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 will require our customers to pay for the first four weeks of their storage upfront. Due to the nature of this type of storage we will also require a deposit, which is the equivalent of four weeks storage as well. This is refundable at the end of your storage contract.
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 – we will even include the padlock in the price of our storage!
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 room?
We provide many different sized rooms, starting with our smallest 15sq foot room and going up to a 200 square foot room. If your needs change on the day or during your storage period then you can move rooms very easily, so long as we have availability of the room that you need.
We always recommend coming and paying us a visit to ensure that you get the room that’s right for your needs!
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.
Can anyone else access my room?
We don’t mind anyone accessing your storage room so 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.
How often can I access my room?
You hold the lock and key to your room, which means you can access it as often as you like between the opening hours of 0800 hrs and 2000hrs Monday to Saturday, which makes life easy if you wish to make multiple trips to load or unload your items!
Do I need to supply a padlock?
No, we shall provide you with a padlock for your storage room as part of the deal, however, it is your responsibility to ensure that the room is locked at all times.
We can provide you with a combination or key padlock, depending on personal preference.
What’s storage environment like?
All of the rooms are located within a warehouse , which is humidity controlled, fire and intruder alarmed.
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 your possessions. Each room is individually alarmed and Squab will provide you with a credit card sized access control card, which you use to enter the secure area beyond our barrier controls and this will also let you in to our self store facility. On entering the facility your room will be automatically de-alarmed.
You will also have to use your card to exit the facility and this will automatically re-alarm your room.
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.How do I store items efficiently?
We have also provide a hand guide that you can download to help on the day.
- Always use good quality boxes (hyperlink to box shop)
- 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.
- Never load heavy items onto soft furnishing.
- Always place protective coverings on all furniture – we can supply blankets if required.
- Always stack pictures and mirrors on their ends, never lay them flat.
- 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.
Do I need to book in advance?
If you can provide us with a day’s notice before you want your storage room then it will allows us to have the contract ready for when you arrive but in the event of short notice we will do our upmost to ensure that we have space available for you.
Can I store anything I like at Squab?
We can allow you 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 room then it will allows us to have the contract ready for when you arrive but in the event of short notice we will do our upmost to ensure that we have space available for you.
We won’t charge you any reservation fees either.
How much space do I need?
It’s always hard to estimate and we also recommend the best way of working this out is to come and pay us visit. With such an array of different storage rooms we are sure we will have storage solution to suit your requirements.
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 room.
- Always dismantle flat-packed furniture - this will dramatically decrease the amount of space you will require
- Load your larger items into the room 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.
How much notice do I need to give?
We don’t require any notice for you to leave our store – simply empty the room and come and let us know so you can give your access card back and we can provide any deposit still owing to you.
Are my goods insured?
tSquab 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.
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.
Can I rack my room out?
IWe are able to provide you with some racking solutions for your storage room and this will help maximise the space within in – please contact us for further information about this.
We are also happy for you to rack your room out if you want to, so long as these are free-standing units and aren’t attached to any part of the wall or ceiling.
Collection/Delivery service
How can I get my goods in to and out of store?
Depending on the nature of your requirements there are various ways of getting your goods into and out of store.
Bring the goods in yourself – you can make multiple trips over a period of time and with our handing loading bay, trolleys and lift if required this is easy to deal with.
Use our man and van service – we are strong relationships with various man and the van companies in the area which provide a good value, safe and secure service.
Use our removals team – if you have got a house move and moving goods to store then why not let our removals (hyperlink to squab removals) part of the business provide you with a quotation. We always offer extremely competitive rates to our storage customers.
If you have any other questions then please hesitate to contact Squab on 0845 4680 160 during office hours or alternatively contact us here.