Self storage in Essex

The self-storage market in Essex

Storage Compass tracks 5 self-storage facilities in Essex, holding an estimated 100,785 sq ft of lettable space between them. Every figure on this page is rebuilt from live sources rather than a one-off survey, so the counts move as the market does.

The Essex market is served by 5 named operators. Burnham Storage Ltd (1 site), DOVESTORE Self Storage Chelmsford (1 site), Harjo Ltd (1 site) and TFM Storage Facility (1 site) are the largest by site count. Brand concentration matters locally: where one operator holds most of the space, advertised rates tend to move together rather than compete.

By build format, Essex runs 5 indoor climate-managed sites. Format drives cost to serve: container yards are cheap to build and quick to open, while indoor multi-storey stock carries higher fit-out cost but attracts longer average stays.

What storage costs in Essex

No site in Essex currently publishes a live online rate, so there is no advertised price range to report. Operators here quote on request, which typically means pricing is set per enquiry against current occupancy. If you are comparing costs, ask each site for a rate on the same unit size and the same minimum stay, otherwise the quotes are not comparable.

Is Essex over or undersupplied?

Essex has 1.12 sq ft of storage per resident against a UK average of 0.9 sq ft, roughly 24% above the national benchmark. That is measured across a population of 89,815 living in about 35,558 households. On this measure the local market reads as balanced.

Around 18.8% of Essex households rent rather than own. Renter share is one of the strongest predictors of self-storage demand in the UK because renters move more often, have less loft and garage space, and are more likely to need medium-term overflow storage between tenancies.

Planning pipeline and site context

3 self-storage planning applications have been filed in and around Essex in the last 12 months: 3 approved, 0 refused. New consents are the clearest forward signal a local market has, because approved schemes typically open 12 to 24 months later and land straight into the same catchment.