Hopefully, you found 2025 fruitful, and your vans were kept on the road. The property market delivered plenty of opportunities for removal companies. However, it was not without its challenges. The end of stamp duty relief did contribute to a decline in moves, and August was a particularly challenging month for securing jobs. We’re sure that you’re more than used to that ebb and flow of work in your field, but what should you focus on during those lulls? Have you ever considered branching out into self-storage? It’s the perfect complementary business and can help keep revenue flowing in year-round when the property market is experiencing a dip.
Self-storage is booming. The Self Storage Association’s Annual Report 2025 stated that turnover in 2024 was just under £1.2 billion from 1,480 operators offering the public 64 million square feet of storage space. Occupancy is strong, at 75.1%, and revenue per square foot rose by 6% in 2024, reaching £29.13. This is despite all the economic pressures being thrown at the industry. Sounds promising, right? And if any business was best placed to take advantage of reaping the benefits self-storage provides, it’s removal firms.
Self-storage is growing. The UK is facing housing pressure with smaller homes and less space due to downsizing. As a result, more and more people are turning to self-storage as a solution for housing their belongings. However, crucially, storage isn’t tied to the housing market alone like removals is. That makes it:
In short, it’s a stable, scalable business to add alongside removals.
Storage creates recurring monthly income rather than one-off jobs, making it a successful investment strategy. That steady cash flow helps smooth out peaks and troughs in removals. CSC Self Storage states that, “The average ROI is between 10% and 16% and in some cases even 20%.” Janus similarly claims that “in developing markets, self-storage operators are typically producing double-digit annual returns.”
If you’re tired of the quiet winter months, storage income keeps ticking over when removals slow down. Your audience is no longer just the homemover, it’s the business owner, the hobbyist, the divorcee, the new parent, the creative… Stora states, “Even during periods of economic uncertainty, storage business owners continue to see stable demand and strong returns.” And actually, one of the key drivers for the use of self-storage is downsizing, and this happens more often in economic uncertainty as people need to free up more cash or can no longer afford mortgage repayments.
People use storage for many reasons, including renovations, breakups and business growth. If the property market is experiencing fewer completions, you can focus your attention on other audiences.
Modern storage sites are increasingly automated. There’s access control, CCTV, online bookings and remote management. All this means low staffing requirements, minimal day-to-day hassle and high operational efficiency.
Diversifying protects your business against market shocks and changing customer behaviour.
Combining removals, which is transactional, with storage, which is recurring, creates a stronger, more resilient business model.
Offering both services means customers no longer need to juggle multiple suppliers. One company, one solution – it’s seamless. This level of convenience builds trust and encourages repeat business. If a customer’s move collapses due to issues with the chain or bank failures, you can step in immediately with secure storage. Likewise, if belongings do not fit, renovations are planned, or space has been overestimated, storage becomes an essential solution. Even something as simple as a sofa not fitting through the door can create an urgent need for short-term storage. You can also offer greater flexibility by moving belongings on a different day, helping to reduce pressure and stress on moving day itself.
Storage is a natural extension of what you do best. You have the existing vehicles and professional staff already in place for the collection and delivery of items. All the planning and control remain within one company.
Storage fits naturally into the moving journey. It solves real problems. You can position storage as:
For homemovers, it removes stress. For you, it increases customer value. You could even offer special pricing on bundled services.
Before launching, carry out thorough market research to understand the local landscape. Who are your potential customers? How much passing traffic is there? What are competitors charging? The ideal site combines visibility, accessibility and demand. A location on a busy main road acts as a free billboard, attracting attention round the clock. It should also be close to where people live and work. Aim for within a five-mile radius of a dense residential area with a nearby industrial area to capture both domestic and business clients.
Starting a self-storage business isn’t just some side hustle. It’s a smart way to generate additional revenue year-round and strengthen your customer relationships. The UK self-storage market has only just begun its boom. Jump on the bandwagon quick before you get left behind in the dust.