Frequently asked questions

Yes. Once you have moved in to one of our rooms, you can use anything you like to store your items within your room provided it is stored securely.

No. We don’t offer a lock rental service. But you can purchase a padlock from our reception areas.

It depends on the box. But more importantly it depends on you, as you need to be able to lift the box and its contents safely. We recommend 3 strips of packing tape along the bottom of the cardboard boxes to seal them securely. Only ever put books into the small box. Keep the bigger boxes for larger light items such as duvets and pillows. Always take care when lifting. Recommended guidelines are to lift a maximum of 15KG in one go.

No. Anyone can buy our packing materials, you don’t need to be a storage customer to purchase anything from us. See our full range of packing materials in our Boxes Etc. section of our website.

Yes. We sell a variety of cardboard and plastic boxes, plus a selection of multi packs containing a variety of the boxes at a reduced price over buying everything individually. We also sell bubble wrap, packing tissue and other packing materials such furniture covers and packing tape. See our Box Shop section for the full list.  You can buy online for home delivery, reserve click and collect to pay and collect in store, or just turn up to any store and select what you require.

Yes. However they need to fit onto our door locks. The ones we sell are the correct size and of a suitable durability, with a hardened steel shackle of either 8mm or 9mm in diameter. If you are bringing your own padlock please check with the store that it is suitable for use.

Our combination padlocks are £18 each.

Deliveries usually arrive within 2 working days. They are often next working day, but this is not guaranteed.

For an update on your parcels progress, please contact our Customer Support Centre during our office hours (8am-8pm Monday to Friday) on 0800 783 4949 or 01276 477177 and they will check on the status of your delivery.

For larger orders of multiple storage packs or over 50 individual boxes, longer delivery periods may be required. You will be contacted to confirm longer delivery times prior to dispatch if this is necessary.

If no-one is available to accept the delivery a card will be left to inform you how you can collect your parcel or arrange re-delivery. It then becomes your responsibility to contact the relevant delivery company to arrange a suitable re-delivery date. We accept no liability if delivery is not made due to you not being available.

If you wish for the items to be left at a location in your absence, and you have a specific dry area in which they can be left, at either your premises or a neighbour's, please ensure to inform us when you are placing the order and leave a signed note for UPS, indicating precisely where the item(s) should be left. If a note is not left in your absence, we cannot guarantee delivery.

No. This is not a service we offer.

Please contact us straight away on 0800 083 4948 or 01276 477177 and we will get this resolved for you.

No. This is not a service we offer.

Yes. Unfortunately we are unable to deliver to the following postcode areas:

BT, GY, HS, IM, IV1 to IV5, IV11, IV13, IV15, IV17, IV19, IV26, IV40, IV52, IV63, KW16, PA34, PH22, PH33, PH41, PO30 to PO41, ZE.

This depends on what you have ordered and the size and weight of the packages. All orders over £150 receive free delivery.

If you are not completely satisfied with the items you receive, please return unused items to us (within 30 days of receipt) and you will receive a full refund for the cost of the merchandise, less delivery costs. If you receive damaged goods or the items you received were not the items ordered we shall refund the delivery cost and arrange for the items to be returned to us at our cost. Your credit card will be credited within five working days of the merchandise being received back at our facility. All storage packs must be returned unopened. All returns require a return authorisation number. Please contact our webshop customer service department on freephone 0800 083 4948 or 01276 477177 for return address and authorisation number.

If the items in question were purchased at a store and not online, as long as the items are unused and undamaged, we will either exchange or refund the items as appropriate at the store where the purchase took place, upon the production of a valid receipt.

We try our very best to offer a next weekday delivery service on all our orders received before midday Monday to Thursday but this is not a guaranteed service. All orders received after midday on Thursday and prior to midday on Friday will be despatched Friday pm for delivery Monday. Any orders received after midday on Friday and prior to midday on Monday will be despatched Monday pm for delivery Tuesday.

Please check the Boxes Etc. page for any changes to delivery scheudules during bank holidays.

No. Our packing materials are distributed by UPS. For an update on your parcels progress, please contact our customer services team during our office hours (8am-6pm Monday to Friday & 9am-5pm Saturday) and they will check on the status of your delivery.

There is not a direct link through to a tracking service, but as we use UPS for our deliveries we can check on the parcel progress on your behalf. For an update on your parcels progress, please contact our Customer Support Centre on 0800 783 4949 or 01276 477177 during our office hours (8am-8pm Monday to Friday) and they will check on the status of your delivery.

For larger orders of multiple storage packs or over 50 individual boxes, longer delivery periods may be required. You will be contacted to confirm longer delivery times prior to dispatch if this is necessary.

If you are not completely satisfied with the items you receive, you may return them to us, unused, within 30 days of receipt and you will receive a full refund for the cost of the merchandise, less delivery costs. If you receive damaged goods or the items you received were not the items ordered we shall refund the delivery cost and arrange for the items to be returned to us at our cost. Your credit card will be credited within five working days of the merchandise being received back at our facility. All storage packs must be returned unopened. All returns require a return authorisation number. Please contact our webshop customer service department on freephone 0800 783 4949 or 01276 477177 for return address and authorisation number.

Yes. All our stores sell the full range of packing materials. And we now offer a Click and Collect service too.

Reserve your goods online and they will be held for the next 2 full days for you (up until store closing time), including the rest of day you placed the order on.  Then just arrive at the store with your name and Click and Collect reference number that will be emailed to you within your confirmation of order email, and pay for and collect the goods at the store of your choosing when you placed your order.

The website will show you the full list of items available on our Box Shop. page. If there is any stock availability problem the store will contact you shortly after you have placed your order.

Fragile items such as glassware, electronics and ornaments benefit from bubble wrap, loose fill, packing paper or tissue and strong cardboard boxes. Using protective packing materials helps prevent movement during transport and keeps items safe in storage.

Yes.  You can reserve your goods online via our Box Shop.  Then pay for the goods when you arrive in store to collect them, within 2 full days of when your order was placed up until store closing time.  e.g. if you placed your order at 8am on a Thursday, you would have until the store closes on the Thursday, Friday or Saturday to come in to pay for and collect your goods.

For full terms and conditions, please see the Click and Collect terms on our T's and C's page.

We sell a variety of different sized boxes in cardboard and plastic.  Please follow this link to our Box Shop, where dimensions can be found for each product.

The number of packing boxes depends on the size of your property and how many items you have. As a guide, a one bedroom property may require 15 to 20 boxes, while a three bedroom home may need 40 or more. Our multi-box packs can help ensure you have the right quantity for your move.

Yes, strong cardboard boxes and protective packing materials are suitable for business storage, including archive files, stock and equipment. Uniform boxes help keep items organised and make it easier to manage storage space efficiently.

High quality cardboard boxes are suitable for long term storage when packed correctly and kept in a clean, dry environment. Using uniform packing boxes also helps maximise space within self storage units and makes items easier to locate later.

Yes, packing boxes and packing supplies can be ordered online for delivery or collection from your local Big Yellow store, making it easier to prepare for moving day or organise items before placing them into storage.

Most of our boxes and packing materials can be ordered online for delivery to your chosen address.  We can deliver any of the cardboard boxes and packs, plus most of the smaller items. We can’t deliver the plastic boxes as these are too fragile and heavy. Delivery charges apply and depend of the size and weight of the items ordered. Delivery charges are confirmed before you complete your payment.

You can also arrange for your chosen items to be ready for you to collect and pay for at any one of our stores. There are no restrictions to the product types you can collect in store.

See full range of items sold in our Box Shop section of our website.

Packing kits are designed to suit different needs, whether you are moving from a flat, family home or preparing items for business storage. Choosing a multi-box pack can simplify planning and help ensure you have the right packing supplies.

Most moves require a combination of strong cardboard boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap and protective covers for furniture or mattresses. Using good quality packing supplies helps keep belongings secure during transport and makes it easier to organise items once in self storage units.

A mix of small, medium and large cardboard boxes is usually best. Smaller boxes are ideal for heavy items such as books, while larger boxes are useful for lighter belongings like bedding and clothing. Choosing the right cardboard box sizes helps protect items and makes stacking safer in storage. 

Don't forget about durability. The thickness of the cardboard matters just as much as the size. "Ply" refers to the layers of cardboard used - the higher the ply, the sturdier the box. While standard cardboard boxes are often flimsy 3-ply, all our packing boxes here at Big Yellow are premium 5-ply (double-walled), giving you maximum strength and crush-resistance to protect your life's treasures.

Yes, our cardboard boxes are made from durable 5 ply double walled corrugated board designed to protect contents during both moving and long term storage. Strong packing boxes help keep belongings secure and make better use of storage unit sizes by allowing safe stacking.

Yes, the Box Shop offers bubble wrap, packing tape and protective covers designed to help safeguard fragile items during moving and storage. Using protective packing supplies helps reduce the risk of damage and keeps belongings in good condition.