Moving home is often described as a fresh start. But before you get to the fresh start, there’s usually one fairly sizeable hurdle to overcome: what do you do with all your stuff?
For many of us, it’s only when we start preparing to move that we realise quite how much we’ve accumulated. Furniture, boxes, books, children’s belongings, things we’ve inherited and those mysterious items that have been sitting in the garage for years “just in case” suddenly all need somewhere to go.
And if you’re downsizing, the problem can be even greater.
Space is becoming a valuable commodity
Storage has grown significantly in the UK in recent years, and one of the biggest drivers is simply a lack of space at home.
According to the Self Storage Association UK, the UK self-storage industry now provides around 67.5 million square feet of storage space, generating annual turnover of approximately £1.3 billion.
Research highlighted by TheBusinessDesk also found that 27% of customers use storage because they simply don’t have enough space at home, while 22% use it because they are moving house.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the 55–64 age group represents a significant proportion of storage users, an age when many homeowners may be considering downsizing after years of accumulating belongings.
Declutter before the ‘For Sale’ board goes up
Storage can actually become useful well before moving day.
When you’re selling your home, you’re not just selling bricks and mortar, you’re selling the idea of space and of someone else being able to picture themselves living there. A room packed with furniture, overflowing cupboards and belongings covering every available surface can make even a good-sized home feel smaller.
Decluttering before estate agent photographs are taken and viewings begin can help rooms feel lighter and more spacious and allow potential buyers to focus on the property itself. Rightmove recommends removing excess furniture when preparing a property for sale and even suggests considering temporary storage if necessary.
While it is difficult to put a reliable percentage on exactly how much clutter can affect the eventual value of a property, presentation undoubtedly matters. Zoopla found that 84% of UK movers surveyed believed staging a property before selling was worthwhile, while 53% felt they could have sold their home for more if they had spent more time staging it properly.
Sometimes, putting a few things into storage for a few weeks or months could therefore make preparing your home for sale considerably easier.
Downsizing doesn’t mean deciding everything at once
Downsizing brings a slightly different challenge.
Moving from a larger family home into a smaller property inevitably means there won’t be room for everything. But deciding what to keep, sell, give away or pass on to family isn’t always something you want to do under the pressure of a completion date.
Many possessions have memories attached to them, and making rushed decisions about them can add unnecessary stress to an already busy time. Using storage gives you breathing space.
Move first. Decide later.
You can settle into your new home, see what fits and then gradually work through the belongings you’ve stored when you have the time, and headspace, to do it properly.
Making moving day simpler
Storage can also solve some of the practical problems that come with moving.
Completion dates don’t always line up perfectly. You may be moving into temporary accommodation, renovating your new home or waiting for building work to finish.
Even if everything does go according to plan, you may simply prefer to move into your new home with the essentials and bring other furniture and belongings across gradually. Having somewhere secure to store those items can make the whole process much more manageable.
Removals and storage under one roof
At Squab Removals, we understand that moving isn’t always as straightforward as packing everything into a removal van at one property and unloading it at another. That’s why our removals and storage services work hand in hand.
Whether you want to declutter before putting your home on the market, need temporary storage between properties, are downsizing or simply aren’t ready to take everything with you, we can help you plan a move that works around you.
Because sometimes the easiest way to move forward is not to take everything with you at once.
Don’t let your belongings get in the way of your move.
To talk to our Removals team please call 01926 270023.
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