Storage across Kent.
Chains slip. Completion dates move. Renovations overrun. Storage is what stops any of that turning into a crisis — and it works best when it is planned into the move rather than arranged in a panic.
The single most common reason people need storage is that two dates refused to line up. The sale completes on a Friday and the purchase does not complete until the following week. It happens constantly and it is nobody's fault.
The second most common reason, particularly in Kent, is renovation. A period property bought to be worked on cannot take a houseful of furniture until the floors are down.
How containerised storage works
Your goods are loaded into containers at your property — not tipped into a communal warehouse — inventoried as they go in, sealed, and stored. When you are ready, the same containers come back out and are delivered and unloaded.
- Loaded by us, so you do not handle anything twice
- Inventoried in and out, so you know what is there
- Sealed containers rather than open shelving
- Arranged as part of the move, on one booking
- Brought back out and unloaded into the new property
When self storage is the better answer
If you want somewhere you can drive to on a Sunday afternoon and rummage, this is the wrong product and a self-storage unit is the right one. Containerised storage is designed to be efficient rather than accessible — containers stack, and getting to yours means bringing it down.
We will tell you which you actually want. Plenty of people come asking for one and need the other.
Kent specifics
Two things come up locally. Coastal and rural properties sometimes need a shuttle to get goods from the house to a vehicle that can take containers — that is planned in, not discovered. And period furniture out of Wealden and coastal houses wants wrapping properly before it goes into store, because wood and damp are a poor combination over months rather than days.
Storage is usually booked alongside a move — see house removals — but we will store for you without one if that is what you need.
Storage questions
How is this different from self storage?
Self storage is a unit you rent, drive to and load yourself. What we provide is containerised storage as part of a move: we load it, inventory it, store it and bring it back out when you are ready. If what you actually want is a unit you can visit whenever you like, a self-storage facility will suit you better and we will say so.
How long can things stay?
As long as you need. Most storage in a chain situation is short; some is months while a renovation finishes or a purchase completes. Charges accrue per storage period and are payable in advance — the specifics are in your booking contract.
Can we get at our things while they are stored?
With notice, yes, but it is not designed for casual access. Containers are stacked and sealed, so retrieving something means bringing yours down. If you expect to need regular access, tell us at the outset and we will pack and place accordingly — or point you at self storage instead.
Is everything inventoried?
In and out. It is the whole point of doing it this way rather than piling things into a lock-up. You know what went in and you can check what comes out.
Is it suitable for antiques and period furniture?
Generally yes, with the same caveats as anywhere — wooden furniture does not enjoy damp or large temperature swings. Tell us what is going in and we will advise on wrapping and on whether anything should stay with you instead.
Need storage between dates?
Tell us roughly how much and for how long. Ask early — space is easier to hold than to find.