With the house market in the doldrums and mortgage borrowing hard to come by, many families who would have considered moving have to stay put but need more room for growing children.
A self storage unit is the ideal solution, costing just a few pounds a week.

Shifting unused or unloved possessions to a storage unit can create space from the clutter of furniture, toys and stuff everyone has piled around their home, garden and garage.

If you live in or around London NW8 – that’s St John’s Wood, Swiss Cottage South Hampstead and the surrounding area – then Lockaway Self Storage is on your doorstep.

Moving in is simple – Lockaway Self Storage can even help with a van for shifting your belongings and a wide range of packaging materials.

Self storage is just like adding massive new space to your home – but without all the cost and hassle of building.

Many families keep furniture and personal possessions they don’t have the room for at home but feel they can’t throw away for personal or sentimental reasons.

Self storage units are also great for putting summer garden furniture, toys and equipment over the winter – and then swop around with winter sports equipment like skis and snowboards in the spring.

Upgrading to a bigger space is easy and can generally take place within an hour or so.

Self storage is better than leaving everything in a cold shed or garage because Lockaway Self Storage units are are climate controlled, dry and clean to make sure your possessions are kept safe and are not damaged by condensation.

To find out more, just call Lockaway Self Storage on 020 3283 8794 and one of our friendly customer agents will take you through the process step-by-step.

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Moving excess stock  equipment and documents off the premises to a self storage unit frees up space that you’re are paying for anyway and that could be contributing towards your bottom line instead of sitting under a pile of boxes.

An accountant will say if you have business space earning £x per square foot and a lot of that space produces no income, then packing up all that stuff to free up business room to make more money is a sensible solution.

Don’t forget that accountant will also tell you the cost of business self storage is also an allowable business expense that you can deduct from profits before tax.

Another advantage of self storage is excess stock and business records are still easily accessible because storage centres have long opening hours.

Self storage makes sense financially as well. If you rented larger business premises, you would have to take out a lease with a commitment of at least five years, probably have to fit the and clean the premises out and pay legal costs and a deposit – all costs you can forget with self storage.

All of a sudden the relative costs of short or long term self storage against renting or buying premises plus all the add-on costs of managing and equipping the building seem to balance out well in favour of self storage.

In addition to standard storage units, some self storage facilities are available fitted out with pallet racking or archive storage.

Clean, secure and flexible self storage is within a few minutes drive of any business in or around London NW8 with Lockaway Self Storage, which is conveniently sited just off the Finchley Road.

To find out more about business self storage, call one of Lockaway Self Storage’s friendly customer service staff on 020 3283 8794

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safe and secure - lockaway self storage london nw8

Any first time self storage customer needs to know the answers to a few questions before giving over their belongings to a firm they don’t know.

It’s not unusual for some back street storage and removal companies to have unsuitable damp and dirty premises with little or no security that can ruin fragile items.

So here are a few key pointers that will sort the self storage experts from the cowboys:

Climate control

It may seem stupid to ask if stored belongings are kept in air-conditioned rooms, but damp is the number one cause of damage to fragile items. Self storage rooms without climate control are subject to extremes of hot and cold, which causes condensation.

If the air is not circulating in a storage room and condensation forms, this causes damp in clothes, upholstery and documents. Damp also warps heavy furniture like wooden table tops.

Tight security

The customer is the only person who should have a key to a self storage room. Good self storage centres have state-of-the art alarm systems with PIN access and 24/7 CCTV. Most have sophisticated fire and smoke alarms as well.

Easy access

Squeezing too many units in to a self storage facility leads to accidents and poor access. Corridors should be well lit and wide. Corners should have room to turn a trolley. Drive up access for vehicles and plenty of parking if the loading bays are busy is a must.

Long opening hours and staff on site

Most busineses can arrange 24/7 access to external containers, but householders and students really need day time and early evening access every day, including weekends. Having staff available in case of problems is also helpful.

Insuring belongings

Cheap, comprehensive insurance is vital in case belongings get damaged in self storage. Most good self storage firms can arrange insurance or personal cover can be obtained from a broker.

Any self storage centre that ticks the ‘yes’ box for these pointers is showing the needs of customers are considered and the staff care about looking after the belongings left with them.

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Storing

Many businesses struggle to find the space in their trading premises to archive documents  – and moving just to stack papers is an expensive option.

The best place to keep archived business documents safe and secure is in a rented self storage unit.

Because the tax or VAT man can call to see financial records for up to five years after any accounts or return based on those records was filed, businesses need to keep vast quantities of paperwork.

Not only do documents need looking after to make sure they stay in good condition, they also have to be kept secure to comply with data protection laws.

Another worry is criminals stealing information in identity theft fraud.
Self storage centres solve all these problems for business.

A professional storage facility offers climate-controlled storage rooms with racking for document archive boxes.

Climate control is important and well worth paying for because documents will be kept in pristine condition because damage from damp or condensation is eliminated.

Businesses can also rest assured document archives are secure as storage centres have first class security, including CCTV monitoring the site and state-of-the-art alarms.

Self storage facilities will also have precautions in place to deal with fire and other hazards.

Cost conscious businesses can keep expenses down by managing the storage space and removing records that are no longer required for shredding and secure disposal.

Self storage archiving is convenient because the records are stored safely, but easily accessible, especially if the archiver clearly labels and organises the documents.

Most self storage units are open during business hours – and many for longer hours as well.

Access to a storage rooms is also easy for staff carrying heavy document bundles.

Wide, well-lit corridors, plenty of trolleys and accessible loading bays make shifting document archives straightforward.

An added bonus is archiving documents off-site frees up valuable space at business premises.

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Paying top dollar for a second-rate self

Searching the web or flicking through the Yellow Pages will turn up dozens of storage centres within a few miles of your home or business and most will offer the same space at a similar price.

Watch out for the cheapest. In the end you get what you pay for and if one storage facility is offering the same space at a massive discount on everyone else, there has to be a reason why.

Comparing what you get for your money across several self storage centres is difficult without spending hours visiting and checking out each one.

After all, they are going to have decent testimonials on their web sites and their staff would say they are the best, wouldn’t they?

Priorities for self storage vary from person to person, but generally, the lists are pretty much the same but in a different order:

Cost: Calculate this as a cost per cubic foot by multiplying the floor area by the height and then taking the figure and dividing the total rental cost.

For example, the unit measures 10 feet deep x 6 feet wide and 8 feet high, which gives a total of 480 cubic feet.

Now take the rental cost per week and add the insurance cost per week and any other charges (If there are any!).

Let’s say the cost is £22 a week. Divide £22 by 480 = 0.046 per cubic foot per week.

Security: Staff on the premises for long opening hours, a good security fence and CCTV for out-of-hours monitoring are the basics to expect.

Storage conditions: Climate controlled storage is a must because this stops condensation and damp damaging documents, photographs, fabrics and furniture. The storage centre should be brightly lit, clean and tidy throughout. If the staff have no respect for their own premises, they are unlikely to have any respect for your belongings.

Extras: Nice to have but not necessary are a courtesy van that’s clean, friendly staff who are keen to help, plenty of trolleys for moving your boxes and an in-store shop for packaging materials at discount rates.

If you have a choice of local self storage centres and the closest don’t come up to scratch, it’s worth travelling the extra few miles and paying a few extra pounds for good service, safe and secure storage and peace of mind.

Anything else can be a false economy.

Lockaway Self Storage, based just off the Finchley Road in London NW8, is a leading, professional self storage centre that offers value for money plus everything you would expect a leading firm in the sector to deliver.

To find out more, phone 020 3283 8794 and chat to one of our storage experts who will talk you through renting the right space for your needs at the right price.

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Removals and self storage both work on the same basic premise – they are selling space.

It makes sense to sort through your possessions and only move what you want to keep and then to squeeze those belongings in to a small a space as possible without risking any damage.

For a removals firm, less time on the job plus a smaller lorry equals a cheaper price.

For self storage, good packing equals less boxes that adds up to saving money by renting a smaller space.

Don’t forget you will probably have to rent more room in a storage unit than the actual space the boxes take up because you may need to get in to access the items at the back.

Stacking with a walkway in between means you can easily get to all the boxes without having to shift everything in the storage unit.

You also have to consider the stack height of boxes. This depends on the size of the box, how you have packed the contents and the weight of what’s inside.

Lockaway Self Storage has a choice of rooms available ranging from mini lockers about the size of a double cupboard or wardrobe to massive containers.

Drive up access makes loading storage space easy. The storage centre has climate controlled, dry, clean rooms to protect your belongings. Storage units are locked and secure with visitors to the site monitored by CCTV.

Packing is also important, and Lockaway Self Storage sells a complete range of boxes, bubble wrap and tapes for boxing up just about anything safely.

If you are not sure how to work out how much storage space you need, phone 020 3283 8794 and chat to one of our storage experts who will talk you through renting the right space for your needs at the right price.

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Students are prime targets for crooks who want to make a quick buck from selling stolen electronics like games consoles, personal stereos and laptops.

Carting heavy electronics, books and other belongings about is not practical for many students, especially if they are moving around for job experience or need to go overseas.

Often, finding somewhere safe to keep these valuables out of term time is a problem.

Lockaway Self Storage has had some degree of success with the solution – cheap and secure storage lockers that keeps crooks out and gives students peace of mind while they are on work placements or holiday.

Secure self storage is somewhere where they can rely on to keep everything they own safe and sound so they can concentrate on work or enjoy a break from uni or college.

Lockaway Self Storage is a short stroll from Swiss Cottage tube or South Hampstead rail station and easy to get to from Abbey Road or the Finchley Road.

No-nonsense contracts and flexible storage space mean you can just pay for the storage room you use. If you need the space for a shorter or longer time than planned, then that’s not a problem either.

That way, if you are away longer than you thought, you don’t have to worry about what happens to your belongings.

When you do return, your possessions will be just as you left them because our secure storage is just that – only you have the key and no one has access to your storage room.

To find out more, call 020 3283 8794 to arrange renting some space with one of our friendly customer advisers. They can also help you sort out transporting your belongings with one of our clean vans and arrange any packaging materials from our on site store.

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One of the tips of the trade is making the best use of self storage.

Self storage is a cheap way of clearing out that tired old furniture and piles of prized belongings while showing off your home at it’s best to viewers.

Most of us can’t afford to dump all our carpets and furniture on a whim when we want to put our home up for sale – plus we just don’t know what we might need when we move in to our new place.

That’s where self storage comes in. You can have as much or as little space as you need for as long as you want it.

Storage units have plenty of space for sofas, tables and anything else you need to keep secure and dry.

While your furniture is in storage, many house ‘dressers’ rent newer and more trendy furnishings to make your home look bigger and brighter.

Self storage also makes moving easier, because you can sort and pack your belongings before locking them up safe and sound until you need them. Self storage offers flexible terms and open ended contract with short notice, so you don’t have to worry about moving your possessions by a certain date.

Costs depend on the size of the space you are renting and start at just a few pounds a month.

Storage units keep your belongings in tip-top condition because they are climate controlled to stop damp and condensation that can lead to warping and damp.

You can put more than furniture and household belongings in self storage – all that garden furniture that needs a coat of varnish or those toys and tools overflowing in the garage can also go in to your storage room, giving you more space to show off to viewers.

For more information about Lockaway Self Storage, call 020 3283 8794.

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With the clocks changing to give us more day light to get out to deal, we have and have to get to grips with that pile of stuff we dump with no more excuses that the winter nights are just to cold and dark to put everything away properly.

One of the first jobs is to check what’s there and divide the pile in to what we want to keep – then get rid of the stuff that’s not needed.

A few trips down the dump in the car should sort that out. Next, look at what’s left. Some of the things are needed every day and others only now and then.

Take sports gear like skis and snowboards – in a couple of weeks the season has ended so why not clean them up and pack them away until later in the year?

The same goes for other winter gear.

Many of us spend a lot of time in the spring reviving garden furniture, BBQs and toys left out over winter.

Just think of all that time and hassle saved if everything from the garden had gone in to self storage instead.

If you have children, no doubt you need to consider toddlers finishing with cots and needing new beds and if you need to clear out some furniture that’s too good to go for some more living space.

Self storage is just what you need for some breathing space. Lockaway Self Storage has plenty of space – from lockers up to containers that can take the strain off your home.

With mortgages so tough to find, self storage is fast becoming a better and cheaper solution than the hassle involved in moving home simply because you have outgrown the rooms.

Lockaway Self Storage even has a van available for moving your belongings from home to the storage centre and plenty of packaging materials to keep valuable or delicate property safe and sound.

To find out more, just call on 020 3283 8794 and one of our friendly customer agents will take you through the process step-by-step.

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As all classic car collectors realise, specialist cars have stringent insurance conditions and to make sure the car retains value, the right storage has to be provided.

Few classic car collectors are lucky enough to have the funds for one of just 36 170 mph Ferraris made in the early Sixties, and is widely regarded by many as the ultimate sports car.

Collecting and restoring classic cars has a huge following of enthusiasts.

Cars are lovingly restored to end-of-production-line condition and it’s a point of pride as well as sensible to maintain them like that, otherwise their value diminishes.

Self-storage is an ideal place to keep a classic car away from sticky fingers and the ravages of the elements.

Lots of classic cars are kept in draughty garages under tarpaulins, but serious enthusiasts realise the climate-controlled, damp-free and secure environment of a self-storage centre provides the best conditions for keeping their valuable asset at a reasonable price.

Lockaway Self-Storage has drive-up storage that is just right for classic cars.

The rooms are cool, dry and clean, that helps keep the car pristine and rust-free.

Damaging ultraviolet is banished, as self-storage is windowless so the sun can’t take the sheen and lustre away from delicate paintwork.

Secure storage facilities with 24/7 CCTV coverage also mean the car is safe.

All the owner has to do is check up on the car and arrange to move any settled dust – that’s the one thing Lockaway Self Storage cannot guarantee will creep in to your storage room.

The market for top-end classic cars is buoyant, with a UK collector recently selling a 1930s Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 sports car for £12 million. A Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sold for about £8 million in May 2009 and holds the record for a car offered in a public auction.

If you fancy buying in to your motoring dream, 50 classic cars are due to go under the hammer at Oxford on March 6.

The lots include a 1956 Bentley S1 Continental sports saloon, valued at a more modest £150,000  - £180,000 in comparison to the Ferrari.

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