The decision is mostly about access frequency, contract terms and condensation. Here is how we help customers decide.
Most of our Lower Dicker storage customers fall cleanly into one of two categories: short-term (two to twelve weeks, usually between contract completions) or long-term (six months to several years, usually because of a renovation, a downsizing, or a move overseas). The two are priced and arranged completely differently, and confusing them costs real money.
This guide walks through how to decide which one applies to you, what each costs, and the operational considerations that change between them. As ever, the survey is free if you'd rather just discuss it in person.
Short-term storage in our world means two weeks to three months. The classic use case is the chain that doesn't quite line up — your sale completes a fortnight before your purchase, so the contents of your old house need to live somewhere in between. Other common short-term cases: a renovation that's running late, a temporary move to a serviced apartment, a downsizing where the new house isn't ready yet.
Short-term is best handled as strong-room storage at a remover's depot. Your contents go into a secure warehouse room, you don't need to access them, the remover handles loading and unloading at both ends. The cost is per week and is usually billed as part of the removal quote rather than as a separate contract. Our survey will cost it as a line item.
The reason strong-room is right for short-term: there's no contract setup overhead, no notice-period costs, no insurance complexity. You're paying for storage time and one collection/delivery — that's it. The downside (no self-access) is irrelevant for two weeks.
Long-term means six months or more. The use cases differ from short-term: a downsizing where you're keeping furniture for the next house, a renovation that will take a year or two, an extended move overseas where you don't want to ship everything yet, a business storing stock or files.
For long-term, the right format is usually self-access self-storage — a steel-walled unit you can come and go from. The advantages over strong-room: 24/7 access (you can collect the kids' winter coats at the weekend), padded unit pricing, and easier contract amendments if your storage need changes over time.
The disadvantages: higher monthly cost per cubic foot, you do your own moves in and out, and you need to think about insurance separately. Our drive-up self-storage units at the Lower Dicker depot offer key-fob access and individual unit padlocks; we can also handle moves in and out of the unit if you'd prefer not to.
The decision usually comes down to four questions. How long? Under three months — strong-room. Over six months — self-access. Three-to-six months — depends on the other factors. How often will you access it? Not at all — strong-room. Monthly or more — self-access. Quarterly — could go either way.
Is the contents furniture or active stock? Furniture for a future house — strong-room is fine. Active stock you'll be drawing from — self-access. Do you have a van and time? Yes — self-access works. No — strong-room means the remover does all the heavy lifting.
Our practical recommendation: start with strong-room if you're under three months and you're not going to access it. Move to self-access if your storage need extends beyond that and you start wanting access. Many customers split — furniture in strong-room, items they want access to in a small self-access unit nearby.
The number-one cause of damage in long-term storage is condensation. British winters bring meaningful humidity changes into uninsulated steel-walled storage units, and the temperature cycling pulls moisture out of the air and into anything porous — paper, fabric, leather, electronics. Items stored uninsulated for more than three months can come out damp.
The fix is climate-stable storage — insulated walls, controlled ventilation, no direct sun. Climate-stable is different from climate-controlled (which is much more expensive and unnecessary for most household contents). Our depot is climate-stable by design; some self-storage providers offer it as a premium option.
If you're planning long-term storage of anything you care about — family photos, antiques, books, leather furniture — climate-stable is non-negotiable. Mention it specifically when comparing facilities; the savings on a non-climate-stable unit are real but the cost of replacing a damp-damaged piano or a mildewed book collection is much greater. The antiques moving service walks through what counts as climate-sensitive.
Short-term strong-room storage typically runs £15–£35 per week per container (a container holds a one-bedroom flat or about half a three-bedroom house). Long-term self-access runs £20–£60 per month per 25 sq ft (so a 100 sq ft unit, big enough for most family homes, is £80–£240 a month). Prices vary considerably by region; Sussex generally sits in the middle.
Contract terms matter. Short-term storage usually runs week-by-week without notice obligations. Long-term self-access typically has a calendar-month notice period and sometimes an annual price review. Confirm in writing before signing what the exit costs are — some facilities charge a 'final clean' fee, some don't.
One financial point worth mentioning: if you're storing because of a chain delay, your home contents insurance usually doesn't cover items in off-site storage. The remover's or storage provider's insurance covers it instead, but at a different premium. Our terms and insurance details page explains how we handle it.
Free in-home or video survey, written fixed-price quote, BAR-protected deposit. Sussex’s family-run remover since 1982.
Scenario one: A three-bedroom Eastbourne family sells in late June and completes on the Brighton purchase three weeks later. The interim contents (everything except an overnight bag’s worth) goes into strong-room storage at our Lower Dicker depot. We collect on completion day, hold for three weeks, deliver to the new Brighton address on the new completion day. Total cost: included in the removal quote, billed per week.
Scenario two: A two-bedroom couple downsizing in Lewes wants to keep extensive contents for a future second home. They book a 100 sq ft self-access self-storage unit at our depot, contracted for 18 months. They self-load on move day, key-fob access whenever they need to retrieve items, and the contract is climate-stable with annual price-review notification at least 60 days before renewal.
Both scenarios are everyday for us. The first is short-term; the second is long-term; the decision in each case followed the four-question matrix in the main guide. If your situation doesn’t map cleanly to one or the other, the survey will work through it. The what-you-can-store guide covers the practical exclusions.
We've been a family-run Sussex remover since 1982 — the same name on the lorry as the name on the paperwork. Mark personally surveys the high-value and overseas moves; our crews are directly employed (not casual day labour) and trained at our own staff training centre, one of only a handful of UK removers with that facility on site.
Standard inclusions on every full removal: pad-wrap protection for every freestanding piece of furniture, removal-grade cartons, a written and itemised fixed-price quote with no surprises on the day, and the British Association of Removers' Advance Payment Guarantee protecting every deposit. The result, over forty years and tens of thousands of moves, is a 4.9/5 review average across 120+ independent Google reviews.
Booking the survey takes ten minutes. Whether it's a one-bedroom flat across Eastbourne or a country house to overseas, the process is the same: in-home or video survey, written quote within 48 hours, deposit-protected booking, and a calm move day.
Two weeks to three months. Beyond three months, the case for self-access starts to outweigh the case for strong-room because of access frequency and contract flexibility.
Not in a climate-stable facility (insulated, ventilated). Uninsulated steel-walled units in British winters bring condensation that ruins paper, fabric and electronics over months. Climate-stable is non-negotiable for long-term.
Yes — many customers start with strong-room for the chain delay, then transfer to self-access if the storage need extends. We can handle the move internally at the Lower Dicker depot without you needing to do anything.
Strong-room: £15–£35 per week per container (about £60–£140/month per container). Self-access: £20–£60 per month per 25 sq ft. Sussex pricing is roughly the national average.
Usually no, or only for a brief grace period after a move. The storage provider or remover will offer their own cover. Get this confirmed in writing before move-in.
Short-term strong-room storage is billed per week with no commitment beyond the booked period. Self-access self-storage usually has a calendar-month notice period. Confirm in writing before signing what the amendment terms are.
Yes — many customers do exactly that. Furniture and infrequently-used items in strong-room storage; items you'll want regular access to in a small self-access unit. Both at the same Lower Dicker site.
Yes. Climate-controlled means temperature- and humidity-regulated, which is expensive and unnecessary for most household contents. Climate-stable means insulated and ventilated — enough for furniture, books, electronics. Our depot is climate-stable.
Most facilities offer rate reductions for committed long-term contracts (12 months+). We do too — talk to us at survey if you're committing to longer storage and we'll quote the discounted rate.