Where to Prep – Part 2 – Options

I am approaching this from a UK view where the vast majority of us cannot simply move to a ranch with a few acres of cheap land where we can build a prep store out of site and mind of our neighbours. I am also approaching it with a view that prepping is not an overriding goal of our lives, but simply a practical part of living it, and that anyone should be able to do it to a manageable extent regardless of the home they live in or the financial means they have at their disposal.

So what are our options?

     Cupboard

The simplest and easiest option for limited space requirements is a cupboard. It could be a cupboard in the kitchen, a larder or walk-in pantry or even a bedroom wardrobe somewhere in the house. It is certainly a place to start although you will almost certainly run out of room at some point.

Easy access Dark Dry Stable temperature Easily secured Lowest cost option

Lacks capacity Temperature may be too high Visible to others No Living space

     Spare Room

The next easy option could be a spare room in your house. Many houses have a smallest bedroom which might be spare and considered too small for a usable bedroom which might make an ideal prepping store. You can install a lock for security and the temperature could be easily controlled with heating and or air conditioning if the cost is not an issue for you. The room can even be kept dark with a simple black-out blind. In my inexperienced opinion this is actually the best option if you have it available. People may question why you have a room you keep locked but an excuse for that can easily be thought of.

Capacity Low cost Easy access Dark Dry Temperature can be controlled Easily secured Could be used as living space

Takes up a usable room

     Basement

This is not a widely available option if you live in the UK, unless you either live in a much older house or want to join the mainly London craze of spending anything up to £100,000 digging out under your house and installing a basement. I’m sure it can be done on a smaller scale but the savings may not be as proportional to the size reduction as you would expect. Certainly, if you have a basement it is one of the most ideal places to store your prepping supplies

Capacity Secure Easy access Dark Stable temperature Easily secured Low cost if you have one Could be used as living space

Can be damp High cost if you don’t have one

     Garage

Whether integrated into your house or standalone, many UK houses have a garage and most of them are already used for storage instead of for a car so it is not so much of a leap to use it for supplies storage as well as or instead of existing use.

Capacity Easy access, particularly if integrated Dark Dry Low cost if you have one Could be used as living space

Can be damp Security (Large door to outside) Higher temperature High cost if you don’t have one

     Loft

If you live in a house rather than a flat, you probably already have a loft space which you use for some kind of storage. How good an option it is for prepping depends significantly on its access and load-bearing capacity. In order to use it, you really need permanently installed loft ladders which can easily be lowered and a boarded out area on which to walk and store supplies. If you don’t board it out chances are there will be an accident when you put your foot through the ceiling below if not fall through it completely!

Capacity Easy access with drop-down ladders Dark Dry Secure Low cost modifications possible

Unstable temperature Risk of frost damage Possible load-bearing issues Unlikely to be usable as living space

     Shed

A shed is a low-cost option when you don’t have a place inside your house for storage of your prepping supplies. You may already have one available which is under-utilised or being used for storage of the usual junk which can be reorganised or disposed of! If you don’t already have one, you can specify exactly the size you need to keep the cost down.

There is some discussion of using a shed for prepping storage here.

Capacity Easy to adapt to your needs Easy access Dark Low cost

Unstable temperature Risk of frost damage Damp Access in all weathers Visible to neighbours and others. Difficult to secure Unlikely to be usable as living space

     Purpose-Built Outbuilding

This is a step up from a shed in that it would generally be a brick-built or concrete block construction which increases the security and allows for better insulation and heating/cooling options.

Capacity Designed to your requirements Easy access Dark More secure than a shed Better options for heating/cooling. Could be used as living space

Expensive Running costs of heating etc. Access in all weathers Visible to neighbours and others.

     Buried Container

This is just as it suggests, a buried 20ft or even 40ft shipping container. They can be picked up used for a reasonable price and then simply buried in a big hole with a door and steps for access and covered over. Basically you are creating a detached basement. There are numerous   links on the internet to people who have done it but there are also a few warnings such as this one which tell you how containers are not designed for this purpose and you could be risking your supplies as well as your life by doing it.

Capacity Reasonable cost for size Easy access Dark Security Easy access Could be used as living space

Structural risks Requires land with access Access in all weathers Hard to hide what you are doing! May need waterproofing Damp risk

     Bunker

As with the basement and buried container, this is simply an underground room built detached from your property. It is going to be cheaper than digging out a basement under your existing property but still very expensive. There are also pre-fabricated bunkers available such as the Atlas Survival Shelter.

Capacity Easy access Dark Security Easy access Options for heating/cooling. Could be used as living space

Expensive Requires land with access Access in all weathers Hard to hide what you are doing!

My Choice

Since I don’t have a basement but want to keep my prepping inside the house, at least to begin with, I have opted to use the loft instead of the spare room.  I would like to keep my prepping quiet and using the loft allows everything to be out of the way and raises no questions from anyone. I am in the process of getting the insulation installed where I want and getting a permanent, fold-down loft ladder fitted then I will board out a  large section of the loft and get things organised in there.  Hopefully I will be posting some photos to the blog as I progress.  The only real concern I have at the moment about using the loft is the unstable temperatures, i.e. freezing in winter, too warm in the summer.  Hopefully I can find some ways of mitigating those issues as I go along.