Choosing self storage is one of the best decisions you can make when looking to secure your belongings. Whether you are decluttering your home, relocating abroad, storing university supplies, or managing business inventory, having a safe and accessible space is paramount.

Here at Apex Self Storage, we pride ourselves on providing highly secure self storage facilities across the North West. Our security measures, including 24/7 security, secure locking mechanisms and alarm systems, make the risk of incidents, like theft or malicious damage, extremely low.

However, even the most secure facility in the UK cannot control the truly unpredictable — a significant regional storm, an accidental fire, or water damage from a burst pipe. This is why having dedicated self storage insurance can help give you that extra peace of mind.

Insurance is your essential financial safety net, designed to complement our physical security. It ensures that, in the incredibly rare event of an unexpected loss, your cherished items, family heirlooms, or vital business assets are financially protected.

But what exactly does a self storage insurance policy cover, and more importantly, how does it compare to other storage options?

The Apex Advantage: Why Dedicated Cover Matters

When deciding where to store your valuable goods, comparing a professional facility like Apex Self Storage with alternative storage options immediately highlights the need for self storage solutions you can trust, with the added bonus of being able to choose specialist insurance.

Home storage vs. self storage: Assessing the risks

Many people consider storing items in less-secure locations, such as a friend’s garage, a residential loft, or a garden shed. While cheap (or sometimes free), these spaces often expose your belongings to risks that are far more common than they are in a dedicated storage unit:

• Vermin and Pests: Rodents and insects thrive in residential outbuildings, often causing catastrophic, unrecoverable damage to furniture and textiles.
• Damp and Mould: Garages and sheds are prone to poor ventilation, leading to damp, mildew, and mould, which insurance typically does not cover if the location is not purpose-built for storage.
• Theft: Unsecured sheds and easily accessible garages are prime targets for opportunistic thieves, and any loss here might not be covered by your home insurance.
• Lack of Surveillance: There is no professional monitoring, alarm system, or controlled access.

By choosing Apex Self Storage, you can rest assured that your belongings, no matter what they may be, are safe with us. Our facilities are purpose-built to be dry, clean, and secure.

However, we always recommend self storage insurance coverage for those truly unavoidable events.

Why your home contents policy falls short

Many customers assume their existing home contents policy will cover items placed in self storage. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case, or the coverage is heavily restricted.

A standard UK home contents policy often limits cover for items stored off-site to:

• A very low value limit: Often only a small percentage (e.g., 5–10%) of the total contents value, which is usually insufficient for even a small storage unit.
• A short duration: Coverage might only apply for a period during a house move (e.g., 30 days) and ceases thereafter.

Dedicated self storage insurance fills these gaps. It is specifically underwritten for the storage environment, providing higher financial limits that reflect the true value of your possessions for as long as they are stored with us.

What Self Storage Insurance Covers

The core purpose of a self storage insurance policy is to provide a financial safety net against major, sudden, and unforeseen incidents that are beyond the control of both the facility and the customer.

These policies typically cover your goods against what are called ‘specified perils.’

Coverage for major, unavoidable incidents

These incidents, though incredibly rare within a modern facility, can cause significant financial loss and are the key reason insurance is required:

• Fire, Lightning, and Explosion: Protection against damage caused by sudden, catastrophic combustion events within the building.
• Water Damage from Fixed Installations: This covers damage caused by unexpected accidents, such as a water sprinkler activating, or a burst pipe from a facility’s fixed water or heating systems.
• Natural Disasters: Protection against severe weather events that affect the wider area, such as major regional storms, floods, or subsidence.

Financial protection against theft

While our security systems are designed to deter any unlawful entry, the insurance policy provides financial protection in the extremely rare event that a theft occurs.

The policy will cover the financial loss of goods resulting from theft, provided there is proof of forcible and violent entry into your storage unit or the building itself. This clause underscores the security provided by Apex Self Storage — if entry were easily achieved, the policy would be less specific.

Other included perils

Depending on the specific policy chosen, you will often find cover for other unexpected events, such as:

• Impact by Vehicles: Accidental damage caused by a vehicle colliding with the storage building or your unit.
• Riot and Malicious Acts: Damage caused by civil disturbances or deliberate vandalism that breaches the facility’s secure perimeter.

Understanding Policy Limits and Exclusions

To ensure your claim is valid, it is crucial to understand what your policy does not cover, as these exclusions are often related to customer responsibility and preparation.

Items that are inherently excluded

For safety and legal reasons, certain items can never be placed in storage, and therefore can never be covered by insurance, such as:

• Hazardous Goods: Corrosive, flammable, or explosive items (e.g., petrol, gas bottles, cleaning solvents). These are also strictly prohibited.
• Illegal and Perishable Goods: Stolen goods, illegal substances, live animals, or items that can decay, such as food or plants.
• High-Value Securities: Cash, deeds, bonds, or highly valuable jewellery often have strict maximum limits, or are excluded entirely, unless specifically arranged through a bespoke policy.

Damage not covered by the insurer

The policy is designed to cover external, sudden damage, not issues arising from preparation or neglect. You will typically not be covered for:

• Gradual Deterioration: Damage caused by internal mould, mildew, rust, or general wear and tear that occurs naturally over time.
• Inadequate Packing: Damage resulting from the customer’s own failure to pack items correctly, stack goods safely, or use appropriate packaging materials (for tips on getting organised, take a look at our blog on labelling and organisation).
• Vermin Damage (Internal): Damage caused by pests originating from within your own storage unit (e.g., if you store infested furniture).

Preparing Your Goods: Ensuring Your Cover Is Valid

The best way to guarantee your self storage insurance policy is effective is through meticulous preparation and accurate valuation.

1. Calculate your full replacement value

You must accurately calculate the full replacement cost of every item you are storing. This is the cost to buy a brand new, equivalent item today.

Under-insuring your possessions could result in the insurer reducing your claim payout — a concept known as ‘average.’ Therefore, taking the time to value your items properly is essential.

Need help working out how much space you need?

Use our handy Storage Planner tool to efficiently list and estimate the size of your possessions, making the valuation process simple and accurate.

2. Pack professionally

Insurance policies rely on you taking reasonable steps to protect your goods. Using high-quality, professional packing materials prevents damage due to poor handling, moisture, or inadequate cushioning.

Securing Your Storage with Apex Self Storage

Choosing a highly secure facility like Apex Self Storage is the first step in safeguarding your possessions. Adding a dedicated self storage insurance policy is the final, advisable step This combination provides you with the ultimate protection against the truly unpredictable, ensuring your items are secure both physically and financially.

If you have any questions about our security measures, or which items require specific coverage, please consult our comprehensive FAQ page or speak to a member of our expert team.

Whether you need long-term storage for business inventory or short-term space during a personal move, discover the flexibility and high security of Apex Self Storage.

Contact us today to arrange your secure and fully insured Personal Storage or Business Storage unit.