How do I get a quote?

Get in contact

Most self storage companies will let you approach them either in person, or on the phone or by email. They’ll usually require your details before giving you a quote for the particular amount of space you want. Very few firms openly display their prices online; instead, they’ll tell you that you have to fill in a registration form first, or that you need to call them; so it is important that you have a strong idea of the amount of space you need before you begin.

Make a visit

Visit the units to have a look at them before you commit yourself, so you can ensure you’re satisfied with the security arrangements, check that your space will be clean and dry, and find out if the staff (who you’ll have to deal with several times in the future) are friendly. This also provides an opportunity to examine the convenience of the loading areas and trial-run the journey there and back.

Expect a follow-up

Once they’ve given you a quote, don’t be surprised if some companies use the details you’ve supplied them with to badger you about accepting it, especially by getting salespeople to ring your home. Many of the larger companies actively encourage you to shop around by offering to match a lower offer, so trying to hold out until you can find one may be worthwhile. On the other hand, there is usually also a fixed period in which your original quote will be honoured (14 days at Big Yellow, for example), so procrastinating for too long may prove counterproductive.. 

How much will I pay?

The million-dollar (or several hundred-pound) question for any potential customer. The answer is that it’s hard to know until you actually speak to a salesperson at one of the companies. In their annual reports for 2009, the three FTSE 100 listed self storage companies (Big Yellow, Safestore & Lok’nStore) gave their average annual price per square foot as:

Multiply any of these by the number of square feet you want to rent (remember, this will be fixed by the available unit sizes), and this will give you an idea of the amount you’ll be paying each year (just divide by twelve for the monthly rate). However, this isn’t exact because:

• These are national averages, meaning you’ll pay more in London, the South-East and other large cities than you would in less-populated areas
• It depends on how full the individual storage site is; one with little room to spare can charge new customers a premium for the remaining space, whilst half-empty ones often slash their rents to fill up all the spare units