Homebox, one of the leaders of self-storage in Europe

"Are you moving house, moving to another town, running out of space or you need to store away equipment or archives? Then self-storage is the perfect solution for you!

The way it works is simple: users have access to a storage unit in which they can store their belongings in complete safety, and they can access it for free, whenever they want and autonomously.

This concept was imported from the United States in the 1990s, and it became popular in France as it met the needs of private individuals and professionals looking for temporary or permanent storage space for their belongings, archives and work tools, all with a flexible contract.

HOMEBOX self-storage solution allows you to rent a ventilated storage unit with a surface area ranging from 0.5 sqm to over 60 sqm (with an average height of around 2.7 metres).

This flexible offer gives you the opportunity to organise your space and storage as you see fit. And if your needs evolve over time, you can easily make the switch to a bigger or smaller unit.

The rental contract you sign is open-ended (with a minimum rental period of 1 month) and you can change unit size whenever you like.

One of the great benefits of HOMEBOX's self-storage solution is the 24/7 access in most of our facilities. Unlike a traditional provider, you don't need to make a prior request to visit the facility: simply use your personal code and access your unit autonomously.

Finally, with HOMEBOX, you get complete peace of mind. In addition to 24/7 video surveillance, our facilities are equipped with individual access control, intruder alarms connected to a remote surveillance centre as well as smoke detectors. Everything is done to ensure maximum security for your belongings.

Self-storage meets a wide range of needs and provides temporary or long-term solutions. It can be used to store personal belongings while you move house or carry out renovation works for instance.

It's also worth noting that most self-storage facilities are located on the outskirts of towns and cities, so their inhabitants can get a little bit of extra space for their belongings.

HOMEBOX facilities offer a wide range of storage unit sizes and surface areas to meet the needs of all customers: private individuals who are moving house, looking for extra space or currently carrying out renovations as well as professionals who want to store their merchandise, archives or point-of-sale advertising material.

• Depending on the facility, the available surface areas can range from 0.5 to 60 sqm for private partitioned storage units.
  
• Non-partitioned storage areas (bulk), with much larger dimensions, are also available for professionals wishing to store their inventory.

Our boxes are generally 2.7 m high, so we can typically offer storage volumes ranging from 1.5 to over 160 m3..

Use our online tool

To estimate the storage space you might need, you can use our online tool available in the "Pricing and bookings" section featured on the dedicated web page of each HOMEBOX facility. By specifying the surface area of the home (or room) and its "profile" (lightly, moderately, or densely furnished), you will get a better idea of the storage space you might need.

Don't hesitate to ask our teams for more information by requesting a quote, discussing your needs over the phone or visiting one of our facilities, to find out the most suitable storage solution for you.

Assessing the surface area required to store your belongings is no easy task if you're not already an expert on this matter. Thankfully at HOMEBOX, we happen to be storage specialists! Our teams are here to help and advise you to find the most suitable solution. So don't hesitate to contact us!

In the meantime, here are a few tips to help you estimate your needs.

Create an inventory

Start off by listing everything you need to store. If they are small items, put them in cardboard boxes rather than on shelves. Boxes come in standard sizes, so they can easily be organised and stacked to maximise efficiency and reduce the space needed.

Note: you can easily store around 20 boxes in a 1 sqm space for instance.

If you mostly have large items (furniture, electrical appliances, bicycles, etc.), which cannot be disassembled, take their measurements so you can share them with our experts. Also take into account maximum lengths (if you want to store an antique solid wood table that is 4 metres long for instance, you'll need a storage unit that can accommodate such length, even if the table is your only item to be stored...).

Storage unit adapted to use

You can also plan how you will use your storage space. If you're moving for instance, you can afford to stack your boxes and furniture in a small space. But if you want to use your unit as a permanent storage and store clothes or documents that you might need to access regularly, you'll certainly need a bit more space.

But don't worry: at HOMEBOX you can change for a smaller or larger unit and transfer your belongings free of charge, depending on how your needs evolve and how your space is used.

It's all a matter of organisation

Homebox storage units are about as high as your home ceiling (2.70 m). To optimise your rented storage space, our teams will advise you on how to use height optimally to store your belongings. As far as possible, try to store your belongings vertically (furniture that can't be disassembled, mattresses, bicycles, etc.). Be creative and organise your belongings to maximise efficiency. Cardboard boxes or crates are perfect for this. Disassembling your furniture will save you a lot of space, but if that's not possible, you can use them to organise your storage. Put boxes in the wardrobe for instance, papers in the drawers, or even a cardboard box in the stove!

A simple calculation

Once you've observed these good practices, how to choose the right size for your storage unit?

On average, you can store the contents of a 30/40 sqm home in a 3/4 sqm unit, the contents of a 50/70 sqm home in a 5/7 sqm unit, etc. It's an easy rule of thumb: divide by 10 the surface area of your home to calculate the size of the unit you need to rent. If you have a lot of furniture and belongings, you might want to be sage and go for something a little bigger.

To help you, HOMEBOX provides a simple and useful tool: an online calculator, which can suggest a storage unit size according to the size of your home and how densely furnished it is. To use this tool, click on "Calculate the size of your storage unit" at the bottom of the page, in the "Our services" column.

Don't hesitate to contact us by calling 3007 for free! A HOMEBOX expert will help you determine the ideal size for your storage unit. You can also visit us at our self-storage facilities: we'll be delighted to meet you and give you all the information you need.

The belongings you wish to store may be useful, precious or have a strong sentimental value.

HOMEBOX strives to safekeep your belongings by relying on high-quality installations and equipment: alarms, anti-intrusion devices, fire detection, 24/7 video surveillance, ventilated units, etc. Everything is done to ensure complete peace of mind.

Only you have access to your storage unit!

HOMEBOX relies on a wide range of systems to ensure the security of your storage unit and the goods in it.

• With access control (via a personal code): you are the only person who can access your storage unit.
• With intrusion detection systems, alarms and 24/7 video surveillance to prevent any intrusion.
• And finally, your storage unit is protected by a padlock (that you need to provide) and for which you alone have the combination or key.

This way, HOMEBOX makes sure that only you have access to your storage unit and the goods in it.

No risk of damage

HOMEBOX facilities have numerous security features that other storage solutions simply do not have (like cellars, attics, garages, etc.), thus providing a high level of protection for your belongings:

• Our premises are clean and ventilated.
• Our premises are equipped with fire detection systems.
• 24/7 video surveillance, linked to a remote surveillance company that intervenes if needed.

Our general terms and conditions prohibit the storage of flammable, explosive or corrosive products, etc. for maximum safety and to prevent potential risks.

Safety is a shared responsibility

HOMEBOX also expects its customers to comply with the terms of use of storage units as well as the internal regulations of the facilities, which have been designed with your safety and that of your belongings in mind.

• For instance, in case your storage unit is accessible 24/7, you will be given an access code. You must not share this access code with any third party. Remember that it is as confidential as your credit card pin code!
• Your storage space can be accessed with one key, which only you have in your possession.
• Do not plug in any electrical appliance in your storage unit.
• Smoking is not permitted on the premises of HOMEBOX facilities.

Finally, to guarantee a clean and safe space, you must keep your box clean and above all, comply with storage prohibitions. You must not store perishable products or waste for instance, which might deteriorate. Do not store raw plant fibres, which could attract pests (insects, mice, etc.). Dangerous products, aerosol cans and other flammable products are also prohibited to avoid any risk of explosion, fire, corrosion, pollution, etc.

Of course you can! At each of our HOMEBOX self-storage facilities, you'll find a shop that sells boxes, packing material and accessories at the reception desk. Of course, the shop is open to everyone: even if you're not currently renting a unit, you can still get all the equipment you need.

Here's an overview of what you'll find in our facilities as well as on our online shop:

• Boxes and crates: many different types of packaging available. Standard boxes, reinforced double-wall boxes, boxes for glasses (for 75 or 100 items), boxes for bottles (12 items), boxes for plates (24 or 48 items), for books, for computer equipment and even wardrobe boxes (with a hanging rod)!
• Accessories: cutters, blankets, tape dispensers, protective gloves, mattress covers (in single and double formats), markers, bubble wrap (10 metres), shrink wrap (300 metres), adhesive rolls (66 metres), etc.
  
• Packs: to make things even easier, we've designed packs that contain just the right amount of boxes, equipment and accessories for a specific surface area. The Student Pack for studios, the Medium Pack for 2-room apartments and the Maxi-Pack for 3 or 4-room apartments/houses contain everything you need to pack all your belongings. 
  

Remember that all HOMEBOX facilities provide handling equipment free of charge. This generally includes: dollies, hand trucks and pallet trucks.

HOMEBOX provides a storage solution that adapts to users' needs.

The cost of renting a storage unit depends on various criteria that we can discuss and define together, including: 

• The surface area of the storage unit: our facilities offer a wide range of storage spaces, from 0.5 to 60 sqm (excluding bulk – a non-partitioned storage area intended for businesses);
  
• The HOMEBOX facility and its location;
  
• The date and duration of the rental period.
  

The offer is exclusive of insurance* and includes, among other things:

• Unlimited free access to the storage unit at all times: you can access your belongings 24/7 in most of our facilities, even at night or on Sundays.

• Handling equipment: storage unit renters can use the dollies, hand trolleys, hand pallet trucks, etc. that are available on the premises free of charge to carry their belongings.

*Insurance for belongings in storage is compulsory. It's up to you: you can choose HOMEBOX's own insurance (€12 for €3,000 of guaranteed capital, €16 for €5,000 of guaranteed capital and €32 for €10,000 of guaranteed capital). For more information, please contact our teams."