Storage during a house renovation: how to clear the rooms and keep things safe

Builders and furniture don't mix. Plaster dust gets into every fabric, paint ends up on table tops, and a sofa pushed into the corner of a room being tiled will get knocked, sat on and used as a shelf. If you're planning work on the house, storage during renovation is usually cheaper than the damage it prevents, and it makes the work itself go faster. Here's how to plan it.

Why clearing the rooms is worth it

The obvious reason is protection. Dust from sanding and cutting settles everywhere and works its way into upholstery, mattresses and electronics. Paint and wet plaster ruin wood. And furniture in a work zone gets moved again and again, which is when legs snap and corners chip.

The less obvious reason is time. Workers in an empty room move quickly. Workers in a room full of covered furniture spend part of every day shifting it from one wall to the other. On a job paid by the day, that adds up fast, and it's one of the reasons work runs over.

Plan storage during renovation room by room

You rarely need to empty the whole house. Most renovations happen in stages, so plan your storage the same way.

Full renovation, family moving out

If you're moving out completely while the work happens, everything goes into storage except what comes with you to the temporary place. Size it as a house move. Our guide to choosing a unit size helps here.

Staged work, family staying

If you're living in part of the house, store the furniture from the rooms being worked on and anything precious from the rest. Dust travels further than you think, so the good rugs and the glass cabinet are worth moving even if their room isn't on the list.

Kitchen or bathroom only

A smaller job, but kitchens throw up surprising volumes: every pot, plate, appliance and food cupboard has to go somewhere. A 5 x 5 unit at PKR 5,000 to 6,250 a month often covers it.

How long to book for

Renovations run late. Almost all of them. A two month job becomes three when the tiles arrive late or the plumber finds a problem behind the wall. So:

• Book for the length the builder quotes, knowing you can extend.
• Don't commit to a long fixed term. Our minimum is 1 month and after that it runs month by month, so an overrun costs you one more month, not a penalty.
• Bring things back in stages as rooms finish, rather than all at once at the end.

Here's what common stays cost in a 10 x 10 unit, which suits a typical two bedroom flat or the furniture from three or four rooms:

Timing collection around the builders

Get the timing right and the whole job feels calmer.

1. Collect before the first worker arrives. Not on the same morning. Give yourself a day between the house being cleared and the work starting.
2. Clear the route. Builders often start by blocking the gate with materials. Make sure the collection happens before the sand and bricks are delivered.
3. Keep a working box. Chargers, documents, a kettle, a few plates and the things you'll want during the work stay with you. Everything else goes.
4. Return to clean rooms. Don't bring furniture back until the dust is gone and the paint is fully dry. A week of airing after the last coat is sensible.

What to store and what to keep

Store the large, the fragile and the valuable: sofas, beds, dining sets, wardrobes, glass and mirrors, rugs, electronics you won't use, and anything with sentimental value. Keep with you the things you'll use every day, important documents and anything the builders might need access to, like the spare keys and the electricity bills.

Before anything goes in, check our list of what you can and can't store. Paint tins and solvents left over from the work are exactly the kind of thing that can't go into a unit.

Questions about storage during renovation

Can I put the builders' materials in storage too?

Tiles, fittings and boxed fixtures waiting to be installed can go into a unit, and it keeps expensive items away from a building site where things go missing. Cement, paint, solvents and anything flammable can't.

What if the renovation is just one room?

Then a small unit for a month or two is often enough, and it's still worth it. A single room's worth of furniture moved around a house under construction tends to collect more damage than a whole house moved once into storage.

Can I get something out halfway through the work?

Yes. Put anything you might want during the job near the front of the unit, and give us 48 hours notice before you come. Each visit includes an hour on site.

Should I store or rent somewhere with more space?

If the family is moving out anyway, a smaller rented place plus storage is usually cheaper than renting somewhere big enough to hold all the furniture. Run both sums with real numbers; the prices page has ours.

Protecting things on the way back

When the work finishes, there's a temptation to bring everything back at once. Give the house a proper clean first, check that no damp patches have appeared from new plaster, and bring the furniture back room by room. Unwrap fabric items as soon as they're home so they can air.

If we collect and deliver for you, that's quoted separately from the rent. Tell us the dates the builder has given you and we'll plan both trips around them. You can see how the whole process works on the how it works page, or get a price for your rooms.