Where to Store Your Stuff When Staging and Selling Your Home in 2023

So, you’ve finally decided to sell your home and are wondering what to do next? Your real estate agent has likely already advised that you’ll need to declutter and stage your home for potential buyers but what should you do with all of your possessions? Here we’ll walk through the different storage options that are available to you while your home is being staged. 

Now, before we get started, it’s important to know what you should be putting away when staging your home before you choose what storage solution suits you best.  

Tips for Staging Your Home 

 It’s no secret that moving can be one of the most stressful and exciting times of your life. Whether you’re moving into your dream home, for your dream job, or for other reasons altogether, you want to be sure that your old home sells as quick as possible so that you can move on.  
 
The goal is to sell the idea of your home to potential buyers by setting it up so that they can picture themselves living there, not you. 
 
While this may be difficult if you’re still living there during the selling process, it’s not impossible. The main goal here is to ensure that every room is clean, and free of clutter. 

Items to Store while Staging 

As you start getting ready to show your home, you will want to take note of any items that aren’t a daily necessity. This is where your daily life can become much more stressful as at this point you should consider your house more of an IKEA display that you’re living in, rather than your personal home.  
 
Your real estate agent can also help you with this process but here are some typical items that you should consider storing or packing away while your home is staged: 

1. Photos and Pictures 

While this may not seem like a big deal, it subconsciously prevents buyers from picturing themselves living in your home – after all they can clearly see you there from your photos. Carefully remove or take down any of your personal photos, artwork, or pictures to make your home feel like a blank canvas for the next family that moves in. 

2. Extra Furniture 

Extra shelves, tables, book cases, exercise equipment, cabinets, etc. should be removed if possible. You want to clear up as much floor and wall space as possible to showcase the potential of your home to buyers.  

3. Kids Toys 

Having a lot of toys scattered around can make a room feel messy or unclean to potential buyers. If possible, pack up and store away any extra toys that your kids will not miss for the time being. 

4. Pet Toys and Accessories 

Much like kid’s toys, pet toys can also make a room feel messy or unclean. Pack up any old or dirty toys (don’t get rid of them if your pet still likes them) that are lying around until after the home sells.  

5. Kitchen Accessories 

If you’ve ever watched HGTV you’ll know that the kitchen is one of the most important places for buyers when looking at a home. This is where you’ll want to ensure that all the drawers, countertops, and cupboards in the kitchen are either emptied or decluttered. 

6. Clothes and Closets 

Much like everything else on this list, pack up or donate any clothes that aren’t needed or able to fit inside of your closets or drawers. It’s also important to note that you don’t want to just stuff your closets with all your extra items as buyers often want to see how much closet space is in each room. 

7. Basement, Garage, and Shed Clutter 

These 3 rooms often become the storage areas in most homes – while this is common, during the selling process you want to ensure that you showcase every inch of your home. This means removing all the clutter, boxes, and unused items from these areas. 

Storage Options for Moving and Staging 

Now that we know what needs to go, we can now take a better look into your storage options. As mentioned above, it may seem like a good idea to store all your personal items or extra furniture in the basement or garage, but this can have a detrimental effect on the sale of your home as it will make those spaces seem smaller and unclean. This means that you’ll need to look outside of your home for a storage solution. Luckily there are businesses that specialize in these types of services and can provide you with all the storage you need when you need it! 
 
Here are some of the most common storage solutions available to consumers: 

Storage Lockers 

Storage lockers or self-storage units are usually the best choice for storing your valuables during a move. They come in a variety of sizes, can offer heated or non-heated units, have 24/7 surveillance and security, and are highly accessible. 
 
Here are some of the main types of storage units: 

Drive-Up / Outdoor Storage Lockers and Containers 

For the ultimate convenience you can rent a drive-up storage unit, allowing you to literally drive your vehicle right up to the door and unload your possessions quickly and easily.  
 
These units are often outside and don’t offer temperature control – so you may want to consider looking at an indoor or climate-controlled storage locker if your possessions might get damaged due to extreme temperatures (depending on where you live and the season). 

Climate-Controlled / Heated Storage Lockers 

Indoor, heated, or climate-controlled storage lockers are the best solution when it comes to storing your possessions and valuables. With these you can be sure that all your valuables are kept a standard room temperature and away from harsh weather conditions. We recommend you keep your photos, antiques, furniture, paintings, and electronics in a climate-controlled environment as this will prevent them from being damaged or warped by cold weather. 

Find a Storage Locker Near You 

Make Space Storage offers a variety of affordable storage units from drive-up to indoor / climate-controlled units with 24/7 surveillance and security to ensure that your possessions are safe and secure while you’re moving. Click here to find a Make Space Storage location near you! 

Portable Storage Containers or Bins 

Portable storage containers and bins are a fantastic solution when it comes to moving. They allow you to load all your belongings at your own pace and directly from your property without needing to commute or rush. These containers are typically pretty large and come in either 20’ or 40’ lengths so you can be sure that all of your possessions will fit. 
 
Make Space Storage is one of the leading providers in portable storage container rentals. We can deliver the container directly to your home and can either deliver it to your new location once loaded or store it in our secure facility until you’re ready to get it back! To learn more or to rent a portable storage container, check out our website! 

RV / Boat Parking 

If you have a large RV, trailer, or boat taking up space in your driveway, or if you won’t have anywhere to store it at your new home, you can choose to store it at an RV storage lot. 
 
Make Space Storage offers affordable, secure, and reliable RV, trailer, and boat parking at many of our locations. Check out our locations page to find an RV storage lot nearest you! 

Packing Materials 

Now that you’ve decided what needs to be packed away while you’re staging your home, it’s time to get some packing supplies to ensure that your items aren’t damaged or broken during the move. 
 
Here are some of the items you’ll likely need: 

• Moving Boxes 
• Packing paper 
• Bubble wrap 
• Packing tape and dispenser 
• A marker or label maker 

You can typically find most, if not all of these items at your local hardware or building supply store. If not, you can order them directly from Make Space Storage’s Packing Supplies store for pickup from your local facility. 

Also, for step-by-step instructions on packing your dishes and other breakables, check out our other blog post ‘How to Safely Pack Dishes and Other Breakables’ (Link: tbd).