How To Place Items Into Storage
Whether you are bridging a gap in the chain, downsizing or clearing space for a sale, a little planning keeps your belongings safe, dry and easy to find when you need them back.
Clean and dry everything first, pack into sturdy uniform boxes with the heaviest at the bottom, protect furniture with breathable covers rather than tight plastic, raise it all off the floor, leave a walkway, and keep anything you might need soon near the front. Label every box and keep a simple inventory.
Storage is often the quiet hero of a house move. It buys you time when completion dates slip, room to breathe when you are downsizing, and a tidy home when you are trying to sell. Done carelessly though, a storage unit is where belongings go to gather damp and dents. This guide walks through the whole job, from prep to loading the unit, so everything comes out in the same condition it went in.
Start here: prepare before anything goes in
Most storage damage is decided before the unit is even opened. Three jobs make the biggest difference.
Clean and fully dry
Wipe down furniture and appliances and let everything dry completely. Trapped moisture is the main cause of mould and musty smells in storage, and it spreads.
Take things apart
Flat-pack beds, tables and shelving where you can. Keep screws and fittings in a labelled bag taped to the item they came from, so reassembly is painless.
Gather the right materials
Sturdy double-walled boxes in a couple of sizes, packing tape, bubble wrap, furniture blankets and a marker pen. Skip thin supermarket boxes that sag and collapse.
Packing boxes for storage
Boxes bound for storage are packed a little differently from boxes going straight into a new home. They may be stacked for weeks or months, so they need to hold their shape.
Stick to a few uniform sizes
Matching boxes stack squarely and use the height of the unit. A wall of mismatched boxes is unstable and wastes space.
Fill each box, but do not overfill
Pack to the top so boxes do not crush when stacked, using towels or paper to fill gaps. Keep the lid flat and closable so others can sit on top.
Heaviest items at the bottom of the box
Books and crockery low down, lighter and softer things on top. Keep any single box light enough to lift comfortably.
Seal, label and list
Tape the seams, write the contents and the room on more than one side, and note it on a simple inventory so you know what is in the unit without opening a thing.
Protecting furniture, appliances and awkward items
The bulky things are where care really pays off. A few room-by-room habits keep them safe.
Wooden furniture
Clean and give it a polish, then cover with breathable blankets. Avoid plastic straight against wood, which can trap moisture and mark the finish.
Sofas and upholstery
Cover with fabric dust sheets or purpose-made covers, never wrapped tightly in plastic, which encourages mildew. Stand cushions on their edges.
Mattresses
Use a proper mattress bag and store flat where possible so springs and foam keep their shape. On edge is fine for a short spell.
Fridges and freezers
Defrost, clean and dry them fully, then store with the door slightly ajar so the inside can breathe and stays odour-free.
Glass and mirrors
Wrap in bubble wrap, tape a cross over the face, and store upright on their edge rather than flat, clearly marked as fragile.
Electronics
Pack in their original boxes where you kept them, or well-padded cartons. Remove batteries so they cannot leak over time.
Loading the unit: a simple plan
How you load the unit decides how safe and usable it is. Think of it like packing a very tidy removal van that has to stay packed.
Raise everything off the concrete on a pallet or timber battens. It guards against the odd damp floor and lets air move underneath.
Large, heavy and out-of-season items go to the back and bottom: wardrobes, white goods, the boxes you will not touch for months.
Lighter boxes and soft items stack on top of the heavy base, never the other way around, so nothing gets crushed.
Anything you might need sooner stays near the door, clearly labelled, so you are not unloading the whole unit to reach one box.
Leave a narrow walkway to the back if the unit is large enough. Access now saves an afternoon later.
Drape a dust sheet over the top once loaded to keep everything clean, and avoid packing so tightly that nothing can breathe.
What to keep out of storage
Most units have rules, and common sense covers the rest. Keep these out to protect your belongings and everyone else's.
Do not put these into storage
- Food or perishables of any kind
- Plants or anything living
- Damp or not-quite-dry items
- Petrol, gas bottles and flammables
- Paints, chemicals and hazardous liquids
- Irreplaceable documents, cash and jewellery
- Anything with signs of woodworm until treated
- Scented or opened toiletries that can leak
Choosing the right size unit
Storage is priced by space, so it pays to match the unit to what you are actually storing. As a rough UK guide:
| Unit size | Roughly holds | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 25 sq ft | The contents of a small room, around 30 to 50 boxes plus a few small items | Decluttering, a studio flat, staging a home for sale |
| 50 sq ft | A one-bedroom flat, including sofa, bed and appliances | Bridging a short chain gap, a flat move |
| 75 to 100 sq ft | A two to three-bedroom house | Most family moves between homes |
| 150 sq ft and up | A four-bedroom house or more, with garden and garage contents | Larger homes, longer-term storage |
Not sure which you need? It is usually cheaper to ask than to guess, and a good removals firm can estimate the space from your room count.
Storage as part of your move
For a lot of people, storage is not a separate task at all: it is the thing that makes a tricky move possible. A gap between selling and buying, a new-build that is not quite ready, or a downsize that needs sorting in stages are all far easier with somewhere secure to hold the overflow.
DJS Moves builds storage into the move itself, so the same team that packs and loads can hold your belongings and deliver them back when you are ready. We help households right across Hampshire and Surrey, including Fleet, Farnborough, Aldershot and Basingstoke.
Your pre-storage checklist
- Everything cleaned and fully dry
- Furniture disassembled, fittings bagged and labelled
- Sturdy uniform boxes, filled and sealed
- Heaviest items at the bottom of each box
- Boxes labelled on two sides
- Simple inventory written down
- Breathable covers on furniture, not tight plastic
- Fridge and freezer defrosted, doors ajar
- Everything raised off the floor
- Frequently needed items near the front
Need storage as part of your move?
Tell us what you are moving and when, and we will sort the packing, transport and secure storage as one job, with your belongings delivered back on a date that suits you.
Storage questions we are often asked
How long can I leave things in storage?
As long as you need, from a few days to a year or more. If it is a long stay, prep matters even more: clean, dry and breathable covers keep everything in good order.
Do I need climate-controlled storage?
For most household goods a clean, dry, well-run unit is fine. Climate control is worth considering for antiques, artwork, leather or anything sensitive to damp over a long period.
Is my stuff insured in storage?
Check the cover before you store. Reputable storage and removals firms offer insurance, and it is worth listing higher-value items on your inventory.
Can a removals company handle storage for me?
Yes. Combining the move and the storage with one firm means less handling, one point of contact, and no double booking of vans and dates.