Tradespeople in Exeter are increasingly turning to self-storage as concerns around tool theft continue, with one local storage provider saying more customers are looking for a safer alternative to leaving valuable kit in vans overnight.

According to Direct Line business insurance research, there were 26,724 reported tool thefts in 2025 — roughly one every 20 minutes across the UK. The same research highlights what many in the trade already suspect: 23% of tradespeople do not report thefts, creating an “iceberg” effect where the true scale may be higher than official figures suggest. For sole traders and small firms, the financial hit can be significant, with the average value stolen put at £1,300 and only a 3.2% recovery rate for stolen tools. That can mean cancelled jobs, unexpected costs and days of disruption.

Ease the Squeeze, based at Windsor Court in Matford Business Park, says it has seen continued interest from local tradespeople looking for secure space for tools, materials and equipment between jobs.

Eddy Hall, Branch Manager at Ease the Squeeze Exeter said: “For many tradespeople, tools are their livelihood. When theft is a concern, having a secure base away from home can make day-to-day business feel much more manageable.”

Tool theft remains a practical concern for local firms

Direct Line data suggests there were 26,724 reported tool thefts in 2025, underlining the scale of the issue nationally.

The research also points to a wider hidden problem, with 23% of tradespeople not reporting thefts at all. That means the real picture may extend beyond the official total.

For many tradespeople, the damage is both immediate and expensive. Direct Line says the average value stolen is £1,300, while the recovery rate is just 3.2%, leaving many businesses to absorb the loss and get back to work as quickly as they can.

Eddy Hall, branch Manager at Ease the Squeeze Exeter, said the effect on local businesses is often felt straight away, especially when essential kit disappears overnight.

That practical pressure is one reason some Exeter businesses are rethinking the habit of using a van as their main storage space overnight.

Windsor Court site offers a Matford Business Park base

The Exeter facility at Windsor Court, Matford Business Park, EX2 8PF is being used by customers working across Exeter and surrounding areas, including Exminster and Topsham.

Its location near key road links means tradespeople can collect what they need for the day and store the rest securely, rather than keeping full inventories in their vehicles after hours.

Secure indoor storage proving popular with busy trades

Ease the Squeeze says its secure indoor rooms have been a particular draw for customers who want a clean, dry place to store tools and equipment without leaving them exposed in vans overnight.

Instead of treating the van like a permanent stockroom, some customers are using individual indoor storage rooms as a practical base for tools, spare materials and business equipment.

That can also help keep vans more organised and reduce the amount of high-value equipment left inside overnight.

Security and flexibility among the key reasons

The company says tradespeople are typically looking for a mix of security, convenience and flexibility when choosing storage.

Features at the site include:

CCTV surveillance
Gated access
Individually locked indoor rooms
A clean, dry, indoor facility

Ease the Squeeze also offers a range of unit sizes for businesses that need short-term or longer-term storage, whether for tools, stock or equipment during busy periods.

Collection and delivery also available

For businesses that want to avoid extra lifting and transport, the company also offers a collection and delivery service as part of its storage offering.

That gives customers another option when they need to put items into storage without making extra trips themselves.

Local businesses looking for a safer stop-gap

For some tradespeople, self-storage is being used as a practical stop-gap between jobs, during business growth, or simply as a more secure bridge between home and the working day.

Ease the Squeeze says the aim is to make transitions easier for customers who want straightforward access to their equipment without relying on vans as overnight storage.

For more information about self-storage in Exeter, visit Ease the Squeeze Exeter or call 01392 341066.

Visit: Windsor Court, Matford Business Park, Exeter, EX2 8PF
Local enquiries: 01392 341066
National enquiries: 0800 107 8422

Local. Practical. Secure.

Exeter tradespeople turning to storage as tool theft concerns continue