The Short Answer
Portable self storage means a lockable container is delivered to your property for you to fill. With Stock'n Lock it stays there for the whole hire. A self storage unit is a room at a facility you drive to. On the rate alone, a small storage unit can cost less, and for a few boxes it's often the better pick. For a house worth of furniture the sums change once you count van hire, fuel, your time and every trip back to the unit. Compare the total, not the headline rate.
If you want the basic difference before the cost, our guide to mobile storage vs a storage unit covers it in plain terms.
Portable Storage Vs A Self Storage Unit, Side By Side
Here's how the two compare on the things that decide the cost and the effort. The portable column is how Stock'n Lock works. Storage units differ from one facility to the next, so check the details with any facility you're considering.
| Compared on | Portable Storage (Stock'n Lock) | Self Storage Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Where Your Things Are | On your driveway, yard or work site for the whole hire | At a storage facility you drive to |
| Trips | None. We deliver the container and collect it at the end | One to move in, one for every visit, one to move out |
| Handling | Each item twice: into the container, then out again | Each item four times: into a vehicle, into the unit, back into the vehicle, back into the house |
| Access Hours | Any hour, any day, with no booking and no notice | The facility's access hours, which vary from site to site |
| Security | A lockable, weather-proof steel container on your own property. You hold the only key | Your lock on a unit inside a shared facility. Security varies by site, so ask what each one has |
| Room Needed At Home | A firm, level spot a bit longer than one car space, with access for a tilt tray or a crane | None |
| Size | One 20ft container with 33.2 m³ inside, roughly a three to four bedroom home | A range of unit sizes, so you can rent a small one for a few boxes |
| Hire Length | Terms of 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 or 12 months | Set by the facility. Check the minimum stay and the notice period |
| What Sets The Price | Your hire term and how far we deliver. Drop-off and pickup are included, with no hidden fees | Unit size and how long you keep it, plus moving costs, travel for each visit and any extras the facility charges |
What Drives The Cost Of Each Option
Portable Self Storage
Two things set a Stock'n Lock rate: how long you hire the container and how far we deliver it. Terms run 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 or 12 months. A short term has a higher weekly rate and a longer term brings it down, so if you're after affordable portable storage, the term is the lever. Drop-off and pickup are built into one weekly rate, and nothing gets added at the end.
Because the rate depends on your term and your suburb, it's quoted on enquiry. Send us both and Ben comes back with the exact all-in weekly rate.
A Self Storage Unit
The rent on a unit depends mostly on its size and how long you keep it. That's the figure most people compare. The rest of the cost sits outside the rent:
- A van, trailer or removalist to move everything in
- Fuel and time for every visit to get something out
- The same move again in reverse when you're done
- Any extras the facility charges on top of the rent
None of those show up on the unit's price, and all of them cost real money.
How To Compare Self Storage Prices Fairly
To compare storage prices properly, add up the full cost of each option over the same period. Five questions cover it.
- Getting your things there. Van hire, a trailer, a removalist or a run of car trips?
- Visits. How often will you need something back, and what does each trip cost in fuel and time?
- Getting your things home. The same move again at the end.
- The term. How long will you really need it? Price the realistic term, not the hopeful one.
- Extras. What's charged on top of the rent or hire rate?
With Stock'n Lock, the weekly rate already answers the first and third questions, because drop-off and pickup are included. The second one is a walk out to your driveway.
Who Each Option Suits
Neither option wins every time. Be honest about how much you're storing and how often you'll need it.
A Self Storage Unit Suits You If
- You only have a few boxes or a couple of pieces of furniture. A small unit will often cost less.
- There's no firm, level spot at your place for a container, and no way for a tilt tray or crane to reach one.
- You won't need to touch your things for the whole time they're stored.
- You want your things kept away from your address.
Portable Storage Suits You If
- You're storing a house worth of furniture, for example between settlement dates.
- You're renovating and want to pull things back out as each room is finished.
- You want to get to your things at night or on a weekend without driving anywhere.
- You'd rather load once at home than load a van, unload it at a facility and do it all again at the end.
If the second list sounds like you, see how self storage in Perth without the trip to a storage unit works with Stock'n Lock.
How Portable Self Storage Works With Stock'n Lock
We deliver one weather-proof 20ft container to your Perth property, by tilt tray where there's a clear run in or by crane where it has to be lifted over a fence. It stays there for the whole hire. You fill it at your own pace, lock it and keep the key. It never goes off to a depot or a storage facility, so there's nothing to book when you want something out. When you're finished, call us and we collect it.
For hire terms, delivery and what's included, see our page on mobile storage in Perth.
Work Out Your Number
The cheaper option is the one with the lower total once trips, handling and access are counted. If your place has room for a container, send us your suburb and how long you need storage and we'll come back with the all-in weekly rate. Or call Stock'n Lock on 0416 692 022.