Are you running out of space at home over Christmas? If you are, you wouldn’t be alone. At this time of year we often need additional space in our homes for guests, extra furniture, extra food, drink and, of course, Christmas presents!
Self-storage is often worth considering, whenever you have a short term need for additional space at home and Christmas is no exception. Here is our take on the best uses for self-storage over the festive period…
Making space at home
The demands for space at home at this time of year are many and varied. Christmas trees and other festive decorations often need to displace furniture to be accommodated. If you have a garage or other suitable space where you can store the redundant items temporarily, so much the better, however, the weather at this time of year can be problematic when storing fine or soft furnishings, especially in an unheated space where environmental moisture and other factors may have a detrimental effect. Although using a self-storage facility for a short period of Christmas will come at a cost, it is likely to be much less than the cost of replacement of furniture should things get damaged.
Space for guests?
We often also have a need for more space for guests over Christmas, especially when friends and family don’t live close by. With many of us having had to work from home this year due to the ongoing pandemic, home offices have taken over a lot of spare bedrooms, making space for guests even more problematic. If you are expecting guests this year, packing away and storing your home office temporarily may be the answer to reclaim space for house guests over Christmas.
Presents to hide?
Hiding presents at home can be a challenge, especially if you have young children. There may be places in your house where you can safely store items away from prying eyes but there is always the danger that these may be discovered, disastrous if you are keeping them safe for Santa! Storage space in a dedicated facility need not be huge – at the smallest end of the scale you could rent something which is suitable for around 10 boxes (36 cu ft). More than ample for most smaller presents you would want to hide. Larger items like bicycles or other larger sporting equipment may require a bit more space – for a guide on what you can store in some typically sized units, have a look at our blog – How much storage space do I need?
Keeping Christmas decorations organised
Self-storage could also provide a longer term solution for storing Christmas decorations throughout the year. Items like larger artificial trees and outside decorations can be bulky and difficult to store and keep organised throughout the year and again may be subject to damage when stored in areas which are prone to excessive heat or cold like lofts and garages. As well as the possible damage to the items themselves, the annual job of crawling around in the loft looking for the decorations is a Christmas tradition that I am sure many of us could live without!
Don’t forget…
However long you are using storage for – adequate Storage Insurance is a must have to protect your possessions whilst you are storing them. One of the biggest fires ever seen in a storage unit broke out over the new year holiday in 2019 and saw a lot of storage customer lose everything, many of whom were under insured (see this blog for more). Whatever your reasons for using self storage, it is important to accurately assess the full replacement value of your stored items, and ensure that the sum insured provided is adequate to replace everything at the as new price.
For a competitive online quote and instant cover – visit our website. If you have any questions or need more information about self-storage insurance, you may find the answer in our FAQ’s