A skip and a storage unit do different jobs, so the cheaper choice depends on what you’re doing with each thing. A skip is a one-off cost for what’s going for good; storage is a four-weekly cost for what you’re keeping or haven’t decided about yet.
So the real question is which pile each thing belongs in. Most declutters have some of both, and you may find you need a skip and a unit side by side. If most of what you’re keeping is garden kit, see whether a garden shed works out cheaper than a storage unit.
What a skip costs
You pay once, for a short hire. As one example, in October 2026 Wakefield Council’s skip service charged £152 for a four cubic yard skip, hired for up to four days, and £247 for one of about eight cubic yards, hired for up to seven days. Prices vary from area to area and firm to firm.
If the skip can sit on your drive or other private land, you don’t need a licence. If it has to go on the road, GOV.UK says you need a skip licence from the council, though in most areas the skip company arranges it, and it may add to the cost. Wakefield, for example, charged an extra £32.13. A skip can’t go on the pavement.
Once something is in the skip, it’s gone, so it’s worth a last look through drawers and boxes before anything goes in.
What storage costs
Storage is paid every four weeks, for as long as you need it. On our October 2026 price lists, the middle price across our sites for four weeks was about £85 for a 25 sq ft unit and £133 for a 50 sq ft unit, before any offer. Our prices vary by town and change often, sometimes monthly, and our sites often run an introductory offer, so get a price online for today’s figure.
Our shortest stay is two weeks, and there’s no deposit for new customers. When you’re done, give us notice, normally 14 days, and we refund any unused days once the unit has been checked. Your stored things need contents cover, through our contents protection or your own policy.
How to decide, item by item
- Rubbish, broken or worn out: the skip, a council collection or your local recycling centre. GOV.UK notes that your council may offer special collections for large items such as sofas or fridges.
- Good but unwanted: sell it or give it away. Our guide to storing, selling or giving away furniture helps you choose.
- Keeping, or not sure yet: store it. For anything you’d otherwise have to buy again, compare a few months’ storage with the cost of replacing it.
Storage also helps when you’re decluttering to sell, by clearing rooms without parting with anything you’ll want in your next home. Our guide to decluttering into storage before a sale explains how.
Not sure what size you’d need for the keep pile? Call us on 0800 2545585 and we’ll help you work it out.
Related questions
- Should I put things into storage before a house clearance?
- Should I store furniture, sell it or give it away?
- How can I keep my storage costs down?
- What size skip do I need for a house clearance?
Further reading