When we talk about protecting our mental health, we often think of yoga, therapy, or spending time in nature. But there's another unsung hero in the conversation: self storage. It might sound surprising, but having access to safe, flexible storage space can bring emotional relief during some of life’s most stressful events—from divorce and bereavement to downsizing and disaster recovery. In honour of Self Storage Week, we’re focusing on how self storage can quietly support mental wellbeing during turbulent times.
There is a strong connection between moving or selling a property and the use of self storage in the UK. According to Britannia Movers’ 2021 survey, 56% of self storage users booked their units to provide extra space during a house move.
Sometimes this is because people have sold their property but haven’t yet found a new one, so move into smaller rented accommodation while they find their ideal house or apartment. Storage is also useful for people who need to decorate or carry out building work before moving into their new home, keeping their belongings safely away from the mess and disruption. People who want to declutter and stage their home prior to accepting viewings are also typical self storage customers, and this is a smart move since home staging can increase the chance of a quick sale and the value of offers!
As the UK’s largest independent moving group, Britannia Movers are recognised experts on the moving process, and we hear thousands of moving stories every year. Whilst some customers are full of joy and excitement, perhaps preparing for a new addition to their family or celebrating a promotion at work, a large proportion of house moves are actually triggered by difficult or traumatic life events.
One life event affecting over a third of adults in the UK is the breakdown of a marriage or long-term relationship. Britannia Movers witnessed a huge spike in moves due to relationship breakdowns during the pandemic lockdowns of 2020-21, when relationship tensions boiled over as people were confined together for long periods. We also see an annual pattern of divorce moves across the country, with springtime seeing the seasonal peak of this type of moving activity.
During a breakup or divorce, people often find themselves navigating major housing changes on short notice. Whether one person is moving out or the family home is being sold, it can be difficult to find space—physically and emotionally—for all of life’s belongings. Self storage offers a safe, neutral space while individuals find stability and rebuild.
All of us will suffer a bereavement at some point in our lives, and it is always a very difficult time, even when the person has been ill and the death is expected. For those who have lost a partner or close family member, their grief is often interrupted by the necessity of clearing a property and deciding what to do with a lifetime of possessions.
When you are grieving, making decisions about clothing, objects, and furniture – all of which have important memories attached to them – can simply be too much to bear. The pressure of this can lead to decisions that you may later regret, and can even cause mental health difficulties. In this situation, self storage can be a solution that gives you the time and space you need to grieve, come to terms with the loss, and then start deciding what to do with everything when you feel strong enough.
The easy access means that you can stop by and retrieve items whenever you feel able to, or start deciding what to keep, sell or donate in small steps, one box at a time. If it takes you some time to go through all of the possessions, you can save money by reducing the size of your storage unit as you make progress.
People downsize – or move to a smaller property – at many different points in their lives and for lots of different reasons. Typically, we tend to think of older people downsizing when their children have left home and they no longer want to deal with lots of property and garden maintenance. However, it’s also common amongst first-time buyers, since the type of property people can afford to buy is usually a little smaller than what they can afford to rent.
Then of course there are life events that may force people to downsize, such as the loss of a well-paid job, or needing to move to a more expensive area for work or to be close to family.
It can take time to adjust to living in a smaller property, and many people go through a period of denial. One of our customers recently told us “When you moved us from a five bedroom to a three-bedroom home I simply couldn’t let go of all my furniture, it all had memories attached and I wasn’t ready to make decisions. The storage option was a lifesaver, as it let me adjust and let things go in my own time.”
Britannia’s removal crews have seen countless examples of clients struggling on moving day with furniture which is simply too large for a room, or belongings coming from a large house that won’t fit into a smaller property.
Rather than making panic decisions on moving day, it’s a good idea to make a list of the essentials that you can’t live without (e.g. beds, sofas, wardrobes), and then measure the available spaces in the new property to check that everything will fit. If you can’t bear to part with the rest of your furniture in the short term, self storage will give you the freedom to go to and fro as you settle into your new home, working out what fits and making decisions about what to do with the rest.
A lesser-known use of self storage is in supporting a person who has been impacted by a flood, fire, or other disaster. Britannia and Access have helped thousands of customers who suddenly find themselves dealing with the unexpected – storm damage, a partial building collapse, and even a sinkhole opening up near their home!
These incidents are always traumatic, coming completely out of the blue and upending people’s sense of security and stability. However, we often find that once a customer’s possessions are recovered and stored away safely offsite, they are able to make calmer decisions about the property itself, usually working with their insurers.
The easy access that self storage provides in this scenario means that people don’t have to think too hard about what is being taken offsite – they can visit their storage unit once the crisis has passed and take whatever they need on a regular basis.
One piece of expert advice that may help in this scenario – take a storage unit that is larger than the volume of your goods so that it can be stacked with aisles between the furniture and boxes. You will need good access and visibility of your belongings to be able to retrieve what you need later without unpacking and restacking the entire unit.
Ultimately, removals companies and self storage companies alike are uniquely placed to support customers in times of crisis because we understand that your possessions aren’t just things, they are the story of your life, and they need to be handled and stored with care and respect.
Sometimes the need to move is pressing but people simply aren’t able to cope with the emotional load of sorting through their possessions. That’s when a caring removals expert and a trustworthy self storage company are the partners they need. Britannia Movers and Access Self Storage act with care and compassion to help our customers move forward at their own pace. If you need help with a difficult move, get in touch to see how we can help.
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