In business, management constantly finds ways to ensure that costs are kept in budget while driving sales. The storage of stock in warehouses is often a high overhead cost to a business, and efficient storage is a priority in warehouse management. 

Management will do a storage efficiency analysis to determine if warehouses are being used optimally and whether there is room for improvements in storage methods, to be on budget and not waste money unnecessarily. 

At Stop & Store Lowestoft we ensure that self-storage is a cost-effective option for our clients to store their goods as we understand the importance of keeping storage costs down always. Self-storage is popular amongst private individuals, for business storage or storage by students, and we offer a wide range of units designed to accommodate all these types of user. 

We have a great online tool available to help self-storage users who would like to ensure that the size unit they hire is the right one. It’s called a space calculator and will assist with giving you the necessary guidance on the size space best for a particular application you may be looking for. 

We take a lot of tips from businesses doing large scale warehousing. Companies using large warehousing to store stock manage space utilization very carefully, as the cost of warehousing is a major expense item to their overheads.

Stop & Store are always thinking of ways to maximize space management for you, and as a start, let’s look at the whole concept of “space” and how to measure it and ensure that what space you have available is used efficiently. 

How to Calculate the Size of Storage

Typically, storage area is described in square feet or cubic feet. What is the difference and how is it measured? 

A square footage size is calculated by measuring the length and breadth of the storage space. Simply measure them both and multiply them to get a square foot figure. 

Cubic footage takes into account the height of the storage space and is the length x breadth x height.

The Stop & Store space calculator is an interactive tool to help you work out the size space you would need to accommodate all the stuff you need to store.

Check this out:

  • 25 sq foot unit can take up to 60 medium sized boxes.
  • 50 sq foot unit can accommodate 125 medium sized boxes and is big enough to house an average sized one bedroomed flat.
  • 75 sq foot unit stores about 180 medium sized boxes and will take the contents of a small two bedroomed flat.
  • 100 sq foot is large enough for as many as 240 boxes, taking the contents of a two bedroomed house.
  • 150 sq foot is a large unit big enough for as many as 360 boxes.

To work out a 50 square foot sized unit, pace out 5-foot x 10 foot and this will give you an idea of how big it is. 

Making the Most of Storage Space

If you are seeking ways to make your storage space work better for you, then we have some useful tips to help you make the most of what you have available. 

Let’s take a leaf out of the books of those in the business of efficient warehousing and find out what techniques work for them:

  • First step is assessing the capacity usage: meaning what percentage of the space you have available to you do you use. 
  • To pack stock well, a tip is to pack similar sized goods together to ensure consistency in the way goods are packed.
  • Take note of the available space above the level already packed as height offers additional space opportunities.
  • Take obsolete stock out of your packing as it can be considered as “dead” stock and is only cluttering up your space unnecessarily.
  • Don’t make the aisles too wide that they use up space needlessly. Tailor them to the size that works for you and not bigger than necessary.
  • Extra space can be found over doorways, windows and in unused areas that could be inaccessible normally. By using racking or suspended shelving in these places additional storage areas can be found. 
  • Most professionals use racking to gain height and organize their stock. 
  • Racking should run lengthwise in the place of storage, as this is recognized as the most efficient way to arrange racking.
  • Although most racking requires a forklift to access stored goods, it depends on the type of racking used, and there are several different racking methods one could use. 
  • Wise space users often install a mezzanine floor, at reasonable cost and with little disruption to the existing infrastructure. This addition can give a significant amount of extra space for storage. 

As someone who may be considering self-storage, Stop & Store Lowestoft has a team of professional staff to give telephonic guidance to help you choose the size unit that’s right for you. Naturally, we would love you to visit us and see for yourself to satisfy yourself that you are selecting the correct size unit for your goods.

Note that we offer specials on units from time to time, so make sure you are in the loop and take advantage of them when they come around.  

Why Self Storage?

No matter what size load you want to store, from a one bedroom flat or a two-bedroom house, we at Stop & Store Lowestoft have the right sized self-storage unit for you. With 24/7 access and absolute 100% security for your goods, we can ensure that we can supply you with the size you require. Just look at our space calculator to make sure it’s the size for your load.  

Stop & Store Lowestoft is conveniently located and the staff are on standby to help with anything you need.   

If you have time to visit, come to us at Stop & Store Lowestoft to see the storage size options available to you. 

Feel free to make a time to visit, view or call us to book a unit when you require self-storage.

Call us at Stop and Store at 01502 580005 or visit us at 92 Denmark Road Lowestoft, NR32 2EH.