In a perfect world, moving to a new home would happen in one smooth sequence: pack the old house, load the truck, and deliver everything to the new one.
Real life does not always cooperate. Closing dates can change after your moving plans are already in place, or a new home may not be ready when you have to vacate the old one. Renovations may take longer than expected, or you may need additional time to decide what to keep while downsizing. In situations like these, temporary storage can bridge the gap without turning the move into two completely separate projects.
Why Would You Need Storage During a Move?
One of the most common reasons is a gap between possession dates. You may need to leave your current home on Friday but cannot take possession of the new one until the following week. For a longer-distance move, you might arrive in your new city before your house, apartment, or job-related housing is ready.
Storage can also help when you are:
- Building or renovating a home
- Staging a house for sale
- Downsizing
- Moving into temporary housing
- Combining two households
- Relocating for work
- Waiting to decide what will fit in the new home
In these situations, storage does not necessarily have to become a separate project added to the move. When your moving company also provides storage, the stored items can remain part of the same moving plan, with transportation and eventual delivery coordinated together.
How Does Moving Company Storage Work?
The basic process is straightforward, although the details vary by company.
Instead of delivering everything directly from your old home to your new one, your movers take the items that need to be stored to a storage facility. When your new home is ready, the stored shipment can be scheduled for delivery according to your updated timeline.
Because storage methods differ, ask about them when you receive your moving estimate. Find out whether your belongings will remain together, how they will be protected, and whether the facility is designed for household goods.
At Gerber Transfer & Storage, household goods are stored in a modern, containerized warehouse. Large storage containers keep individual customers’ belongings together and separated from other shipments. Upholstered furniture is shrink-wrapped and stored separately to help protect it while it is in the warehouse.
Gerber owns and operates its 72,000-square-foot storage facility in Bonner Springs, which can accommodate both temporary and longer-term storage needs.
Learn more about Gerber’s storage services.
Moving Company Storage vs. Self-Storage
Both options can be useful, but they solve different problems.
With a traditional self-storage unit, you generally rent a space and manage getting your belongings into and out of it. If you are already hiring professional movers, that may require unloading a moving truck into the storage unit and then arranging additional help when it is time to move everything to the new home.
Storage through a moving company can simplify the process because transportation and storage are planned together. Your movers can load the items at the origin, transport them to the storage facility, and coordinate delivery when you are ready.
That arrangement can be especially helpful when you do not need regular access to the stored items. Furniture, packed household goods, seasonal belongings, and other possessions that simply need a secure place between homes are good examples.
A self-storage unit may make more sense if you expect to visit frequently and retrieve individual items. The right choice depends on what you are storing, how long it will be stored, and how much access you will need during that period.
Can You Store Only Part of Your Move?
Yes. Storage does not have to mean putting the entire household into a warehouse.
For example, perhaps you are moving into a smaller apartment while waiting for a house to be finished. You may want beds, clothing, kitchen supplies, and everyday necessities delivered to the apartment while furniture intended for the future house remains in storage until the construction is complete.
You may also be downsizing and need additional time to decide what to sell, donate, give to family members, or eventually move into the new space. Keeping those items in storage can give you time to make thoughtful decisions instead of sorting everything under the pressure of moving day.
If you expect to split your shipment, mention that during the planning process. Deciding in advance what goes to the new home and what goes to storage makes labeling, loading, inventory, and final delivery much easier to manage.
How Long Can Your Belongings Stay in Storage?
Storage during a move can last a few weeks, several months, or longer, depending on your circumstances and storage provider policy.
Explain your likely timeline when you are getting your moving estimate. If you know the date when you will need your belongings delivered, the mover can incorporate that date into the plan. If the date is uncertain because of construction, closing, or temporary housing, ask how delivery scheduling works once you are ready.
You should also ask about minimum storage periods, billing, delivery charges, and any policies that may apply to your particular shipment. Understanding those details in advance can help you avoid surprises if your storage period extends beyond the original estimate.
What Should You Keep With You?
Even if most of the house is going into storage, some items should remain accessible during the transition.
Keep medications, important documents, identification, financial records, keys, chargers, basic clothing, toiletries, and anything else you will need during temporary housing readily available. You should also keep irreplaceable personal items and valuables with you or transport them separately rather than placing them in storage.
If you will be without your household goods for more than a few days, think through your temporary living arrangement before packing. Prepare a suitcase or clearly designated group of essentials with enough clothing, personal care items, work materials, and household basics for the expected period. That preparation can prevent a situation in which something you need is safely stored but unavailable when you need it.
How Should Furniture and Other Belongings Be Prepared?
Many items can be handled much as they would be for a normal move, but longer storage makes careful preparation even more important.
Furniture should be clean and dry before storage. Appliances should be emptied and prepared appropriately, and food and other perishable goods should not be stored with household belongings.
Fragile, unusually shaped, or valuable items may need additional packing or custom crating. If you are using professional packing services, tell the estimator which items are headed into storage. That information allows the packing and moving plan to account for the additional handling and the length of time the items will remain stored.
Learn more about Gerber’s professional packing and crating services.
Questions to Ask About Storage Before Moving Day
If storage may be part of your move, work out the details before moving day rather than trying to make decisions while the truck is being loaded. Ask your mover:
- Where will my belongings be stored?
- How are different customers’ shipments kept separate?
- What security measures does the facility use?
- How are upholstered items protected?
- What are the minimum storage period and charges?
- How much notice is needed to schedule delivery?
- Can part of my shipment be stored while the rest is delivered?
- What should not be placed into storage?
- What happens if I need storage longer than expected?
The answers will help you compare options and understand how storage fits into the overall cost and timing of your move. They can also clarify which responsibilities belong to you and which services the moving company will handle.
Build Storage Into the Moving Plan
Needing storage does not mean something has gone wrong with your move. Sometimes the dates simply do not line up, and sometimes having extra time between homes gives you a more manageable way to handle renovations, downsizing, or a complicated relocation.
The key is to plan for storage early enough that it can be incorporated into the moving schedule. When the mover knows which items need to be stored, how long they may remain there, and whether the shipment will be divided, the loading and delivery process can be organized around those requirements.
If you are moving in the Kansas City area and think you may need temporary or long-term storage, Gerber Transfer & Storage can coordinate moving and storage as part of the same plan. Gerber has served Kansas City-area families and businesses for more than 80 years and owns its own 72,000-square-foot containerized storage facility in Bonner Springs.
Contact Gerber to schedule a free on-site estimate and talk through the moving, packing, and storage services your move may require.
Request an Estimate
The best way to give you a fair, accurate price is to have a Gerber representative visit your home or business. This service is free—there is no charge for us to do an on-site survey and prepare an estimate.
