Is self storage worth it for a student? It depends on how much you have and how you get there. A June day in both versions, why a few boxes mean renting air, and when the unit wins.
Classic self storage is worth it for a student who has a lot of stuff, a car and visits often. With one room to empty and no car, a traditional unit charges you for more space than you need plus two trips to the outskirts, and door-to-door pickup wins. Two things decide it: how much you have and how you get there.
I'm Francesco, a student living away from home at Bocconi: a room to clear in June with one exam still to sit is something I know well. How Smoves came out of it is in about us.
How the day goes matters more than the two price lists. Same end of June, same things to move, done both ways.
| The moment | With a traditional unit | With door-to-door pickup |
|---|---|---|
Before you even book | you hunt for a vehicle: a rental, a friend, the cousin with the van | you pick a date in the form, and the date is guaranteed |
The morning | you carry everything down the stairs, no elevator, as tradition demands | you or someone you've delegated are there, boxes ready |
The trip | you drive to the shed, which sits where sheds are cheap | no trip: the warehouse comes to you |
At the warehouse | you sign, stack, lock up, drive back | you get a confirmation email and you're already doing something else |
In September | you do all of it again in reverse | you book redelivery, which is paid separately |
What it cost in time | two half-days, plus the worry in between | the time it takes to fill in a form |
The smallest unit in a traditional warehouse is designed for somebody storing a living room, and the minimum size follows that logic. If what you have fits in a single room, you fill a fraction of it and rent the rest anyway: air in a shed, paid for every month.
Then there's the vehicle, which never shows up in the sums. In Milan Area B runs Monday to Friday from 7:30 to 19:30, public holidays excluded, and not every rental van is allowed in. Before booking one to cross the city it's worth checking the plate, which nobody does and which occasionally ends badly.
That leaves the contract. Deposit, minimum term and notice period are written for somebody storing for two years, and over one summer you pay for them anyway.
Far less than you'd expect. We measure in square meters, and the space calculator does the math for you: put in what you have and it tells you which size you fall into, starting at 1 m². If you'd rather see the sizes before trusting a number, the size guide shows what fits in each one.
Watching boxes arrive, I've learned that everyone overestimates volume and underestimates weight. Nobody has ever told me "I have less stuff than I thought", and nobody has ever casually lifted the box with the books in it.
What would it cost you?
The monthly rate is fixed per size, from 1 m²; the pickup is paid once at the start. The price list shows the figures, the quote shows your case.
Would you rather talk to a person?+39 02 999 444 21WhatsApp
See pricingIf you're emptying a whole one-bedroom apartment rather than a room, so furniture, appliances and a bed, the volume justifies a large size and price per square meter works in the traditional warehouse's favor.
It's also worth it if you need what you store often. If you drop by every couple of weeks, a key and opening hours beat any convenience, which is why the classic model exists. And it's worth it if you own a car and live near the facility, which in Milan happens about as often as snow in May; when it does, though, it changes the sums.
The full comparison between the two models, without the student angle, is in self storage in Milan. The question here is narrower: is it worth it for you, with one room and one exam session.
None of us picks when to move. The tenancy agreement picks it, expiring on 30 June, and so does the exam calendar, which never asked anyone's permission. You can compare two prices in ten minutes; a date that's gone doesn't come back with any discount.
That's why the dates you see in the form are guaranteed: confirmation comes with payment and nobody calls you back the next day to say unfortunately. If things change, and in June they always do, a booked pickup can't be canceled but the date can be moved, with at least 48 hours' notice: the first move carries no penalty, from the second there's a charge, and if the new day costs more you pay the difference.
If yours is the classic case, room to clear in June and back in September, the full path is in summer storage for students. The wider picture for students living away from home starts from student storage in Milan.
You pay a monthly rate fixed per size, starting at 1 m², plus a one-off pickup and transport charge at the start. The rate covers storage in the warehouse. If you commit to more months the discount applies to the pickup, not to the rate.
Redelivery is paid separately: you book it from your account when you need it and pay for it then, worked out like the pickup. Extras are paid only if you ask for them: packing done by us, furniture disassembly and reassembly on a quote, materials such as boxes and tape, and a higher Insurance limit. The base limit is included in the monthly rate, and Insurance covers storage, not transport. The figures for every size are on the pricing page.
There are no deposits. At booking you choose between month by month with no strings or a longer commitment with the pickup discount. The online quote shows you the figure before you book, so you can put it next to another price list without phoning anyone.
One room, no car and three months ahead: with a traditional unit you pay for two trips and a good deal of air. An apartment, a car and a year: the unit wins.
The long version, written for people studying in Milan, is in self storage for students in Milan. If a question is still open, write to us from the contacts page: a person answers, often me.
With little to store and no car, door-to-door pickup wins: you pay for the size in square meters you take up and make no trips. With furniture, a car and frequent access, the traditional unit wins, because price per square meter falls with size and you hold the key.
In traditional warehouses the minimum size is built around the contents of a living room, so a few boxes mean paying for unused space. With door-to-door pickup it starts at 1 m² and goes up size by size, so the floor area follows what you have.
Yes. At booking you choose whether to stay month by month with no strings or commit to more months in exchange for a discount on the pickup; either way it ends when you book redelivery, which is paid separately. A booked pickup can't be canceled; the date can be moved with at least 48 hours' notice, the first time with no penalty and from the second with a charge, and if the new day costs more you pay the difference.
We need you or someone you've delegated: a flatmate, the building concierge, a friend. The boxes need to be packed and reachable. Delegating is common, especially when the exam session and the move land in the same week.
Yes, just like any other address. If the building has particular access rules, it helps to write them in the booking notes so we turn up already briefed.
Almost always far less than people estimate by eye, and it's measured in square meters. The site's space calculator works it out from what you have to store.
What would it cost you?
The monthly rate is fixed per size, from 1 m²; the pickup is paid once at the start. The price list shows the figures, the quote shows your case.
Would you rather talk to a person?+39 02 999 444 21WhatsApp
See pricingHow many boxes you need for a move, from a single room to a three-bedroom: the table by home type, the right sizes, what goes in each box and how much it can weigh.
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Where to find moving boxes: the supermarkets and stores that give them away, the big stores and websites that sell them, swap groups, and when it makes sense to have them brought to your door with the move.
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Verified reviews on Trustpilot.
“Excellent service. Whenever I had doubts or questions, they responded very quickly, within a day or two max. The redelivery service is as quick and convenient as it possibly can be, made my life as a student very easy.”
Adrian G. · Reviewed on
Read on Trustpilot“Everything was super easy, very fast response from the company, the boxes were kept properly, any additional requests were granted. Would recommend!”
Viktor N. · Reviewed on
Read on Trustpilot“Thank you very much for your support while we moved out of the student residence. The service was very professional and communication very clear and fast. We will be using your service again soon.”
Mafalda · Reviewed on
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