If you’ve ever tried lugging four suitcases and a houseplant across London on a deadline, you know the student move-out chaos is real. That’s where Lovespace student storage steps in. Founded by Will Edwards, the company has reinvented how students store their stuff—offering door-to-door collection, smart pricing, and a tech-savvy experience that just makes sense. We caught up with him to talk bubble-wrapped celebrities, international students, and why cardboard boxes don’t have to be boring.
You’ve positioned Lovespace as the UK’s go-to student storage service. What gap in the market did you first see back in 2011—and how has it evolved?
Back in 2011, we realised people in general, including students, had very few convenient storage options. Traditional self-storage requires a car and a lot of heavy lifting, plus it’s time consuming and time is precious, particularly for students in the summer months due to exams. Lovespace flipped the model, we collect, store, and return belongings to any UK address, making storage as easy as possible so people could focus on the important things.
From teddy bears to film props, students store all sorts of things. What’s the most unexpected item you’ve ever seen go through Lovespace?
We’ve seen it all! From oversized mascot costumes to entire model train sets. One of the most unexpected? A life-size cut-out of a celebrity, carefully bubble-wrapped. Let’s just say students have more eclectic packing lists than most.
End-of-year student stress is real. How does Lovespace make that chaotic moving-out period easier, especially for those without cars?
We designed Lovespace for exactly that crunch time. Students book online in minutes, we send packing materials if needed, then pick everything up directly from their door. No hiring taxis, no heavy lifting, no stress. We also offer flexible return options, so we can redeliver the items to a different address to where we collected from.
Affordability is key for students. How did you ensure that pricing remains flexible and fair—especially during the current cost of living crisis?
We’ve always prioritised pay-for-what-you-use pricing. Students can store by-the-box, rather than renting an entire unit. We also offer early-bird deals and discounts. We’re constantly reviewing our offering to make sure it meets student financial needs.
Tech seems integral to Lovespace—from online bookings to tracking. How has digital innovation shaped your customer experience?
Technology powers everything we do. From a seamless online booking process to real-time tracking, we aim to make storage feel modern and intuitive. Our platform lets students manage their storage remotely, so they’re always in control, wherever they are in the world.
Many of your customers are international students. What specific features have made Lovespace such a hit with global users?
We understand that international students will likely go back to their home country in the summer months. So we offer discounts if they score longer than 2 months which they invariably do. Not only is this cost effective for them, but they’ll have peace of mind that their items are stored in a fully secure unit for that period. Also the vast majority of them won’t have a car in the UK so the fact we can pick up and deliver their items back to them is a big bonus.
With thousands of users each summer, logistics must get intense. What’s been your biggest operational challenge—and how have you tackled it?
Scale and timing. Everyone wants a collection in the few weeks of summer and then wants it returned at a similar time before term time starts again. We’ve invested heavily in forecasting and a seasonal workforce that scales up with demand. We also partner closely with universities to streamline access and scheduling.
How do you see student lifestyles changing, and what role will services like Lovespace play in a more mobile, flexible future?
Students today are more global and tech-savvy. During their student life they move away from home, take internships home and abroad and at times change universities for postgraduate degrees. Services like Lovespace are crucial in this lifestyle shift. We offer storage that moves with them, without the commitment or hassle of traditional self-storage.
Lovespace operates in a world that isn’t exactly glamorous. How do you keep things exciting while working with cardboard boxes and storage units?
A lot of our team have either been to University, or in the case of our summer interns, are currently at University! So we all have a great sense of how stressful this time of year is. Knowing that our service allows our customers to focus on the more important things in life is exciting.
We are also aware that international students are a huge percentage of our customers, so creating Tik Tok content offering them tips on everything from British slang terms to how to survive our (not so) glorious summer weather keeps things fun for us.
If a Shoreditch-based student is scrambling to pack right now, what’s the one piece of advice you’d give them?
Head to Lovespace.co.uk and book your storage in minutes, this will allow you to get down The Ten Bells while we sort out the rest.