Furniture storage

Furniture Storage

If you’re moving house, downsizing or renovating, you may be searching for somewhere to store your furniture. Bulky items like beds, wardrobes and sofas aren’t easily accommodated by friends or family, even on a short-term basis, and you really need to keep furniture somewhere indoors: clean, dry, and safe from pests and the elements. 
 

Why people use self storage to store furniture

Excess furniture is commonly stored in self storage units (rather than at home or in a garage) because of its bulk and the need to keep it dry. You might choose to use self storage for furniture if you are:

• moving house and need to store furniture temporarily;
• redecorating or renovating and want to keep furniture safe and clean;
• downsizing and want to keep your furniture for your children or grandchildren;
• moving in with a new partner and have duplicate items of furniture.

Furniture is stored in exactly the same way as anything else with us. It will be kept in an indoor unit where it will be clean, dry and safe and protected from the elements. The cost will depend on how much furniture you need to store.
 

What size self storage unit do you need to store furniture? 

Our handy self storage video guides can help you to decide how big your unit will need to be, or we have helpful, experienced staff on hand at our stores, on the phone and online who can talk you through any questions you may have and offer advice. 
 

Can you store furniture in your garage?

If you have access to a garage, this seems like an obvious place to store your furniture. Typically, garages aren’t heated, and even in the summer months the temperatures outside can drop considerably. For this reason, it’s not recommended that you store furniture in a cold garage, because changes in temperature and humidity can cause wood to swell and contract, leading it to crack or warp - in short, your furniture can get ruined in a garage. 

Upholstered furniture, and mattresses, can also fare badly in a garage because it can easily be exposed to damp, which encourages mould. You can try to protect your furniture from damp in storage by ensuring that it is kept off the floor in your garage, wrapping it loosely in fabric sheets / towels, and making sure it is clean and dry to begin with. If you’re not confident that your garage will keep your furniture dry enough, consider storing it in a self storage unit instead.
 

Is it safe to store furniture in a storage unit?

Storing your furniture into a self storage unit is safer than keeping it in a garage or external storage container. Our self storage units are secured with CCTV and alarms, and covered by pest and fire prevention measures. 

Garages and external storage containers - traditional ‘lock-ups’ - are exposed to the elements and may be accessible to the public. Storage containers might be safe if they’re located in a secure compound, but the temperature and humidity are not ideal for furniture storage - containers are better suited to large mechanical equipment such as cars and business machinery.

With an internal self storage unit, you’ll be the only person with access to your belongings. Your unit will be secured with a padlock, for which you will have the only key/code. You can access your unit daily at any time during normal store opening hours.
 

What furniture can you put in a storage unit?

For the most part, as long as your furniture is not on our list of prohibited items (See FAQs), we would be more than happy for you to store it in one of our units.

These are some of our more common types of furniture people store with us.

• Kitchen Appliances
• Washing machine/Tumble dryer
• Dining table and chairs
• Sofas
• Beds/Mattresses
• Wardrobes
• Bookcases
• Office Furniture
• Garden furniture

This list is definitely not exhaustive as we often store more unusual, customised and interesting items just ask us if you are unsure.  Our knowledgeable storage consultants will be able to tell you if our storage units are suitable for your furniture storage needs.
 

Using a self storage unit for furniture

If you don’t want to risk damage to your furniture by storing it in your garage - or if you don’t have a garage - a self storage unit is a safe way to store all sorts of things, including furniture. 

All you need to do to protect your furniture from damp in a self storage unit is to clean and thoroughly dry it all before moving it in. That way, your furniture won’t go mouldy in self storage because our units are clean and dry, minimising the risk of damp and mould. 

Our self storage units are indoors, within a large store, at an ambient temperature. This means that they are not exposed to extreme weather conditions, they’re well ventilated and suitable for storing furniture and soft furnishings.

You can keep your furniture in storage with us for as little or as long as you need depending on which contract you choose. If you’re downsizing or moving abroad and plan to keep your furniture in storage for a long time, we offer discounts on long-term storage.
 

How to prepare your furniture for long-term self storage

You may be planning to keep your furniture in storage only for a few days or weeks if you’re moving house or renovating and just want somewhere to keep it all safe, clean and dry until it can be returned to you.

If, however, you’re downsizing or moving away and need to keep your furniture in storage for a long time, it’s important to prepare your furniture properly before placing it into storage. If your furniture is in good condition when it goes into your storage unit, it can stay that way indefinitely. 

Firstly, you need to make sure your furniture is clean and dry. If there is exposed wood, treat it with oil to keep it ‘fed’ - you’ll be able to tell if it needs to be oiled by splashing a little water on it. If the water forms beads on top of the wood, the wood is fine - if the water soaks in, you should treat it with oil. 

If any upholstery can be removed and washed, do so - otherwise, wipe it down with a damp cloth. Above all, make sure your furniture is thoroughly dry before putting it into storage.

Next, you need to transport it safely into your storage unit. Disassemble any furniture that can be easily taken apart, for ease of transport (keep the fittings in a bag clearly labelled as to what piece of furniture it belongs to). Store cushions and seat pads in labelled boxes and use moving blankets, towels or sheets to wrap around the rest of your furniture to protect it from scratches or marks.

Most of our stores have large drive up loading bays for easy access, and you can use our trolleys to help you to move your furniture from your car/van into your storage unit.

Finally, organise your furniture carefully within your unit. Any items that you’re likely to remove first need to be closest to the door, so load those last. Lay blankets or towels on your unit’s floor to protect any parts of your furniture from scratches when being moved around. 

You can store your sofa standing up to save space and money, as long as the arm is flat and will support the rest of the frame without squashing the padding. Similarly, bedframes can be stored vertically to make use of the height of the unit, so you can use a unit with less square footage.

If you're exploring options for storing your furniture safely and securely, we’re here to help. Contact us today to discuss your storage needs and find the perfect storage solution for you.