Storage Providers

Whatever reason you may have for needing a storage facility, you will find lots of different companies in the UK that can help you. Storage companies operate in big warehouses around most major towns and cities. You can find them by visiting our “Find a…”section.

There are quite a few different national companies that do this for you. They work by hiring out private rooms, from the size of a big wardrobe to the size of a football pitch, usually for a minimum of 7 days, but you can keep it for as long as you need to.

Once you have the key – or security code - you can access the warehouse anytime and pick up or drop of your stuff whenever you want. People in the UK use them all the time when they are redecorating, which they do at least once a year, or simply because most people have more stuff than space will allow at home.

With property prices so high in the UK – amongst the most expensive anywhere in the world – many people do not have enough space, but hold onto their cherished belongings while they work towards moving to their big ‘dream home’. This would perhaps go someway towards explaining why there are so many storage companies visible as you drive around the country.

How to hire

In the past you could just turn up and pay in advance and get access to your own storage space with no questions asked. Unfortunately in 2008, partly because of organised crime, it is no longer so simple to hire a storage facility and you will be asked to provide some important documents first.

You will need to show some photo I.D. and proof of where you live so that they have a record of who you are. You can then chose to either pay by Direct Debit - through your bank account; pay over the telephone, or in person each month.

Security

All good storage facilities will have 24 hour security to protect your property. This should include CCTV cameras, security staff, fire alarms and individual burglar alarms on each room. You will also have a basic level of insurance and the option to increase this if you wish.

The high level of security means that you should feel confident about leaving precious items such as photo albums in the storage facility. They will also sell you any boxes and packaging material that you need to package everything up safely.

Important Documents

You can also arrange for any important documents, such as wills, birth certificates and title deeds of property to be stored in the UK by professional legal-document storage companies. These companies specialise in this area and will make sure that your documents are kept in a safe and secure environment. They even control the room temperature.

This is a good way of keeping your most important documents safe. You might even want to consider sending all your documents by post to the UK before you move, rather than risk losing them amongst all that unpacking when you arrive!

You can search for document storage facilities in our “Find a…” section.

By John Hillman

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USEFUL WORDS

Places to Store
warehouse = a building where large quantities of goods are stored (usually for shops)
self-storage facilities = a warehouse for storing personal goods where the client holds a personal key or code to access his/her items
secure unit = a building or storage area which is guarded or made stronger so that items inside can be protected
size / weight limit = the maximum size or weight allowed

Containers for Moving Items
suitcase
box
bag
packing case = a large, strong box
trunk = a large, strong box with a lid
crate = a large container made of plastic, wood or metal
sack = a large bag with no handles, made of string, rough material, paper or plastic

GRAMMAR SPOT

Adjective Word Order

Adjectives normally come before nouns (attributive adjectives) or after verbs like be, become, look, get (predicative adjectives):
We found a great self-storage facility (attributive)
Our self-storage facility was great (predicative)

Other rules
General before specific:
a large wooden container

Opinion before description:
important security issues

The first and the last normally come before numbers and dates:
We are travelling in the first week of May

Phrasal Verbs with Weigh
I hate being weighed down with heavy suitcases when I travel (carrying very heavy things)
She looked tired and weighed down with problems (having a lot of problems)
We’ll have to weigh up the alternatives before deciding (consider and compare)
She weighed out a kilo of nuts and put them into a bag (weighed a quantity of loose goods)
I have to confess something to you.  It’s been weighing on me for ages (troubling my mind)
The discussion was getting heated, and then Tom weighed in with some uncomfortable financial arguments (added more points to the argument)