Guide: the short version
- The gap
- Usually ten to fourteen weeks, mid June to mid September
- What we do
- Move the room into a facility and back out again
- What we do not do
- Hold goods on our own premises
- Both legs together
- £280 to £620, cheaper than booking separately
- Book by
- Before exams start, not after
What it costs
Everything below includes VAT, the crew, the van, the wrapping, the fuel and the Congestion Charge where it applies.
| Job | Price |
|---|---|
| Room into storage, one legJune, out of the hall and into the unit | £150 to £340 |
| Both legs booked togetherOut in June and back in September, one quote | £280 to £620 |
| End of term clearance alongsideWhat is not worth storing, disposed of properly | £120 to £280 |
What size unit a room actually needs
A hall room of belongings, packed into boxes with the bedding bagged, is a small unit: the size most facilities sell as a locker or a 25 square foot space. A shared flat room with furniture in it is roughly double that.
The mistake is booking on the size of the room rather than the size of the pile. Measure the pile. Facilities will happily sell you more space than you need and will not remind you that you are paying for air.
Book both legs at once, and why
Two separate bookings means two minimum charges, two lots of travel, and a September return arranged in a rush by somebody who has just landed at Heathrow. One booking is cheaper, and the same crew that packed the unit is the one emptying it.
It also fixes the September date while there is still availability. The week before term is the single busiest of our year, and a return leg booked in August is a return leg that happens.
What is not worth storing
Twelve weeks of storage on a chest of drawers costs more than the chest of drawers. The same is true of most desk chairs, drying racks, cheap shelving and anything from the kitchen that is not a decent pan.
Clear it rather than store it. An end of term clearance is £120 to £280 for a room, taken to a licensed transfer station with a waste transfer note, and the storage unit you then need is smaller and cheaper for the whole summer.
Worth knowing
- Book the September return at the same time as the June collection
- Measure the pile rather than the room when choosing a unit size
- Clear the cheap furniture instead of paying to store it for twelve weeks
- Bag bedding and clothes: they take a third of the space loose
- Label boxes for the return rather than for the collection, because that is when it matters
Summer storage: common questions
How much does summer storage cost for a student?
Our part, the two moves, is £280 to £620 for both legs booked together, or £150 to £340 for one leg on its own. The storage itself is paid to the facility and depends on the unit size and the weeks, so it is worth pricing that separately.
Do you store things yourselves?
No. We do not hold goods on our own premises. We move you into a storage facility and back out of it, and you have the contract with the facility directly. That means you can get to your things without going through us.
What size storage unit do I need for a hall room?
A packed hall room is usually a locker or around 25 square foot. A room from a shared flat with furniture is roughly double. Judge it on the size of the pile once packed, not the size of the room it came out of.
When should I book?
Before exams start. The last two weeks of June are when every hall in London empties and the week before term in September is our busiest of the year. Both book out, and the return leg is the one people leave too late.
Is it cheaper to store or to take things home?
It depends entirely on where home is. Within the UK, taking things home usually wins. For an international student, twelve weeks of storage is almost always cheaper than shipping a room in both directions.