The house-move storage checklist

Why storage saves a move

The most stressful moves are the ones where everything must happen on one day. Put a storage container in the middle and the move splits into two relaxed halves: load up whenever suits you before completion, then unload at the new place at your own pace. It also means you're never forced into a bad decision - if the chain slips a week, your belongings simply wait.

Real example from our reviews: one customer rented for three months while preparing to move and told us it was "the perfect solution... being able to move out and in at our own speed."

The checklist

• 3-4 weeks out - get your price. A 20ft container takes a typical 2-3 bed house (see what fits). Get your instant quote so the number's not a surprise.
• 2 weeks out - book it. Booking online takes minutes and move-in is often same-day, but units go to whoever pays first - don't leave it to moving week. Storage is monthly rolling with 14 days' notice, so there's no penalty for finishing early.
• Start packing the "dead rooms" first. Spare room, loft, garage, books, out-of-season clothes - anything you won't touch for a month can go into the container early and calmly.
• Load in reverse order of need. Furniture and rarely-used boxes at the back; kettle, tools, cot, paperwork and the box of chargers at the door end.
• Keep essentials out entirely. One "first night" box per person travels in the car, never the container: kettle, mugs, chargers, medication, a change of clothes, kids' favourites.
• Moving day becomes easy. The house is already half-empty. What's left is one clean van run - and you can drive right up to the container door to add the final load.
• Unload on your schedule. With 24/7 mobile phone gate access you can empty the container over evenings and weekends instead of one brutal day - and give 14 days' notice whenever you're done.

Three mistakes to avoid

• Booking too small - the most common regret. If you're between sizes, take the 20ft.
• Storing the sofa dirty - clean and fully dry everything fabric before it goes in, and it comes out exactly as it went in. Our containers are new and airtight, so there's no condensation to worry about.
• Burying the paperwork - completion statements, ID and warranties stay with you, not in a box at the back of 160 sq ft.