Storage solution: Out of the box

Dubai: Are you running out of space but can't throw anything away? The solution could well be a ‘Spacebox'.

An innovative storage solution that can be installed in private covered car parking spaces without getting in the way, the ‘Spacebox' was invented by Irish expat Niall Matthew Grannell, a real estate surveyor.

When Grannell moved to a new apartment at Dubai Marina, he had a lot of stuff including 500 euros (Dh2,655) worth of clubs, which he thought of putting in a storage facility at Al Quoz. However, the charges were high. "That got me thinking and I came up with a box that can be moved and installed in car park spaces leaving enough room underneath to allow a car in," he said.

Dumping stuff

He said it was common for people in some areas to dump stuff in their balconies. "Managements in these buildings don't want people to do this because of safety concerns since a gust of wind can blow things away," he said.

Grannell, who measured car parking spaces in Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai Marina and Palm Jumeirah before making the product, also got in touch with property management companies and developers who he said are considering buying the boxes to lease them to residents.

The boxes are made from high grade steel and have an internal four-way steel lock system. They are air- and water-tight and maintain a constant temperature. They come in three sizes with the smallest at 2.18 cubic metres which rents for Dh3,750 annually, and the largest at 3.74 cubic metres renting for Dh3,950 annually. They are marketed through a company called YourSpace Storage Solutions, which also provides 24-hour maintenance and can insure the box for an additional fee.

Grannell said he is in talks with developers from the capital to take the concept to Abu Dhabi.