Store First benefits from 'second home' owners

A Lancashire storage centre has seen a surge in business from second home owners who are opting to rent out their holiday homes to earn some extra cash.

Store First has seen a number of enquiries and orders from people across Lancashire, Cheshire and Merseyside who own properties in picturesque locations like Cornwall, the Lake District and Scotland to visit on weekends and during holiday periods.

As they are forced to tighten up the purse strings, holiday homeowners are choosing to rent out their second homes to secure a steady income in the current financial climate - which often means clearing out all of their furniture and belongings to make way for tenants' own possessions.

Store First operations direction Stuart Laverty said: "There are a number of people in the North West who were fortunate enough to be able to invest in holiday homes in the UK while property prices were low, but it makes sense for them to turn their investment into a steady stream of income while budgets are a little tighter.

"We have taken a number of bookings from people in this situation - our larger pods are the ideal size to accommodate the contents of a three-bedroom house and we offer great rates with flexible leases in case circumstances change sooner than planned."

Store First has centres in Burnley, Blackburn, Liverpool and Rochdale, with branches due to open in Barsnley, Preston and Knowsley over the next six months.