Renovations happen more smoothly when you’re organised ahead of time.
It’s true that things will always take longer and cost more than you anticipated. That’s just physics. However, taking the time to prepare and make arrangements well before work starts will minimise disruptions and make your life a lot easier before, during, and after the work takes place.
One major and unavoidable aspect of preparing for a smooth renovation project is figuring out what to do with all of your things. No matter how functional your furniture is during the course of normal life, or how much joy your home decor brings you, during a renovation it is simply going to be in the way.
In this article we’re breaking down how you can make space for contractors and optimise your chances of a seamless, incident-free renovation using storage!
Why book a storage unit for your renovation?
Whether or not to move out of your home during the renovation process is the age-old dilemma. Unless you can stay with family or friends, it is an added expense. However, relocating temporarily is usually the easier and more convenient option. This is particularly true if:
- There are kids or pets involved.
- The bathroom and/or kitchen is being renovated.
- There are messy or potentially toxic materials being used.
Whether or not you are moving out to escape the chaos, you’ll need to make room for the work to happen. Using a storage space to house the furniture, decor, appliances, and other items that would be in the way during the renovation process can help everything to unfurl more smoothly.
Here’s why a short-term storage unit rental might be your best renovation purchase.
It keeps your belongings safe
Perhaps the most pressing issue is keeping your things safe during a renovation: from damage, from paint drips, from untrustworthy contractors, and from the weather or environment. For valuable things like paintings and pictures, or soft furnishings, throwing everything into a shed, carport, or garage is not the best option—if it’s even an option.
A storage unit will keep your belongings safe, dry, and in good condition. You can also look into climate-controlled storage for particularly delicate items. Purpose-built storage is peace of mind and one less stress you’ll have to deal with as your home gets turned upside down and put back together.
It keeps clutter to a minimum
Clutter in your home becomes exponentially more inconvenient during a reno—to you and to those working there. Getting all of that stuff out of the house is a huge help. Not only will it keep your belongings secure but also make the space safer as work progresses.
And if you decide you appreciate having a little less stuff around the place, you can always keep it that way once the renovation is finished. We recommend taking the opportunity to declutter some things more permanently, donating or disposing of anything that you don’t need any longer.
A storage unit is a fantastic solution. With short-term rentals, free trailer rental, e-waste removal, document destruction, and even insurance options, National Mini Storage is a one-stop shop for decluttering your home during a renovation.
It keeps renovation materials close at hand
Look, we’re a nation of DIY enthusiasts. For many Kiwis, this means collecting materials, tools, fittings, and more for your renovation for months or even years before you take the plunge and break ground.
Rather than having toilets, extractor fans, and bits of wood you couldn’t pass up lying around your home and yard for an unspecified amount of time, why not take advantage of storage BEFORE your project begins? Book a unit and hoard your construction materials in peace.
Using your storage unit effectively
Most people will have a fairly good grasp on the basics of how to use a storage unit (open door, insert things). There are a few small tweaks to the process that can make the experience easier.
Here are a few things to consider as you make plans for your renovation-related unit rental
- Choose the right size! Take stock of the largest items, measure if you need to, and always add a little extra to your estimations. Moving things into a larger unit if you need to will be a pain, so make sure you get it right the first time. It’s a balance between having enough room and paying for a bigger-than-necessary unit.
- Pack smaller items into boxes and label them clearly. Although this adds a bit of work at the front end of the process, your future self will thank you for it. If you’re feeling extra organised, you could even create an inventory or a colour code to make unpacking even easier.
- If you have sensitive electronics, antique furniture, or any other belongings requiring special care, we suggest looking into the availability of climate-controlled storage units to ensure everything comes out as good as it went in. Find out whether your contents insurance will cover your belongings while they’re in storage—and if not, ask the storage provider about insurance options.
Renovation storage in action
Picture it:
The James family are planning a complete redo of their kitchen, dining, and living areas: new flooring, new cabinetry, adding a built-in and a window seat, and a full paint job right down the hallway. She’s a big job, and a messy one.
They’re lucky enough to be able to stay with family for a few weeks, but there’s definitely not enough room in their bedrooms to stuff all of the furniture from the spaces being worked on—and no garage or shed space in their townhome. They also have some guitars and other music equipment that they’d rather not leave around while there are doors open and tradies coming and going.
A friend mentions that they once hired a storage unit for a few months when in between houses, and this strikes them as ideal. Not only does it get their stuff out of the house and away from the work space, but it offers added security for their valuable music equipment. They book a trailer with their National Mini Storage branch; picking that up and moving the excess stuff into storage takes a few hours.
With that done, they’re prepped and ready for a successful, smooth renovation and can move back into a home without paint splashes on the couch. Oh, and as they move back in they have the opportunity to go through their things and make some decluttering decisions.
Renovate easier with a storage unit
Renting a storage unit in which to keep your belongings while your house undergoes renovations is a fantastic investment. In addition to getting furniture, decor, and other space-consuming items out of sight and mind during a stressful time, it can:
- Keep valuables safer than they would be in your garage or shed.
- Aid the process of decluttering, so you can move back into your renovated home feeling free and unencumbered by excess things.
- Be used to store renovation materials before you get started.
With trailers, insurance options, document destruction and e-waste disposal services, and trolleys available, National Mini Storage makes it easy. We can keep your things safe and out of the way of the tradies traipsing through your home!
Choose the size you need, get a price and book storage.
