If you’ve ever been through a house move, you’ll know it has a way of feeling manageable right up until it doesn’t. Suddenly there are two properties to coordinate, boxes in every room, furniture that doesn’t quite fit the new place, and a timeline that’s shifted at least once since you planned it.
Self storage is genuinely useful during a move, but it works best when you go in with a bit of a plan. The people who find it most helpful are usually the ones who’ve been a bit thoughtful about what actually needs to go into the unit. Here’s how to think about it.
Deciding what goes in storage
The most useful thing you can do before a move is split everything into three rough groups: things you need immediately at the new place, things you’ll need eventually but not right away, and things you haven’t touched in a year and need to be honest about.
The first group goes directly to the new property. The middle group is exactly what a storage unit is designed for. The third group deserves a hard look before you pay to move it somewhere else, because storage is genuinely helpful, but it can also become an expensive way of delaying a decision you were going to have to make anyway.
| Item or category | Take straight to new place | Into storage | Sort before moving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily furniture (bed, couch, dining table) | Yes | No | No |
| Second bedroom or spare furniture | Sometimes | Yes | No |
| Seasonal gear (camping, ski, outdoor) | No | Yes | No |
| Boxes unopened for 12 months or more | No | No | Yes |
| Kids bikes and outdoor toys | Sometimes | Yes | No |
| Old appliances kept just in case | No | Yes | No |
| Clothes worn regularly | Yes | No | No |
| Off-season clothes and extra linen | Sometimes | Yes | No |
| Garden tools and equipment | Sometimes | Yes | No |
| Sentimental items not needed daily | No | Yes | No |
| Business equipment or home office overflow | Sometimes | Yes | No |
Which size unit for a move?
The right unit size depends almost entirely on how much is going in and for how long. For a one or two bedroom home, a Half Garage (3m x 3m) is usually the right fit. For a three bedroom family move or situations where you’re putting most of a house into storage, a Small Garage or Full Garage gives you the room to store things properly rather than just stacking everything in a pile you’ll regret later.
If you’re only putting overflow items in and the core furniture is going straight to the new place, a Walk-in Robe or Large Bedroom unit is often more than enough and considerably more affordable.
When to book and how long to allow
A general rule in self storage is to book your unit before settlement rather than after. Having the space available early means you can start moving non-essential things across as soon as you have access, which takes a lot of pressure off moving day itself, especially if you’re working around a hard vacate date on a rental.
How long you’ll actually need the unit varies quite a bit. Most moves involve somewhere between two and six weeks of overlap between storage and the new property, while people settle in and work through what they’ve got. Families with more stuff, or bigger distances between properties, tend to need a bit longer. Because StorYge works on month-to-month terms with no lock-in, you’re not committing to a timeframe you can’t predict.
Things that are better kept with you
A few categories of things genuinely shouldn’t go into storage, even if it’s tempting to just get them out of the way.
Documents you might need quickly. Lease agreements, passports, insurance paperwork and anything legally important is worth keeping on hand rather than buried in a unit.
Anything perishable. Food, plants, and anything that requires humidity control or regular maintenance doesn’t belong in storage.
Truly irreplaceable items. Wills, jewellery, sentimental things with no backup. These are better kept with you or in a safe deposit box.
Whatever your kids can’t sleep without. Moving is already a lot. Some things are just worth keeping accessible.
How far is StorYge from you?
We’re at 438 Barry Road in Coolaroo, which puts us within easy reach of most northern suburbs. Drive-up access means you can pull up directly to your unit rather than navigating through a multi-level facility, which makes a real difference when you’re doing multiple trips.
| Suburb | Approximate drive time |
|---|---|
| Meadow Heights | 5 minutes |
| Campbellfield | 6 minutes |
| Dallas | 5 minutes |
| Broadmeadows | 8 minutes |
| Somerton | 7 minutes |
| West Meadows | 6 minutes |
| Attwood | 6 minutes |
| Epping | 10 minutes |
Units start from $65 a month for a locker through to $595 for a full garage equivalent. Browse what’s available and book online at storyge.com.au.
