A complete guide to storage when moving

The most common reason is a gap between completions: you have to be out of one property before you can get into the next. Rather than trying to force both dates to move, storing the load for a few days takes the whole problem away.

It is also the sensible option when you are downsizing and not yet ready to decide what goes, when a renovation means furniture has nowhere to sit, or when a chain collapses after you have already packed.

Storage is sold by space, and space is about volume rather than the number of rooms you are emptying. Because we price moves on volume anyway, we already have the figure — the same inventory tells us how much storage you need, so you are not paying for air.

Book a little more than the bare minimum if you want access while items are stored. Packing a unit wall to wall is the cheapest option but makes retrieving one item a job in itself.

There are three parts to the cost: getting your belongings in, the storage period itself, and getting them out again. Because we handle the move as well, the handling either side is planned as part of the job rather than charged as two separate collections.

We confirm the figure in writing before anything is collected, including the period you are booking and what happens if your dates move — which, with property, they frequently do.

Items going into storage need slightly more care than items travelling straight across town, because they will sit still for weeks rather than hours. Everything should be clean, completely dry and boxed rather than loose.

Appliances are the usual problem: a fridge or washing machine that has not been drained and dried will develop mould and a smell that never fully leaves. Drain, dry and leave doors slightly ajar.

A well-packed unit protects your belongings and costs you less space. Heavy, sturdy items form the base layer, boxes stack in even columns and soft items fill the gaps so nothing can topple.

Leave a narrow walkway to the back if you might need access. Put whatever you are most likely to want — tools, children's things, paperwork — nearest the door, not buried.

Ask two questions of any storage arrangement: what cover applies to your goods while they are stored, and who can physically get to them. We confirm both in writing, and anything unusually valuable should be listed specifically rather than left to a general limit.

Access with notice is normally straightforward. Tell us up front if you expect to visit regularly and we will pack the unit for retrieval instead of for maximum density.

The neatest version of this is a single job with a pause in the middle. We load on your completion day, store the load, then deliver into the new property when you have keys — same company, same inventory, no second firm handling your furniture.

If dates are still uncertain, that is fine, and it is precisely why storage exists. We would rather book a flexible period than have you commit to a date the chain cannot support.