Making the Move to (or around) London

London. Bright Lights, big city. It’s exciting, diverse and, sadly, expensive - almost a third more expensive to live in than, for example, Liverpool.

Many people have experience of just one area of London. But Mayfair and Streatham have little in common beyond a London address, and Portobello Road and Marylebone may both have markets, but they are far from the same thing. Even just different areas of the same place – Clapham, Clapham Common and Clapham Junction, for example, have very different characteristics and communities.

Consequently, London has something for everyone: jobs; arts; culture; history; the Thames; and even an unexpected number of fabulous green parks, nature reserves and forests, made accessible with great public transport. Not forgetting, of course, a huge variety of property types, from chic flats to brick terraces.

Whether you are moving from another London area, downsizing, or coming into London for the first time, easyStorage can help you out with cheap storage in London that will help make that move way easier.

Here’s how:

Moving from another London Area

Your reasons for moving from one London area to another may include better schools, being closer to work or to family, or even just having made a mistake the first time. (It’s easily done.)

But one thing is for sure, unless you are in a super-rich bracket, you are likely to be moving into a smallish space, and very different from the property you’ve left behind.

That makes it incredibly difficult to assess what to take and what to leave, and all too often people dispose of the possessions they love, only to wish they’d kept them.

It’s far easier to put things into storage and take out what you need when you know what your new life looks like.

Moreover for renters, by starting the process early, storing as you pack, you make it less likely that you’ll end up paying two lots of rent just because you don’t want to lose your new place by not being ready. Good properties – and even some not so good ones but in a desirable area - move really fast in London.

At easyStorage, we come to you to collect, and deliver to you when you want access, so it couldn’t be much easier.

Downsizing

Many people are choosing to downsize now, whether it’s because of lost jobs or furloughs, or just to save money because of the uncertainty. And for more than a few, it’s time for the children to fly the nest, leaving ‘empty nester’ parents rattling around in spaces where they could actually manage far better in something smaller.

Some will head for thecountry, but for many remaining in London is desirable – it’s where they’vebuilt their lives and they are used to having easy access to all of the highlights of London living, including friends built up over the years.

We recommend creating four areas for each room as you prepare to move:

1.      Things I absolutely want to keep, but don’t need on a daily basis while I’m in the process of moving;

2.      Things I have to keep with me until moving day (minimal crockery and saucepans, kettle, evenbottles of gin!!) Be honest with yourself. The disruption is hard enough withouthaving to run next door to borrow a mug or bag of sugar;

3.      The luxury pile: things I may love, but know I don’t really need and want to keep anyway;

4.      Things to give away or take to charity shops. We recommend local Facebook groups ,Freecycle, asking friends if anyone wants things – you can even sell via various apps and forums. (Never underestimate the amount of work involved when you are already busy, or the number of times people won’t show to collect.)

The rest? The small stuff is what those big black bin bags were made for. Obviously, you shouldn't dump or fly tip,and if you end up with a mass of ‘stuff’ to throw out, call your local council. They are often really tolerant of the fact that you have more than usual and would rather you put it out as rubbish rather than dump it. Big things should ,of course, be taken to the tip.

Finding cheap London storage can help with the whole process. By putting things into storage in a couple of ‘tranches’ (eg all of the bedroom things; the bathroom and kitchen; the lounge and dining room etc) you release up space for cleaning and create ‘sorting’ areas. The ‘Luxury pile’ is the one to keep an eye on. Don’t make decisions without knowing what your new life will be and what you’ll need and miss, especially when you’re tired and stressed. A storage unit can give you the breathing space when you arrive to really decide what you do and don’t need in your new home. There’s less for the removal people that way too, and more time and space to get the essentials unpacked and in order before bringing in stored items.

First time inLondon

Finding the right place to live in London can be both exciting and nightmarish.

If you don’t have a family or masses of belongings to bring with you, cheap storage can help make London easier to access by giving you the opportunity to use temporary spaces like hostels or ‘B and B’s, even friends’ sofas. While you look and decide on a new place you are without the encumbrance of heavy bags or boxes to lug aroundand/or live with and climb over to get to bed. (If you’re staying with someone, they’ll be delighted too, as their home won’t be as disrupted.)

If you do have afamily to bring to London, or lots of belongings to bring, cheap London storage can help you settle faster, especially if you’ve used the four-point method welisted for downsizers. (We even help you pack!)

In the midst of settling into new schools and finding the best routes to work, along withfinding out what’s on locally, and dealing with all of the practicalities and paperwork of a new home, the last thing you need is a pile of boxes staring at you from the corner making you feel guilty about not having unpacked yet.

We can almostguarantee that your easyStorage bill, even though it’s way more competitive than traditional storage providers, will act as a little reminder monthly to access the things you’re starting to need. And as we’ll have helped you with inventory, it’s not a hard job. We even bring your storage to you!

And in the meantime, you can settle in a relaxed and/or orderly manner.

You can find outmore about easyStorage and how we make storage in London both cheaper and easierhere: https://easystorage.com.

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