Offsite storage is a service that is utilised nationwide. This demand has led to a dramatic increase in offsite storage facilities in every region of the UK. However, there are some parts of the UK that perhaps need the helping hand of offsite facilities more than others. In those areas of the UK where house prices are rising businesses are struggling to cope with the limited space that they can afford. For these businesses, an offsite storage facility could be just the cost-saving storage solution that they have been looking for.
A recent report released by the Land Registry shows that UK property prices have risen everywhere in the last year. In some areas prices rose more than others. In London prices increased by 13.9% while in the North East of England the rise was only 0.2%. There is clearly a North-South divide when it comes to UK house prices, a trend most businesses and home owners are probably already aware of.
The Land Registry’s report also revealed that the cost of flats rose faster than any other type of housing. With apartments being the property of choice for city dwellers, this rise is likely to be linked with the general rise in urban housing. It would seem that businesses and property owners living in cities in the South have to bear the greatest costs when it comes to property ownership.
Property Sales Declining
It might be the rising expenses of real estate that has led to a decrease of property transactions in the past year. From August 2014 to November 2014 there were on average 81,656 property sales each month. This figure decreased to 78,652 sales per a month in 2015. It is probable that the rocketing cost of property in some regions has created some buyer’s hesitancy, resulting in fewer monthly sales.
Home owners normally have more flexibility when it comes to choosing when to buy – not so for businesses. When a business is scouting for new office space it is probably a matter of urgency; after all what employer is going to splash out on space they don’t really need. Firms can’t wait for property prices to decrease, but at the same time often can’t afford to purchase space in the coveted urban locations they are based in.
Is Offsite Storage An Alternative?
This is where offsite storage comes in. Offsite storage can be a real life-saver for businesses based in the South, where steep real estate prices are pushing smaller businesses out of cities. An offsite storage facility can provide a small or medium sized business with the space it needs at a manageable price. For some businesses this could just be a temporary solution, for others it might be more permanent.
Offsite storage facilities offer their clients a whole range of services and a business can pick these services depending on what kind of operations it manages. For example, if it is the volume of stock that is using up a lot of available space, then a firm might choose to use a self-storage service. If it is paperwork that is leading to an overcrowded work space, then a firm could be inclined to using a secure document storage service; this way their records could be removed and securely stored offsite.
The diversity of purposes that an offsite storage facility can fulfil means that its’ benefits are in no way region specific. What’s more, with new rail links and increased investment in Northern cities, rising real estate prices will be inevitable there too. However, it is evident that in the South of England extra space at fair prices is in high demand and is becoming scarcer. Indeed, it is a precious commodity that is on the brink of extinction in London.
