Term is starting, you have arrived in Aberdeen, and the room you are moving into is smaller than the photos made it look. Between the boxes you brought, the things you bought once you got here, and a bike you cannot leave in the hallway, something has to give.
Every September, thousands of students at RGU and the University of Aberdeen hit the same problem: too much stuff, not enough room, and often an awkward gap between arriving in the city and actually getting the keys to their accommodation. It is one of the most stressful parts of settling in, and it is almost always avoidable with a little planning.
There are a few genuine options, from squeezing everything into your new place to booking proper storage for the overflow, and each one suits a different kind of student and a different pile of belongings. This article walks through what actually fits where, what it tends to cost, how insurance works, and why a little storage can make the move in far less stressful, with a self storage option worth knowing about.
The options, honestly compared
Before picking a route, it helps to see them side by side. None of these is wrong, they just suit different situations.
| Option | Best for | Rough cost | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cram it all into your room | A light packer in a decent sized flat | Free | A cluttered room you have to live in all year |
| Leave the overflow with a friend locally | A few boxes or seasonal items | Free or a favour owed | No real security, items can get damaged or lost |
| Ship ahead and store on arrival | International students arriving before their tenancy starts | Shipping plus short-term storage | Needs booking in advance so it is ready when you land |
| Self storage unit | Most students with overflow or a gap between places | As a rough UK guide, small units often run from around £15 to £40 a week depending on size and location | Best booked ahead so a unit is ready for move in week |
| Containerised storage | Bulkier or higher-value items, or a full house share’s worth of goods | Charged per container per week, ask for a quote | Best when items are packed and collected rather than self-managed |
For most students, it comes down to self storage versus containerised storage, so it is worth understanding both properly.
Self storage: pack it yourself, visit if you need to
Self storage is the option most students reach for. You pack your own boxes, book a unit sized to what you actually have, and drop it off yourself. Units range from a small locker for a few boxes up to a room-sized space for a full flat’s contents.
The appeal is flexibility. If you store your winter coat and sports kit in September and want them back in October, you can pop in whenever you need to. It also suits students who arrive before their tenancy starts, or who are moving between flats mid-year, since you can access the unit on your own terms.
Our own self storage service, Lock and Leave, works exactly this way: you keep the key, pack and access your unit whenever suits you, and only pay for the space you need.
Things that make self storage work well for students:
- Pack light and pack smart. Use sturdy boxes rather than bin bags, which tear and let damp in.
- Label everything. You will thank yourself later in the year when you cannot remember which box has your winter bedding.
- Take valuables with you. Laptops, passports and anything irreplaceable are best kept with you, not in storage.
- Check the unit size carefully. The overflow from a single student room typically needs a smaller unit than people expect, so ask for guidance rather than overestimating and overpaying.
If you are not sure how much space you need, our storage guide breaks down typical unit sizes against what fits in them, which is worth a look before you book anything.
Containerised storage: pack once, let someone else handle it
Containerised storage works differently. Rather than you loading a unit yourself, your belongings are packed into a secure container, often at your accommodation, and then taken away and stored until you need them again. It suits students with more to store, particularly a full house share moving in together, or anyone with bulkier items like furniture that would be awkward to load into a self storage unit alone.
Because it is charged per container per week, it can work out sensible when several flatmates are storing together and splitting the space, or when you simply would rather not spend your first weekend hauling boxes up a stairwell. It also tends to suit anyone storing something a little more unusual, such as a bike, a decent amount of kitchenware, or furniture bought for a flat that will not be needed until the next tenancy starts.
Have a look at our storage page for how containerised and conventional storage compare, since the right choice often depends on exactly what you are storing and for how long.
What actually fits in what size
A common mistake is booking a unit that is either far too big, which wastes money, or too small, which means a second trip and a scramble. As a rough guide:
- A single locker or small unit suits a few boxes, a suitcase and maybe a lamp, roughly the overflow from one person’s room.
- A medium unit fits a full single room’s worth of belongings, including a mattress leant on its side, boxes, a desk chair and bags of clothes.
- A larger unit covers a shared flat’s worth of items, or one student’s belongings plus bulkier furniture such as a wardrobe or sofa.
If in doubt, it is always worth asking rather than guessing. Overestimating by a size costs you money every week, and underestimating means you are back at the depot trying to fit one more box into a space that will not take it.
Insurance: do not assume you are covered
This is the bit students most often overlook. Contents insurance from a parent’s home policy rarely extends to a storage unit in another city, and storage providers do not automatically insure the value of what is inside your unit unless it is arranged.
Before you book, ask directly what cover is included and what is not, and consider the realistic value of what you are storing. A laptop, a bike and a year’s worth of clothes and books add up to more than most people expect. It is a five minute conversation that saves a great deal of stress if anything ever goes wrong.
Sort it early, settle in faster
The students who find moving in easiest are the ones who sort their storage before they arrive, not in the middle of freshers’ week. Knowing there is a unit ready for the overflow means you can move into your room, unpack what you need, and put the rest away without living around a wall of boxes for a fortnight.
It matters even more if there is a gap between arriving in Aberdeen and getting into your accommodation, which is common for international students and anyone whose tenancy starts later in September. A short-term unit booked ahead means your belongings have somewhere secure to sit until you are ready for them, rather than following you around the city.
Shore Porters has been moving and storing belongings in Aberdeen since 1498, back when the job was carried out by porters at the harbour rather than in vans, so we understand the city’s rhythms, including the student calendar, better than most. Our storage is covered by our BAR and FIDI accreditations, which means proper standards apply whether you are storing three boxes or a full flat’s contents.
Getting started
If you are weighing up self storage against containerised storage, or just want to know what size unit you actually need, get a free quote. Our team can talk you through the options and help you get sorted before term properly kicks off. Request a free storage estimate to get started, or explore our storage and Lock and Leave self storage pages for more detail on what is available.
