Complete Guide On Looking For A Storage Unit in Brixton

Who isn’t attracted with the idea of living it up in the big city? It’s a well-known fact that the city is rife with golden opportunities. I moved to London intending to have the typical city experience, get my dream job, live in my own flat, and have a lot of savings. However, things didn’t pan out the way I hoped. It turns out. Life in London isn’t like how the movies depict.

I’ve been living in Brixton, and it’s been promising so far. I was on the opposite side of the River Thames from where I wanted to be. I learned that the “London experience”, aside from the culture and the nightly pub visits, is about making do with your small flat, dealing with the crowded tube, and complaining about the tourists that will crowd your favourite spot. Admittedly, there were a lot of rough patches. I learned to adjust and be creative with how I solve my problems.

Why Rent A Self Storage Unit?

Brixton may be a residential area, but it can still be pretty pricey. One of the main benefits of living in the area is the availability of house and flatshares. Co-sharing keeps the living costs down. Even if you’re living on your own and not sharing, chances are you have a small flat. Self storage can give you the space you need.

Think about it. If you live on your own, you have to shoulder all the bills --- water, gas, electricity, not to mention rent. Considering rent is priced according to location and square footage, you have to find a small flat to cut down on expenses. London properties are notoriously small. You have to squeeze in your room to make all of your stuff fit.

If you have roommates, you can get a more spacious place. However, you have to constantly negotiate how much you can keep in the house. If you don’t handle confrontation well, you might be able to keep all of your belongings. At the end of the day, you need a place for your items.

I’ve tried it both ways, and one situation isn’t better than the other. I needed to look for self storage in Brixton to keep my personal belongings without compromising my living space. I'm renting a unit with Henfield Storage and haven’t looked back since.

How To Find A Storage Facility In Brixton?

It isn’t difficult to find a storage facility. I did a quick Google search and settled on the one that best suited my needs. For me, Henfield Storage did the trick. It is a London-based facility with multiple branches. So first, I checked which one was closest to me. Their Southwark branch was only 25-30 mins away, depending on the traffic, so it was an easy choice.

When you are looking for a storage facility, it is all about knowing what you need. If this is your first time renting a storage unit, learn about what makes for good self storage.

Five Qualities Your Self Storage Should Have

Not all facilities are created equal. Here, we discuss the five most important qualities that your self storage facility should have.

Clean And Spacious Units

There are some facilities that don’t properly monitor what people keep in their units. Those places tend to smell and have stains on the floor. It isn’t exactly the best place to keep your items.

Your additional storage should not affect the condition of your items. Imagine your couch cushions or old clothes, absorbing the smell of whatever died in your neighbouring unit. It isn’t worth it. Look for places that offer clean and spacious units.

Variety Of Sizes

Besides having spacious units, look for facilities that have different sizes because they tend to be more budget-friendly. If you only want to keep a couple of boxes away, it doesn’t make sense to rent a unit that size of a small bedroom. You end up paying for space you don’t use.

However, if all units are like roughly the size of a broom-closet, how about your bulky items? You wouldn’t be able to store appliances like your refrigerator, microwave, and washing machine along with furniture sets like your bed, sofa, or dining table. Even if you were only keeping boxes and bins, you would have to pay for multiple units to keep everything. It just wouldn’t be cost efficient.

I went with a unit that could accommodate my old bike, a couple of boxes filled with books and clothes, just items that don’t fit at home. I chose one with a little bit of extra room, but not so much that it made a massive dent in my budget. You can usually talk to the staff on hand to better understand what size suits your needs.

Accessible Location

To easily get the items you need as soon as possible, the facility shouldn’t be too far away. When it takes more than an hour, it is easy to feel lazy and unmotivated to make the trip. You might end up buying the item for convenience-sake, and that defeats the purpose of having a unit. Look for a storage facility that has a nearby transportation route so you can access your unit through commute or by car.

Competitive Prices

Storage facilities are meant to be a budget option so that you can get the best price possible. If the cost is close to renting a larger flat in Brixton, is it really a steal? The main appeal of these units is getting the space you need at an affordable rate. When it fails to do this, move on. There are companies with the same units at a better price.

I opted to go for Henfield Storage purely because of their price match guarantee and additional discounts. I wanted a long-term unit to hold my things while I was in Brixton. Considering how these monthly payments tend to add up, I needed something that suited my budget. After all, who am I to turn down a good deal?

World-Class Security

Storage facilities often hold a ton of personal and valuable items that can range from vintage collections, family heirlooms, electronics, and fine china. Trusted storage companies must employ a decent security system in place. They should have a CCTV surveillance system along with other appropriate measures to deter theft.

While I don’t have anything particularly expensive in my unit, I don’t like the idea of people stealing from me. So I made sure to look for a company that offers fire and intruder alarms just in case. Again, if my items are damaged or stolen, it defeats the purpose of having a unit.

If you are going to invest, make sure you commit to finding the best unit for you. My initial search took hours checking each storage company near Brixton. You can start yours by working with this list and adding your concerns like is the unit accessible by wheelchair? Are there other incentives? What kind of items can I keep in my unit? With all of that, you should be able to find the best fit. Best of luck!