What should I look for in a good storage facility?

Check whether you need access to your things, how secure the site is, whether they collect and deliver, what cover your belongings have and how they will be packed. Those five things matter more than the size of the unit.

What is the difference between containerised storage and self storage?

With containerised storage, your belongings are loaded into storage containers and kept together, with no access while stored. Self storage is a unit you can visit and get into yourself. Containerised storage suits things you won't need until you move again.

Where can I store my furniture safely in Dorset?

1st Choice Removals offers containerised storage across four local sites near Wimborne, with around 1,000 storage units, and self storage units for customers who need access. Our crew can collect your furniture and deliver it to your new home when you are ready.

Can I get to my things in containerised storage?

No. Containerised storage has no access while your belongings are stored. If you need access, ask 1st Choice Removals for one of our self storage units instead.

How to Choose a Storage Facility in Dorset

How to choose a storage facility: what to look for

12 November 2026

When you choose a storage facility, check five things: how secure it is, whether you need access to your things, whether containerised or self storage suits you, how your belongings are insured, and how they will be packed. 1st Choice Removals runs around 1,000 storage units across four local sites near Wimborne, for short and long term storage across Dorset.

1. Do you need access to your things?

This is the first question to answer, because it decides the type of storage you need.

Containerised storage suits belongings you won't need until you move again. Everything is loaded into storage containers and kept together, and there is no access while it is stored.
Self storage suits things you need to get to now and then, such as business stock, seasonal items or paperwork.

With 1st Choice, most customers use containerised storage, and anyone who needs access can ask for one of our self storage units instead.

2. Security

Ask how the site is secured and who can get to your belongings. With containerised storage, your things are loaded into a container that stays together for the whole time it is stored, rather than being spread around a warehouse or handled again and again.

3. Collection and delivery

If you hire a self storage unit, you usually have to move everything in yourself. With a removals company that also stores, the crew can collect from your home, take everything into storage and deliver it to your new address when you are ready, so your belongings are only loaded and unloaded by people who do it every day.

4. Insurance and cover

Find out what cover your belongings have while they are in storage, what value you need to declare, and what isn't covered. Make an itemised list of what goes in, and keep it somewhere safe.

5. Packing for storage

Good packing matters even more for storage than for a move, because things may sit for months. Use strong boxes of a similar size so they stack, wrap furniture properly, keep anything going into storage clean and dry, and label every box. Our storage guide has more on packing for storage.

6. Short or long term?

Check whether you can store for a few weeks, for example between selling and buying, or for months or years, and how easy it is to change your plans. Our containerised storage is available for the short or long term.

Storage near Wimborne, Poole and Bournemouth

1st Choice Removals is a family-run removals and storage company at Canford Business Park near Wimborne, storing belongings for customers across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Dorset since 1990. See our storage services, or get a quote and call 01202 570970.