Rent the smallest unit your things will fit, on the cheapest floor (check lift access first; see are there ground-floor units?) and in the cheapest town you can reach: those three choices set your price for the whole stay. Then keep the saving: pay on every due date (a missed payment means repaying any introductory discount), send proof of your own contents cover within 14 days of moving in, and give notice as soon as you know your leaving date. At Reading, on our September 2026 price list, a year in the 50 sq ft unit our size guide suggests for a one-bedroom flat costs £1,848 on the ground floor or £1,392 on the first floor for a new booking with the 50% offer on the first eight weeks: £456 less upstairs. Without the offer, it is £2,002 or £1,508. Nothing is added at checkout: the total in your quote is what you pay, and our prices include VAT.
A worked year at Reading
Prices are per four weeks, and billing is every four weeks, which is 13 payments a year, not 12. Reading is not an outlier: for 50 sq ft, the median (middle value) of the listed prices on our September 2026 price lists is £143 every four weeks, between Reading's two 50 sq ft prices below. Our prices include VAT, so ask any other company "does this price include VAT?" and compare like with like.
| One-bedroom flat | Per four weeks | A year |
|---|---|---|
| 50 sq ft, ground floor, no offer | £154 | £2,002 |
| 50 sq ft, ground floor, with 50% off the first 8 weeks | £77 for the first two periods, then £154 | £1,848 |
| 50 sq ft, first floor, no offer | £116 | £1,508 |
| 50 sq ft, first floor, with 50% off the first 8 weeks | £58 for the first two periods, then £116 | £1,392 |
| For a fuller load: 75 sq ft, ground floor, no offer | £202 | £2,626 |
Our room-by-room size guide puts a one-bedroom flat's contents in 50 sq ft, but its sizes "assume good stacking to ceiling height", and "Mixed loads (furniture plus boxes) will vary from this guide". If yours needs 75 sq ft, packing into 50 instead saves £624 a year. For a long stay, our furniture tips also say "be sure not to pack it too tightly" so air can circulate.
Between homes for a few weeks
In the Reading example, eight weeks in the first-floor 50 sq ft unit costs £232 at the standard price, and the offer halves it. Our minimum term is two weeks, and notice is normally 14 days (your agreement's front page gives the number), so give notice as soon as your completion date is fixed (see how to give notice).
Storing for a year or more
Over a year, the offer is about 8% of the £1,392 total. What counts is the price after it ends. The gap between floors differs by site: at Bath, 50 sq ft is £156 on the ground floor and £136 on the 1st/2nd floor. Our price lists don't show a 12-month or pay-upfront rate, so call 0800 2545585 before you book and ask whether there is one. Our guide to long-term and upfront discounts shows what the offer at your site is worth over a longer stay.
If we raise the Storage Fee, we must tell you in writing at least 28 days before it takes effect, and you can leave without charge before then (clause 45).
A student summer
Our size guide puts a spare room's contents in 25 sq ft, £72 every four weeks on Reading's first floor. A 13-week summer spans four periods: with the offer, £36, £36, £72 and £72, £216 in all. If your notice ends at week 13, our move-out FAQ says we refund "any unused days on your contract after the notice period", here three weeks or £54, so £162; ask us to confirm that in writing, as it isn't in the licence terms. For student discounts, see discounts for students, the Armed Forces or charities.
Storing a relative's things
Sort before you store: at Reading, fitting into 50 sq ft instead of 75 saves £624 a year on the ground floor. See whether to store, sell or give away furniture for what the family won't keep. The belongings must be insured while stored, whoever owns them (see "Keep the offer, and pay less for cover" below). If the storage is for an estate, keep every invoice: who pays while an estate is sorted out explains when the estate can repay you.
Storing trade stock or tools
If you're often in and out with heavy kit, the ground floor may be worth the extra: at Reading, 100 sq ft is £260 every four weeks on the ground floor and £242 on the first floor, £18 less. Check lift access before moving up (see are there ground-floor units?). Paint, petrol and other flammables can't be stored (clause 18(c); see flammable liquids). For VAT invoices, see do you provide VAT invoices?
Already storing with us?
At Reading, moving from 100 sq ft on the ground floor (£260) to 75 sq ft on the first floor (£182) would save £78 every four weeks, £1,014 a year, at list prices. You can transfer to a smaller unit if one is free at your site. Call 0800 2545585 first to ask what the smaller unit would cost and whether moving carries a charge, as we don't publish either. If you've cleared things out, see the cover advice below.
Take less space
Stack, and use boxes of one size. Forty of our Large Boxes (450 x 450 x 500mm, on sale at £4.50 each or £35 for ten in our Box Shop, checked 28 September 2026) cover 87 sq ft of floor in one layer but about 22 sq ft stacked four high, so put the heaviest at the bottom and stack only as high as you can safely lift down.
Take furniture apart. Our furniture storage tips suggest dismantling a bed frame or bookcase, which helps you "save space" and will also "prevent damage".
Compare towns
Dorking and Leatherhead are both in Surrey, and a 100 sq ft upstairs unit is £334 every four weeks at Dorking and £416 at Leatherhead: £82 less, or £1,066 a year. Town can outweigh floor: Dorking's upstairs 100 sq ft (£334) costs more than Reading's ground floor (£260). Weigh that against the extra driving if you'll visit often. How much it costs to store furniture compares the lowest 50, 100 and 150 sq ft prices by town.
Keep the offer, and pay less for cover
Where your site's price list shows an introductory offer, your quote shows it; offers differ by site in size, length and which units they cover (see long-term and upfront discounts). Our terms say that if you don't pay on a due date, "the value of any discounts and special offers (including periods of free storage) which You have received will be payable by You in full" (clause 6 (in the list that begins "You acknowledge that", point (c))). In the Reading example, one missed payment could put the £116 first-floor saving (£154 on the ground floor) back on your bill, so keep your card or Direct Debit valid for the whole stay.
Your belongings must be insured for their replacement value the whole time they're stored, whoever owns them (clause 31). We don't publish our Contents Protection rate, so ask for it with your quote. Then:
- If you have your own cover, send us proof within 14 days of moving in and we "refund you the Contents Protection charges in full". Your policy "must cover items stored in a self-storage facility", and should name us and the site's full postal address. Not every household policy does, so ask your insurer to confirm it in writing. Switching mid-stay? Ask whether any refund applies, as it is described only for proof sent within 14 days.
- If you take ours, the charge is based on the full replacement value you declare, so declare what your belongings would really cost to replace (how to calculate it), and ask us to lower it if you clear things out. Under-declaring breaks that condition of your agreement.
Avoid the charges you control
| Charge | What triggers it | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Late Payment Fee, collection costs and the offer repaid (clauses 5(b), 5(c), 6 (in the list that begins "You acknowledge that", point (c))) | A payment that's late or cancelled | Call us before a due date you might miss |
| Cleaning Fee, repairs, rubbish removal or keeping your deposit (clause 23) | Leaving the unit dirty or damaged | Sweep out and take everything, rubbish included |
| Storage fees for the notice you didn't give (clause 41) | Giving less notice than your agreement requires | Give the written notice your agreement's front page states, normally 14 days |
We don't publish the Late Payment Fee or Cleaning Fee; ask for both when you book. For other costs to plan for, see are there hidden costs in self storage?
Find the cheapest unit that fits
Get a price online to see today's prices and offer at your nearest site, floor by floor. If you're unsure whether you'd fit into the next size down, call us on 0800 2545585, tell us what you're storing, and we'll help you find the smallest unit that fits.
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