Storage
Storage in Ashford, the honest version
There are several self-storage sites around Ashford and they are good at what they do. We do something different, and the useful thing this page can do is help you work out which of the two you actually need.
Ashford has grown faster than almost anywhere in Kent over the last couple of decades, and growth produces gaps. A Chilmington completion that slips behind the sale of a town-centre terrace. A rental ending in March with the next starting in May. An extension that was going to take a few weeks. Storage is what stops those gaps becoming a crisis.
Which is why this firm leads with it rather than treating it as a footnote under removals. It is the bigger half of what we do here.
The one question that decides it
Do you need to get at your things while they are stored?
If yes — you are pulling stock out weekly, or you want to rummage for the winter coats — rent a unit. You get a key, you come and go, and we will happily tell you that rather than sell you something that will frustrate you.
If no — and for a household between two dates the answer is almost always no — containerised storage is better in every respect that matters.
Side by side
| Consideration | Containerised what we do | Self-storage unit the sites around town |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the moving | We do. Collected from your Ashford address by the crew who packed it. | You do, or you pay someone separately. The unit is a room; filling it is your problem. |
| How goods are held | Loaded into wooden containers at your property, sealed there, not opened until redelivery. | Stacked loose in a room you rent, and handled again every time you visit. |
| Getting at things | By appointment — containers are brought out for you. Not a drop-in arrangement. | Whenever the site is open. Your own key or code. |
| Best for | A household between two dates, a renovation, a chain that has slipped, a move abroad. | Things you reach often — stock, tools, sports kit, a business with weekly access. |
| What you handle | Nothing. You get an inventory and a redelivery date. | The van, the trolley, the lift queue and the padlock. |
If the right-hand column describes you, take a unit. We would rather send you to the right thing than win the job and disappoint you.
How a collection works
It starts the same way a removal does — a survey, so we know the volume and the access. On the day the crew packs and wraps exactly as they would for a move: blanket wrap on upholstery, crates for mirrors and glass, wardrobe cartons so clothes travel hanging.
Everything is listed on an inventory as it goes into the containers, and you get a copy. The containers are sealed at your address, loaded and taken to the warehouse, where they are stacked and logged still sealed. When you are ready you book a redelivery, the seals come off in front of you, and the crew unloads into the rooms you point at.
Packing for storage is not packing for a van
Worth saying because it catches people out. A box that survives a short journey across town is not necessarily a box that should sit sealed for months. Things need to be dry going in, clothes are better boxed than left loose in furniture, and anything with a residue on it — a barbecue, a vacuum, a half-used tin — is a problem waiting to happen.
We pack to that standard when we are doing the packing. If you are packing yourself for storage, tell us and we will be specific about what needs doing differently.
What tends to put Ashford households into storage
- A chain that has slipped. You have to be out and you cannot get in. Far and away the most common reason, and usually the most urgent.
- A renovation or extension. Common across the older parts of town, and a building site is no place for a sofa.
- Downsizing. Moving from a village house into something smaller in town means the smaller place cannot take all of it.
- Selling and renting in between. Increasingly common locally — sell, rent while you look, store the difference.
- Going abroad. The M20 makes Ashford a natural departure point, and goods often wait here before they go.
What we will not store
Nothing perishable, nothing flammable or corrosive, no gas bottles, paint, solvents or fuel, no plants and nothing living. Documents, jewellery, cash and irreplaceable papers are better kept with you. If you are unsure about something specific, ask before the collection — it is a much easier conversation then.
Cover while goods are in store
Storage cover is arranged separately from the goods-in-transit cover that applies during a move, and it is based on what you declare the contents to be worth. The limits and terms are set out in the storage agreement, and we would rather you read it before collection than discover a limit afterwards.
Storage usually arrives attached to something else — a house move, a business need, or a move out of the country. Tell us the whole picture and we will quote it as one job.
Good to know
Storing things in Ashford, in plain terms
How does containerised storage actually work?
We come to you, pack and inventory what is going, and load it into wooden containers at your address. The containers are sealed there and go into a secure warehouse still sealed. Nothing is handled loose between your hallway and the warehouse floor, which is the main reason things come out in the condition they went in.
What is the difference from the self-storage places around Ashford?
With a unit you rent a room, you move your own things into it, and you hold the key. With containerised storage we do the moving, the goods stay sealed, and you book a redelivery rather than turning up. Units win if you need frequent access; containerised wins for a household between two dates.
Can I get at my things while they are stored?
With notice, yes — we book an access visit and have your containers brought out to be opened. It is not a drop-in arrangement. If you know you will be dipping in regularly, we will tell you honestly that a self-storage unit is the better tool and point you at one.
How much space will we need?
More than you think, and we would rather establish that at survey than guess. Lofts, garages and sheds are where estimates go wrong — a garage in a Chilmington new-build holds a surprising amount. A survey gives you a real volume rather than an optimistic one.
What can’t go into storage?
Anything perishable, anything flammable or corrosive — gas bottles, paint, solvents, fuel — plants, and anything living. Documents, passports, jewellery and cash are better kept with you. If you are unsure about a specific item, ask before collection rather than after.
Is it insured?
Cover while goods are in store is arranged separately from the goods-in-transit cover that applies during a move, and it is based on the value you declare for the contents. You will be asked to value them, and the limits and terms are in the storage agreement, which you get before anything is collected.
Our chain has collapsed. Can you help?
That is the single most common reason people call us, and we will always try to make it work. Ring rather than email if the completion date is about to move — it is quicker, and we can check the warehouse while you are on the phone.
Dates gone wrong? Ring rather than email — we'll check the warehouse.
If a completion has just moved and a household needs somewhere to go, a phone call gets you an answer while somebody is actually looking at the space.