extra expenses like utilities, maintenance fees, and furniture. While long-term storage facility costs usually depend on the size of the unit and how long you rent it for.
You’ll still have to keep up with flat lease payments and bills, while you are away, which can stretch your budget thin. A good way to alleviate some of this financial strain is to take all your valuable personal belongings and safely keep them at a dedicated long-term storage facility.
Moving houses and long-term storage
Leaving your belongings in your rental apartment while you’re away might sound like a good plan- but what if your landlord calls one day and tells you, “I’ll be selling the apartment, so you have to come to pick up your things this week, or I’ll toss them out on the street”?
Nobody wants to hear this while they’re thousands of miles from the apartment in question, so if you think that such a situation is possible with your current landlord, then you should seriously consider what to do with your belongings before embarking on long-term travel.
Ask friends or family if they can help move out your things if such a predicament does happen and if they can help you, that’s great! But if they don’t have the space available or live too far away to be able to assist you, then moving all your possessions into long-term storage is what you should do before beginning your travels.
Storing your things in a commercial storage facility is an inexpensive way of ensuring nobody touches, steals, breaks or throws your things out while you’re gone. Besides, you can always move your things back into your apartment when you get back if you choose to keep renting it.
What are the belongings that require storage?
You have many different personal items, and taking them all with you when you move out or even just placing them in long-term storage can be quite cumbersome. You need to choose what you’d like to keep, throw away or donate, and this way, you’ll also declutter your life a bit, which is never a bad thing! Keep only what you truly consider necessary, as the more items you have, the more storage you will need to pay for in the end.
The list of things you’d want to keep and store varies widely from person to person, but the items people most often put into long-term storage are:
- Jewellery – rings, earrings, necklaces, wristwatches and other expensive small items
- Heirlooms and antiques – items of varying size with big monetary and/or sentimental value
- Electronics – personal computers, TVs, audio systems and other pricey devices
- Cars – if you own a car, then you should consider moving it somewhere safe while you’re gone, so you don’t have to worry about it being broken into, damaged or towed away
This list is in no way exhaustive, but it should give you a good idea of what types of items you should move into a storage facility while you’re far away from home. You can always choose to store all sorts of valuable items, but you should always keep in mind that the more things you store, the more you need to pay for storing them.
Alternatives to long-term storage
If your family doesn’t live too far away from you, then it’s a good idea to ask them whether you can store some small items, especially clothes that you won’t need on your travels, in your old room and closet.
If your family is just a bit too far away for either of you to make the trip over, then you could ask some friends who live close by whether you can store some of your smaller items in their homes.
You should still consider that your family and friends might not have the room to store bulkier items like a bookshelf, bed etc., so you should look towards renting furniture storage, so you don’t need to inconvenience your close ones with storing your larger belongings.
Another option we mentioned earlier was to donate what you don’t need. Look through your older belongings – things like clothes and furniture you no longer use might be of great help to someone in need, so consider donating any such items to the local Red Cross or any other organisations that accept donations of this type.
A final thing to keep in mind when packing your things to give to friends & family or to store in a commercial storage facility is that packing your belongings properly will save you a lot of space, keep your personal items from getting broken during the moving process and even save you money because you’ve used the available space more efficiently!
You can also hire our professional movers to help you move all your belongings and take some of the weight of the big move off your shoulders.
What is considered long-term storage?
Long-term storage is when storing items for an extended time, typically between several months and several years, in a secure facility or container. Furniture, appliances, seasonal decorations, sports equipment, and excess inventory for businesses are commonly stored long-term.
The term long-term storage refers to storing items for more than 3 months in a storage facility. Long-term storage is great for decluttering or when you are travelling.
Is long-term storage worth it?
Yes, long-term storage provides a controlled and safe environment, protecting your items. There are a lot of benefits to long-term storage for both consumers and businesses. By storing things you don’t need right away, you’ll save space and reduce clutter, which makes you more efficient and organised.
Long-term storage facilities in London have surveillance cameras, access control systems, and staff on site. It’s cheaper to store stuff for a long time than to rent a bigger place. Whether you’re a business or an individual, storage facilities have competitive rates and flexible terms.
Takeaways
- Avoid worrying about your belongings while you’re away – move them someplace safe
- Store your personal items safely and cheaply by using long-term storage services
- Choose what to keep and store/ donate / throw away
- Ask friends and family if they can help with storing clothes and small items
- Make sure to pack your things properly to ease the process of moving
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