Here are some commonly asked questions – for further information please contact us.
Prices and payment
Storage, security and access
Collection/Delivery service
Prices and payment
How do I pay?
Cash, cheque or Visa, Mastercard, Switch, Electron and Delta cards are our preferred methods of payment. We also offer an online payment facility, using a secure 3rd party to collect money.
We do not require our customers to pay large amounts in advance, unless otherwise agreed we invoice you in arrears on a four weekly basis.
For each billing period thereafter, we will take payment for your storage rental, until you decide to leave our facility, when we shall charge you until the day that you are in store and not a full week or month.
Do you offer any discounts?
At Squab we always try to offer each and every customer the best value for money, this is already reflected in our prices. We are aware that lots of storage businesses may offer a variety of discounts to start with but you will quickly discover that over a longer period of time your rental charges will increase quickly.
We are, however, happy to offer a 5% discount for payment of the first six months in advance and 10% for the first 12 months paid in advance.
Are there any hidden extras?
Unlike many companies, Squab believes in a simply and fair pricing structure. We will always quote you the price you pay for your storage including the £1,000’s of insurance. We have no hidden charges, you simply pay for the storage you use, for any deliveries of containers made to your home using our mobile storage service and we have a simple access charge of £10 plus VAT for each access you make?
Be aware with other companies that will charge extra for padlocks, reservation fees and also watch out for prices quoted by other storage companies which often include "initial discounts" and the price will rise after just a few weeks in store! The small print of their contract often allows them to raise your rental charge - you may find that the price will quickly start to mount.
Other storage companies may incur charges when you leave store, you may find that you need to give several weeks notice, or even pay "out of store charges".
Storage, security and access
What’s the size of the container?
Squab provides one size of container, which is suitable for most household items, including large items of furniture.
- Container volume = 250 cubic feet (7.1 cubic meters)
- Height = 7ft (2.1m’s), Width 5ft (1.5m’s) & Height = 7ft (2.1m’s)
Are there any minimum or maximum length storage periods?
Squab has a minimum of one day’s storage and no maximum, which means that we charge you up until the day that you are in store providing you with fairest pricing policy we possibly can.
We do however, ask that you provide us with two working days notice to get the container available for you once it has been put away in store.
Can anyone else access my container?
We don’t mind anyone accessing your container son long as you have provided us with somesort of written permission i.e. an email or letter.
We will reserve the right to turn anyone away from accessing unless we are happy that they are approved and can provide somesort of identification.
Where are my containers stored?
We store all of the containers within in our warehouse, which is humidity controlled, fire and intruder alarmed. If you wish to access the container we will move it to one of our loading bays which are undercover and provide you with easy, ground floor loading.
Your goods won’t be left outside for any period of time. We always encourage you to come and take a look at the warehouse – so if you want to come and have a look then just drop in during our office hours, no need to phone ahead!
Are my goods going to be safe?
We make every effort to ensure our warehouse is safe, clean and secure for our possessions. Our site has 24 hrs digital CCTV, intruder and fire alarms linked via the ‘redcare’ system to the authorities and we also have somebody living on site.
Can I access my goods whilst in store?
We make access to your goods as easy as possible. However, please remember that you need to provide us with two working day’s notice before accessing as we need to locate your container and put it in to one of our loading bays.
There is a standard access charge of £10 plus VAT for each access and this simply covers the time it takes for us to move your container out of the store to the loading bays.
Once in a loading bay your access your container as often as you like between the hours of 0800 hrs to 2000hrs, allowing you to make many trips if required.
How do I load my container?
- Always use good quality boxes.
- Always fill boxes to capacity to prevent boxes collapsing.
- Heavy items e.g. Books, CD's and LP's should be packed into small boxes, making them easier to lift and carry.
- Garden equipment should be cleaned before storing.
- Always load the heavy items into the container first.
- Never load heavy items onto soft furnishing.
- Always place protective coverings on all furniture.
- Always stack pictures and mirrors on their ends, never lay them flat.
- Try to distribute the weight evenly within the container.
- Dismantle any furniture where possible to maximize your loading space.
- Do not load flammable items.
- Do not load perishable items.
- Do not load wet/damp items.
- Do not load essential items, e.g. keys and passports.
- Always call if you need further advice
Can I store anything I like in Squab containers?
We can allow to store most things you like although be aware of the following exclusions...
- Flammable items should never be placed into storage. You must ensure you always empty fuel from petrol mowers.
- Items with explosive properties are prohibited, e.g. the gas bottle of a barbeque should never be stored.
- Perishable items should never be stored - always remove food from fridges and freezers.
- Never store pets or animals.
- Firearms must never be stored under any circumstances.
- Illegal items are prohibited (items that are stolen, counterfeit items and certain types of pornography)
- Human or animal body parts should not be stored.
In addition to items that are prohibited, customers are advised of the following:
- Plants will die in the container, they are not exposed to sunlight.
- Do not store important documents such as passports and driving licenses.
- Always make an inventory - you will need to know which container to request should you need to access anything – see our downloads section for our handy inventory you can print off.
Should you have any doubt about any item you are considering storing, please ask a member of our staff.
Do I need to book in advance?
If you can provide us with a day’s notice before you want your storage container then it will allows us to have the contract ready for when you arrive but in the event of short notice we will always have some storage space available for you. We won’t charge you any reservation fees.
How many containers will I need?
It is always difficult to calculate exactly how many containers you will need, but as a general rule each container is roughly equivalent to the loading space of a typical transit van.
It is always a good idea to spend a few minutes calculating the volume of the goods you wish to place into storage using our Space Estimator.
There are many ways in which you can maximise the use of space inside of your container:
- Alwaysdismantle flat-packed furniture - this will dramatically decrease the amount of space you will require
- Load your larger items into the container first, you can then find space for boxes of smaller items
- Once you have loaded an empty wardrobe into the container, make use of the space inside it with boxes of small items
- Always pack smaller items in boxes
- Try to use similar sized boxes, as these will stack together much better
- Always load boxes to capacity
For further advice, don’t hesitate to contact a member of the Squab team and we will be able to help you.
Note – as we only charge your for the containers that you use, it may be worth having an additional container just in case. If you are having the trailer service then this isn’t possible without paying for the additional delivery so it might be worth speaking to a member of the Squab team for further advice.
How much notice do I need to give?
We require at least two working days notice when you need to leave store. This allows us time to refund your account with any overpaid storage rental and to access your container.
Customers wishing to use any of our delivery services are advised that these are allocated on a first come - first served basis, and therefore, you may need to give slightly more notice to guarantee a specific delivery time
Are my goods insured?
Squab will include £1,000’s of insurance in the price we quote!
When booking your storage, you will be asked to provide a value to which your entire consignment is to be insured. All goods in our storage facility are insured against most major risks - fire, theft due to forced entry, flood and water damage, impact by aircraft. In addition to this, should your container be involved in an accident, either at our warehouse or whilst in transit, you will be covered.
Customers are advised however, that our standard liability does not cover damage to any of your effects due to the manner in which they are loaded by you - containers will be subject to a small amount of movement, and as such, packing of fragile items should be made in such a manner as to prevent damage.
In many cases, household insurance may cover individual items against "accidental damage" whilst in store - check with your insurer. Should you require insurance for more than £1,000’s, this is available for a small additional charge.
Collection/Delivery service
How much notice do I need to provide to get the mobile delivery service out of store?
We will require two working days notice to access the container and we operate our trailers on a first come, first serve basis. We normally find that Saturday’s are the busiest days but in general if you try and provide us with four to five days notice we can normally accommodate your requirements.
How much notice do in need to provide to get the mobile delivery service in to store?
Although we can normally accommodate same day container bookings if you are bringing the goods in to store yourself, we do operate our trailer service on a first come, first serve basis and therefore we normally suggest that you provide us with at least four to five days notice if possible.
How long can you leave the container with me?
We are happy to leave a container with you for up to day, normally making the collection no later than 1600 hrs on a weekday. At weekends we like to pick the trailer up around 1300 hrs but we are able to make alternative arrangements to leave the container with you longer if need be.
If loading goods in to store always make sure that you have everything ready to go before the container arrives, that way you can spend more time maximising your space in the container.
We don’t like leaving the trailer with you overnight due to security concerns for your possessions and our trailer.
Can Squab help me load the container?
Unfortunately we are unable to provide you with assistance for unloading/loading the container, however we can provide you with a quotation for moving the goods in to store.
What happens if I want to cancel my container?
Please let us know if you don’t wish to use the storage. We won’t make any cancellation charges but we would ask that you give us as much notice if you using the mobile trailer service as it will enable us to fulfil another booking if required.
How big are the mobile storage trailers?
Our trailers aren’t big and easily fit it in to a double parking space or on to most driveways. We would ask that you either park some cars in the spot where you want the trailer to go or leave space on the driveway.
The great benefit of this type of storage is that we deliver right up to your door so why not take advantage of this and make sure you clear the space to avoid any un necessary carrying!
If you have any other questions then please hesitate to contact Squab on 0845 4680 160 during office hours or alternatively contact us here.