Storage for Renovations and Home Builds: The Safe and Convenient way to store your belongings

Are you renovating your home or building a new one? When it comes to storage for renovations, finding a safe and convenient solution can be a challenge.

A removal company that offers its own storage facilities can help you with this.

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Removal companies have the experience and expertise to safely pack and store your belongings during renovations or a house build. They will also help you move your belongings back into your new home when renovations are complete.

Benefits of using a Removal Company for storage during renovations:

Peace of mind: Providing you choose a reputable company, typically removal companies are fully insured and have purpose build safe and secure warehouse facilities that are professionally run.
Convenience: Removal companies provide professional packing and collection services. They will safely load everything and transport to their storage facility, and then bring everything back and safely unload it when your renovations or build are complete.
Flexibility: Removal companies typically offer short and long term storage, without fixed contract periods so you only need to pay for storage as long as you need it. Most companies can also provide access to your items if you need them, with notice.

What will a removal company do for me when storing belongings for renovations?

Movers can help you plan and get your home safely clear for renovation work and keep everything safe until you're ready to have your belongings back. They can also move the essential items you need to other areas of the home, or temporary accommodation if you'll be staying elsewhere during the works. He's a quick run down of what they will do for you:

Pre-move survey to calculate the storage space you'll need and the safest way to move everything out.
Free, no-obligation quote for collection, storage and redelivery.
Offer optional packing services.
Provide trained staff to collect your items and transport to their warehouse.
Provide an inventory of items collected for your records.
Help you access items if you need them during the renovation.
Arrange professional delivery when your works are complete, ensuring all items are checked off against the original inventory and placed in the room of your choice.
Offer comprehensive insurance.

Moving to temporary accommodation while renovating

If you are moving into a temporary home then you might want to take some items with you and put others into store. This is another situation where a removal company can really help.

A removal company can handle the whole move as one project keeping everything coordinated and running smoothly to reduce the stress on you of making separate arrangements.

Typically they will load the items for storage directly into your wooden container(s) for return to their storage facility. These items would be inventoried so you have a copy. Your items for moving directly would then be loaded separately and delivered straight to your temporary home.

Many company's removals vehicles are specially designed to be able to carry both wooden storage containers and larger steel shipping containers, which means that whatever the size of your storage requirement, your items can be loaded directly into a container at your home and then returned to the warehouse for storage without the need for anyone to re-handle your belongings. Not only does this greatly reduce any risk of loss or damage, but it also keeps handling costs to a minimum.

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Can I access my belongings in storage during renovation work?

Most removal companies will allow you access to your belongings whilst they are in storage, so don't panic that they will be locked away until you're ready for delivery.

You may need to contact the removal company in advance to book an access appointment and you should be able to easily identify the location of items you might need using the inventory provided.

Top tips for choosing a removals and storage company for renovation work

A quick Google search will find lots of companies in your area offering removals and storage for renovation works, so how do you know which one to choose? Here are our top tips:

Look for members of the British Association of Removers: Members are inspected annually to check their facilities are safe, secure and fit for purpose. Customer service standards, paperwork and processes are also pre-vetted so you can rest assured everything will run smoothly and your belongings will be in safe hands. If you're not storing with a BAR member ask if you can visit their warehouse to check your items will be stored somewhere that is safe, dry and secure.
Ask about contract length: Anyone who has ever done renovations will know timings rarely run to plan! Look for a company that can provide flexible storage length. This means if you finish early that you'll only pay storage fees for the time you need, or if you have a delay that you can easily extend week by week.
Ask about loading: If you want your mover to collect your belongings ask them if they load directly into wooden containers, or if they would load into a vehicle and then unload into a container at their warehouse. Loading directly into the wooden container at your home reduces the number of times your belongings are handled, significantly reducing the risk of damage or loss.
Ask about insurance: Even with the most professional packing and handling, accidents or events outside of the mover's control can happen. Find out how you are protected in the event of an accident - for example, damage, loss, fire or flood.
Read previous customer reviews: Look for independent reviews about the Removal Company's storage services. Websites like Trustpilot allow you to filter reviews by a keyword like 'storage' so you can find out specifically how storage customers found their experience. You can see our storage reviews on our Trustpilot page.
Ask about access: If you think you might need to access your items while they are being stored it's important to understand if there will be any charges and if you need to give notice.

For more guidance on finding and choosing the right company for you check out our Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Removal Company.

Arranging Delivery

Once the works are completed the removal company can load your container back onto their vehicle and deliver back to your new home.

If you've got items at a temporary property that you'd like moving to the removal company will be able to collect these and deliver everything to your home together.

Tips for storing your belongings during house renovations

Label boxes clearly: Note the contents and the room it came from/should be returned to. This will help locate items quickly if you need them during storage, or on delivery.
Pack carefully: Use sturdy boxes and make sure gaps are filled with cushioning material to reduce movement inside to avoid damage during handling.
Create an inventory: The removal company will give you an inventory of the boxes and furniture items they collect. If you are likely to have items in storage for a long period of time you might also want to consider writing a list of all the items in each box so you can keep track of where everything is, particularly if some items will be moving to a temporary home with you.
Declutter and organise ahead of time: Before the renovation starts take some time to get rid of anything you don't need (recycle or donate where you can). This will keep your storage costs minimal and mean your new space will be clutter free!
Separate and label essential items to keep with you: This will make sure nothing you need gets accidentally packed on moving day. Think ahead about important documents or items you might need during the planned renovation period.
Make sure you know what can and can't be stored: Some items can't be stored for health and safety, fire risk or legal reasons. Check out our list of what items can't be put into storage.