Storing Household Goods During a Move

Moves rarely line up perfectly. The old lease ends before the new flat is ready. A building is being redeveloped and you need a smaller home for a year or two. A job takes you abroad for a few months. In each case, storage bridges the gap, and a little care at the start makes sure your things come out as they went in.

When storage makes sense

• A gap of days or weeks between moving out and moving in
• Moving into a smaller home for a while, for example during redevelopment
• Going abroad or away for several months
• Clearing a home for renovation or painting
• Keeping furniture you'll need later but have no room for now

Short gaps are usually handled by the mover keeping your packed goods in their godown and delivering when you're ready. Longer storage is a separate arrangement with its own terms, and it's worth treating it that way from the start.

Questions to ask about the facility

You're trusting someone with your belongings for weeks or months, so ask the same questions you'd ask about any important service. Where will the goods be kept? Is the space covered, dry and secure? How is it protected against pests, damp and theft? Are your goods kept together in a sealed lot, or in shared space? How are they labelled and found?

Packing for storage

Goods going into storage sit still for a long time, often under other cartons. Packing needs to be sturdier than for a short move. Use strong cartons and fill them properly, so they don't crush when stacked. Put heavy items in small cartons and light items in large ones. Never seal anything damp: a slightly wet towel or a just-washed curtain can grow mould in a closed carton within days.

Wrap furniture to keep dust off and protect polished surfaces, and keep mattresses flat or on their sides in covers. Clean and dry appliances before storage; defrost the fridge fully, and if the facility allows, leave fridge and washing-machine doors slightly open to prevent smells.

A numbered inventory

The single most useful thing you can do is keep a numbered inventory. Every carton gets a number and a short description of its contents, and you keep a copy. When you need the winter clothes or the tax files in four months' time, you'll know they're in carton 23, rather than asking for everything to be opened.

Mark cartons you might need early, and ask for them to be stored where they can be reached. Photograph furniture and valuable items before they go in, so you can compare when they come out.

What not to store

Storage in the monsoon

If your goods go into storage during the rains, ask how the facility stays dry and whether goods are kept off the floor. Wrapped furniture and cartons should be dry when they go in. Add silica gel to cartons of clothes, books, documents and electronics, and consider naphthalene or other suitable protection for clothes.

Taking things out

Give the notice you agreed, confirm the delivery address and date, and be there when the goods arrive. Check the carton count against your inventory and look at furniture and fragile items before signing. Note any damage on the delivery receipt with photos and report it the same day.

Short gaps between homes

The most common storage need is a gap of a few days or weeks between moving out of one home and into the next. In that case the mover may keep your goods packed in their godown and deliver them when the new home is ready. Ask whether the goods stay on the truck or are unloaded into storage, how long they can hold them, and how the cost is worked out.

Keep a bag with everything you'll need during the gap: clothes for the season, documents, chargers, medicines and anything for work. Once the goods are sealed into storage, getting one carton out can take time.

Storage during redevelopment

Families moving out of a building for redevelopment often need storage for a year or more, because the temporary home is smaller. Decide carefully what you'll use in the meantime and what can wait. Furniture you love but won't use for two years is a good candidate for storage; everyday kitchenware is not.

For long storage, keep the inventory somewhere safe and digital, agree how billing works over the whole period, and ask how you'll be contacted if anything changes at the facility.

Storage while you're abroad

If you're going abroad, arrange who can act for you while you're away: someone who can authorise collection, receive goods or deal with any problem. Give the mover their name and contact details in writing, and make sure they have a copy of the inventory and the storage terms.

Checking on your goods

For longer storage, ask whether you can visit and how much notice you need. A visit after the first month or two, especially after heavy rain, gives you peace of mind and a chance to spot any problem early.

Common mistakes

• Sealing damp clothes or linen into cartons
• Storing without a numbered inventory
• Packing cartons half-full, so they crush under others
• Leaving food, liquids or chemicals in cartons
• Not getting the storage terms and insurance in writing

Furniture and appliances in storage

Wooden furniture keeps best wrapped and stored off the floor, with nothing heavy stacked on polished tops. Sofas and mattresses need covers to keep dust off, and mattresses should never be folded or stored under heavy cartons. Glass tabletops and mirrors should be packed in cartons or crates and stored upright.

Appliances should go in clean, dry and empty. A fridge that goes into storage with a little water inside can smell for weeks afterwards. Wipe the inside, leave it to dry fully, and ask whether the facility allows the door to be wedged slightly open.

Our storage service page explains how storage fits into a move, and our city guides cover the local details, such as society rules and parking, that still apply when goods come out of storage and into a new home.