It comes down to what you’re storing, for how long, and whether your land can take a steel box. Container storage at one of our sites suits a shorter or uncertain stay with nothing to buy, deliver or get permission for; a container on your own land can suit weatherproof kit, such as tools, machinery or building materials, kept for a year or more where you have solid ground and room for a delivery lorry.
A container at our site
We have drive-up containers at Chipping Norton, Shipston-on-Stour and Warminster, from 80 sq ft to 320 sq ft. You drive up and load straight in, with access from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week.
- Damp: our Chipping Norton and Shipston-on-Stour containers are insulated to help stop condensation. For Warminster, just ask us when you book.
- Security: the Chipping Norton and Shipston-on-Stour containers sit in an access-controlled compound, and our sites are watched around the clock by a professional CCTV monitoring company. You lock your container with your own padlock.
- Flexibility: the minimum term is two weeks, and when you’re finished you give notice, normally 14 days. There’s nothing to sell or move at the end.
A container on your own land
This can be the better choice, and we’ll say so. As our guide to self storage or a shipping container puts it, for a builder with a yard, hardstanding and weatherproof kit, “a container bought outright often works out cheaper over a year or more than paying monthly rent”. You’ll need vehicle access for the delivery and a level, solid surface for the box to sit on, or the doors may not close properly.
The things most households store, such as furniture, mattresses, fabric and photographs, are the ones that suffer in an unheated steel box that sweats on cold nights. Vents and moisture absorbers help, but they don’t solve it.
Do I need planning permission?
It depends on your property and where the container goes, so check with your local council before you buy. The rules are tighter for anything in front of the house, close to a boundary, at a flat, at a listed building or in a protected area such as a conservation area or national park. Farm and business land have their own rules. If you rent, ask your landlord first, and check your deeds for any covenants.
Mixing the two
Some people do both: tools and machinery stay in the container at home, and furniture and soft goods come to a unit with us. Whichever you choose, drain fuel and oil from mowers and machinery before storing them with us, and ask us first about anything with an engine: we keep anything flammable off site to protect everyone’s belongings. Our units have no power, so charge batteries at home.
To compare costs, get a price online for a container at your nearest container site, or call us on 0800 2545585 and we’ll price a container and the nearest indoor size together.
Related questions
- Is it cheaper to rent a container unit or buy a container?
- How big are Wigwam container units?
- Do I need a dehumidifier in a container unit?
Further reading
- Planning Portal: Outbuildings: planning permission
- GOV.UK: When is planning permission required?