Wanting to sell your house? Use short-term storage to declutter

Storage container

Any estate agent would tell you that having a tidy, decluttered home can definitely contribute to selling your home quicker, or attracting a higher offer.

When you’re taking photos and hosting viewings, the way things look is absolutely key to success. By having less clutter, your property will look much more appealing, and allow any prospective buyers to visualise their own furniture and belongings in your home. 

Although items such as toys, books and coats may give the impression of a more ‘lived in’ home, a tidy house will look bigger, fresher and more spacious. 

Short term storage is a great solution

If you’re looking to refresh your home ready for a (hopefully fast!) sale, then short term storage is a fantastic option to store your belongings so that they’re not in the way. It can also make things easier if you’re wanting to give your home a fresh lick of paint to make it look even fresher, as there’s not as much to move out of the way!

Although buyers should be looking at the house itself, rather than judging it by the contents, decisions can be swayed by presentation alone – which is why short term storage is a small price to pay for success.

Clearing the clutter away and making any small repairs will really help to put the buyer’s minds at ease, as the house will appear as if nothing needs to be done to it – it’s simply ready to move in. You may even add more value by doing this. 

How we can help you

Here at Steeles, we can safely pack, collect and store your items, and then simply re-deliver once you’ve sold your house and moved into your new abode. 

We offer a range of different storage services – ranging from a short-term, temporary storage solution for just a few days or weeks, or for a longer period of time, we can safely store your possessions in our purpose-built warehouse or containers. Typically, for short-term, we’d use our 24-hour storage containers. For the longer term, we’d recommend our managed storage. 

Our 24-hour self storage facility

One of the most cost-efficient services that we offer is 24-hour self storage, which is safe, flexible, secure and accessible. You will have round the clock access to the site, and materials such as blankets and packaging will be available for use whilst you’re packing or unpacking items.

We have also installed alarm systems and CCTV cameras across our site to ensure that your belongings remain secure at all times. For extra peace of mind, all of our alarms are directly connected to the police and emergency services – meaning that if there are any issues, they’ll be on site as quickly as possible.

Our storage containers are weathertight, waterproof, and measure a total of 20ft x 8ft x 8ft, giving you loads of room to store all manner of furniture and belongings.

What sort of things can I put in storage?

You can store most items, but here are some suggestions if you’re struggling on where to start: 

  • Larger children’s toys that can’t be hidden away for viewings
  • Personal belongings such as books, book cases, photographs & souvenirs. A few personal items are fine, but you don’t want cluttered window sills and mantelpieces
  • Appliances, such as slow cookers, coffee machines and toastie makers
  • Tables, chairs and sofas which might make a room look over-crowded and are generally unused
  • Garage items – it’s worth showing prospective buyers the extra storage space that a garage can offer, completely free of clutter
  • Excess garden furniture, especially if the weather isn’t great and it isn’t currently being used
  • Exercise equipment
  • Out of season clothes (that you won’t miss for a short while!) – you could even store your whole wardrobe if it’d help your house look better!

To explore all of our short term storage options, please head to our website or contact us for more information and a free, no obligation quote.