The term ‘self storage’ means different things to different people. To some, it represents a junkyard for forgotten belongings, to others, it acts as a lifeline during periods of transition. Whatever your current perception, it’s time to debunk common myths and reveal the truth about self storage…
Adopting the approach of popular TV show Mythbusters, it’s time to find out which myths are plausible and which are busted!
Self Storage Exposed
Myth 1: Self storage is for hoarders who use the space as an extension of their own over-crowded homes.
There’s no denying that we all love to shop. From toys and clothes to furniture and electronics, “we’ve got, by weight six times as much stuff” as the previous generation (Professor Danny Dorling, University of Oxford, BBC2- Real Storage Wars featuring Storemates UK).
In one year alone:
– Women buy half their body weight in clothes (Daily Mail)
– Parents spend an average of £639.60 on toys for children aged 0-5 (Aviva).
– London residents spend an average of £5,781 on decorating and new furnishings (Ideal Home).
Millennials, “the generation that wants more of everything”, are thought to be the driving force behind our growing obsession with things. But, with headlines about plastic pollution and our ‘throwaway’ culture sweeping the nation, is it necessarily a bad thing that we’re choosing to buy and store more of our belongings rather than sending them off to landfill?
Whether you’re a collector, a minimalist, or somewhere inbetween, self storage is there for you during periods of transition. What do you do with your things when you want to move house, redecorate or make room for a new or visiting family member? Introducing your “new spare room”: a self storage unit.
And self storage isn’t just for the consumer, peer behind the door of a self storage unit, and you’re likely to find a budding entrepreneur, busily building their business empire. From online retailers to SMEs, over a third of the self storage space in the UK is used by businesses in some capacity – that’s a whopping 150,000 business customers (SSA UK Annual Industry Report)! To find out how businesses are using self storage, check out this blog on managed storage by SureStore.
Myth 2: Self storage facilities are a destination for rowdy auctions
Many of us have enjoyed an episode or two of Storage Wars. But how authentic is it? Are abandoned storage units really auctioned off to the highest bidder in a free-for-all where buyers have no clue what’s in the unit?
The answer is, of course, no, they are not. Not only is this practice illegal in the UK, but, in a revealing exposé of the show, it was found to be largely fabricated for the viewers’ entertainment. To find out just how real Storage Wars is, read the article, “Is Storage Hunters UK Real or Fake?” So what really happens to abandoned self storage units in the UK? Attic Self Storage’s Frederic de Ryckman de Betz runs us through the process in this revealing BBC video.
Myth 3: Self storage is lifeless and boring
Whoever said that self storage was just a series of metal boxes filled with inanimate objects, prepare to eat your words! From Inner Space Station’s galactic décor (say hello to Skaro the Dalek at the entrance and Stormtroopers in reception) to Smart Storage’s sing-a-long giveaways, the self storage industry has personality by the bucket load. Feeling sceptical? Pop into your local self storage facility today!
Myth 4: The majority of people aren’t aware of storage companies
The UK is home to over 1,500 self storage facilities. To put that into context, there are more self storage sites in the UK than there are McDonalds. Despite their prevalence, over 60% of people cannot name a single self storage brand.
MYTH PLAUSIBLE… but this is beginning to change.
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