Moving house becomes much easier when you don't try to move every single belonging at once.
Some things need to stay with you throughout the move. Others can be packed away early and stored until you're ready for them in your new home.
Using moving house storage gives you somewhere to put furniture, seasonal belongings, boxes and other non-essential items while you pack, move and settle in.
So, what should you put into storage when moving house?
A good rule is to start with anything you won't need immediately before, during or after your move.
This can include:
Packing these belongings first can create more room in your current home and leave you with fewer things to deal with as moving day approaches.
Furniture is one of the biggest things to manage when moving house.
You might have:
If you don't need these pieces immediately, placing them into furniture storage can free up considerable room while you prepare for the move.
This can be especially useful if you're moving into a smaller property, renovating your new home or simply aren't sure where everything will go yet.
Where possible, disassemble larger furniture before storing it and keep screws, bolts and fittings together in clearly labelled bags.
There's little point keeping boxes of clothing accessible if you know you won't need them during the move.
Pack away items such as:
Seasonal clothing is an easy category to pack early because you're unlikely to suddenly need most of it during the moving process.
Use clearly labelled boxes so you can find everything when the season changes.
Christmas decorations and other seasonal belongings can usually go straight into storage.
Think about:
These belongings can take up considerable cupboard or garage space despite only being used occasionally.
Packing them early gets them out of the way and gives you fewer boxes to deal with closer to moving day.
Sporting and recreational equipment can take up a surprising amount of room.
Consider storing:
If you're unlikely to use it before you're settled into the new property, it's an easy category to pack and store ahead of time.
Books are another great category to pack early.
The same applies to:
These aren't usually things you need during the moving process, so packing them early can make the rest of your home much easier to organise.
Just remember that books become heavy very quickly. Use smaller boxes rather than filling large cartons that become difficult to lift.
Once you've decided you're moving, many decorative items can be packed away.
This might include:
Removing excess décor can also be useful if you're preparing your current home for sale.
A less cluttered property can be easier to clean, photograph and prepare for inspections.
If you're trying to clear your home before selling, our guide to Steps to Take When Decluttering with gobox Storage has more practical tips.
The kitchen is often one of the last rooms people want to pack because so many items are used every day.
But you probably don't need everything.
Keep your everyday essentials accessible and consider storing:
Packing part of the kitchen early can make one of the most time-consuming rooms much easier to tackle as moving day approaches.
For more practical packing advice, see our How to Pack for Moving House: Packing Checklist & Tips.
If you have a guest bedroom or spare room, it's another area you can usually start packing early.
Consider storing:
Clearing the spare room can also give you somewhere to organise packed boxes while you work through the rest of the house.
Garages and sheds tend to accumulate belongings over time, making them one of the bigger jobs when moving.
Start sorting these areas well before moving day.
Items you may want to store include:
Don't automatically pack everything.
Use the move as an opportunity to decide what you genuinely want to take with you and what could be sold, donated or disposed of.
If your garage has gradually turned into another storage room, our guide to How a Mobile Storage Unit Solves Space Problems You Didn't Know You Had is also worth reading.
One of the easiest ways to decide what belongs in storage is to ask:
Will I actually need this during the first few weeks in my new home?
If the answer is no, it may be a good candidate for storage.
This lets you concentrate on unpacking the things you actually use rather than immediately filling your new home with boxes.
Not everything should go into your storage container.
Keep important and frequently needed belongings with you during the move, including:
It's also a good idea to pack a separate moving essentials box containing everything you'll need during your first night and morning in the new home.
Moving dates don't always line up perfectly.
You might need to leave your existing home before you can move into the new one. You may be waiting for settlement, renovating before moving in or staying somewhere temporarily between properties.
That's where temporary storage can help.
Instead of moving your belongings into a traditional storage facility and then loading everything again when your new home is ready, mobile storage allows you to load your belongings directly into the storage container.
If you're weighing up different ways to manage the move, read Moving Pods vs Removalists vs Truck Hire: Which Is Best? for a comparison of the main options.
Downsizing creates another challenge because you may have belongings you want to keep but don't yet know whether they'll fit into your new home.
Common items to store when downsizing include:
Rather than forcing yourself to make every decision before moving day, downsizing storage can give you more time.
You can move into the new home, see what actually fits and then decide what to keep, sell, donate or pass on.
What you put into storage matters, but so does how you pack it.
Start with larger and heavier belongings and keep the weight reasonably distributed throughout the container.
Then:
Think about the order you'll need things at the other end.
Items you won't need for months can go further back, while belongings you may want shortly after moving should remain easier to reach.
The biggest advantage of mobile storage during a move is that your storage comes to you.
Your gobox is delivered to your property so you can load furniture and boxes without repeatedly transporting everything backwards and forwards to a traditional storage facility.
Once you're ready, your gobox can be collected and stored or moved as required.
This can be particularly useful when:
If you want to understand the entire process, read How Does Moving House With a Storage Container Work?.
You don't have to move your entire household in one hectic day.
By storing furniture, seasonal belongings, sporting equipment, décor and other non-essential items ahead of time, you can create more room to pack and reduce the amount you need to deal with on moving day.
gobox provides flexible mobile storage across Melbourne and Adelaide, whether you need storage while packing, between settlement dates or while you get settled into your new home.
Pack what you need. Store what you don't. Move at your own pace with gobox.
Decluttering your home can feel overwhelming, especially when you’ve accumulated years of furniture, clothing, kids’ items, sentimental belongings and everything in between.
The easiest way to tackle it is one space at a time. Rather than trying to clear your entire home in a weekend, focus on making steady progress and deciding what genuinely deserves to take up space in your home.
Whether you’re preparing to move, downsizing or simply want to reclaim some space around your home, here are some practical steps to make decluttering easier.
Trying to declutter your entire home at once can quickly become overwhelming.
Instead, choose one room or area and finish it before moving onto the next. Starting with a smaller or less sentimental area can also help you build momentum before tackling rooms with more belongings.
You might start with:
Work through one cupboard, shelf or section at a time rather than pulling everything out at once.
Starting small makes it easier to see progress, keeps the job manageable and gives you a clear sense of achievement as each area is completed.
As you work through each room, separate your belongings into simple categories:
Keep — things you regularly use and want to remain in the home.
Sell — items you no longer need but could have value to someone else.
Donate — belongings that are still useful but you no longer need.
Discard — broken, damaged or unusable items.
Store — things you want to keep but don’t need taking up space in your home right now.
Having a dedicated store category can make decluttering much easier. It removes the pressure to choose between keeping something in the house or getting rid of it completely.
This can work particularly well for sentimental belongings, spare furniture, children's items you want to keep, seasonal equipment and things you know you'll use again in the future.
If creating more usable room is your main goal, our guide to How to Create More Space in Your Home Without Moving has more practical ideas.
One of the hardest parts of decluttering is deciding what should stay.
It’s easy to keep things because you might need them one day. Over time, however, these items can fill wardrobes, cupboards, spare rooms and garages.
For anything you're unsure about, ask yourself:
You don't need to become a minimalist or throw away belongings that matter to you.
Some things are absolutely worth keeping but simply don't need to take up valuable space every day.
That’s where decluttering storage can help. Furniture, boxes and other belongings can be moved out of everyday living areas while remaining available when you need them again.
Garages can quickly become storage areas for everything that doesn't have a place inside the house.
Tools, sporting equipment, boxes, furniture, bikes and seasonal items can gradually build up until there's barely any usable space left — and sometimes no room for the car.
Treat your garage like any other room.
Start by grouping similar items together. Put tools with tools, sporting equipment together, gardening supplies in one area and boxes into clear categories.
Then decide what you genuinely need to keep in the garage.
Items you use regularly should remain accessible. Things used only occasionally don't necessarily need to occupy prime storage space throughout the year.
Larger or rarely used belongings can be moved elsewhere, freeing up room for the things you actually use.
For more ideas, read How a Mobile Storage Unit Solves Space Problems You Didn't Know You Had.
Some belongings are only used for a few weeks or months each year.
These might include:
Instead of allowing these items to fill cupboards, garages and spare rooms all year, consider moving them into storage until they're needed again.
Before storing seasonal items, clearly label boxes and group similar belongings together. This makes it much easier to find what you need when the season changes.
Rotating these items in and out of your home can create a surprising amount of extra everyday storage space.
Furniture takes up more room than almost anything else in your home.
You may have spare beds, old dining chairs, cabinets, desks or other furniture that you want to keep but don't currently use.
Walk through each room and consider whether every piece of furniture still serves a purpose.
Sometimes removing just one large piece can completely change how spacious and functional a room feels.
You might have furniture you're keeping for children, a future home, visiting family or because it has sentimental value. In these cases, getting rid of it may not be the right decision.
If you're not ready to sell or donate these items, furniture storage can help you reclaim the space without permanently getting rid of them.
This can be particularly useful if you're reorganising your home, preparing for renovations, converting a spare room or making room for a growing family.
One of the biggest challenges with decluttering is deciding what to do with belongings you want to keep.
With mobile storage, the storage container is delivered directly to your property.
Instead of trying to declutter everything before a trip to a storage facility, you can gradually load furniture, boxes and other belongings as you work through the house.
For example, you could start with the garage one weekend, tackle the spare bedroom the next and then move onto wardrobes and other areas.
Once you're finished, your gobox can stay onsite or be collected and stored offsite.
That means you don't need to load everything into a trailer or truck, drive to a traditional storage facility and unload it again.
If you're weighing up the two options, see our guide to Mobile Storage vs Traditional Self Storage.
Moving house is one of the best times to declutter.
There's little point packing, moving and unpacking belongings you already know you don't want.
Go through each room before you start packing and decide what should actually come with you.
Pay particular attention to areas that tend to accumulate forgotten belongings, such as:
The less unnecessary stuff you take with you, the easier it will be to pack and organise your new home.
This can mean fewer boxes, less furniture to move and a much more organised start in your new space.
If you're preparing for a move, our How to Pack for Moving House guide can help with the next stage.
Decluttering becomes even more important when you're moving into a smaller home.
You may simply not have enough room for all your existing furniture and belongings.
Start early rather than trying to make every decision immediately before moving day.
If possible, look at the size and layout of your new home and think about which pieces of furniture will realistically fit.
Prioritise the things you use regularly and the belongings that matter most to you.
For anything you're uncertain about, temporary storage gives you more time to decide. You can move into the new home, see how the space works and then decide what you want to bring back.
For belongings you want to keep while deciding what will fit into the new home, downsizing storage can give you some extra flexibility.
Decluttering doesn't need to happen all at once.
In fact, trying to make hundreds of decisions in one day can make the whole process harder.
Give yourself time to work through your belongings properly.
Start with the easiest decisions first. Broken items, duplicates and things you know you no longer want can usually be dealt with quickly.
Leave sentimental items until later if necessary.
You might set yourself a simple target, such as:
Even clearing one cupboard, room or section of the garage at a time can gradually make your home feel much more organised.
Not everything you remove from your home needs to be sold, donated or thrown away.
Storage is particularly useful for belongings you still value but don't need regular access to, including:
The aim is to remove things that are taking up useful everyday space without getting rid of belongings you genuinely want to keep.
Decluttering isn't necessarily about getting rid of everything.
It's about deciding what deserves to take up space in your home right now.
For furniture, seasonal belongings and other items you want to keep but don't need every day, gobox gives you somewhere else to put them.
Your storage container is delivered directly to your property, allowing you to load it at your own pace as you work through different areas of your home.
Once you're finished, you can keep your gobox onsite or have it collected and stored offsite until you need your belongings again.
That means more room in your home without having to make rushed decisions about belongings you still want to keep.
Renovating your home can be exciting, but it can also create a lot of disruption. Furniture, appliances, boxes and everyday belongings can quickly get in the way once builders and trades start working.
Mobile storage gives you somewhere to move those belongings while your renovation is underway.
With gobox, a portable storage container is delivered directly to your property. You can pack it at your own pace, keep it onsite if you want easy access, or have it collected and stored offsite until your renovation is finished.
Here are some of the biggest reasons to consider mobile storage for your next renovation.
One of the first things you'll need to do before renovating is clear the areas where work will take place.
For a kitchen renovation, this might mean removing dining furniture, appliances, kitchenware and nearby living room furniture.
For new flooring or painting, you may need to clear several rooms at once.
Instead of moving everything into spare bedrooms, hallways or the garage, a storage container gives your belongings somewhere separate to go.
This creates more space for trades to work and means you're not constantly moving furniture from one room to another.
If space is already becoming an issue around your home, you can also read How a Mobile Storage Unit Solves Space Problems You Didn't Know You Had.
Renovations can create dust, debris and plenty of movement throughout your home.
Even when trades are careful, keeping furniture and other belongings away from active work areas can make the renovation easier to manage.
You might use your gobox to store:
Once the renovation is finished, you can bring everything back into the home.
A renovation is also a good opportunity to work out what you actually want to keep.
There's little point moving items into storage if you no longer need them.
Before packing your gobox, sort your belongings into:
This can reduce how much you need to store and means fewer unwanted belongings come back into your newly renovated home.
If you're not sure where to start, see our Steps to Take When Decluttering with gobox Storage for some simple decluttering tips.
Renovations already involve enough deadlines.
Having a gobox delivered before construction starts means you don't have to clear your home in one frantic day.
Start by packing things you won't need during the renovation, such as:
Then move larger furniture and other belongings closer to the construction start date.
Label boxes clearly so you know where everything belongs when it's time to unpack.
If you have enough room at your property, you can keep your gobox onsite during the renovation.
This can be useful when you still need occasional access to your belongings.
Instead of driving to a storage facility whenever you need something, your stored items remain close to home.
Onsite storage can work particularly well for:
For larger renovations, keeping a storage container onsite may not be practical.
Builders might need access to the driveway or other areas around the property.
In this situation, once you've finished packing, gobox can collect your container and store it offsite.
Your belongings remain packed inside the container until you're ready for them again.
Once your renovation is finished, your gobox can be returned to your property for unloading.
Traditional storage can involve moving the same furniture several times.
You might need to:
With mobile storage, you pack directly into the container that will store your belongings.
This can make storing bulky furniture and large amounts of household belongings much simpler.
Renovations don't always run exactly to schedule.
Materials can be delayed, trades may need to reschedule and unexpected issues can appear once work begins.
If your four-week renovation becomes a six-week renovation, you don't necessarily want furniture coming back into the house before it's ready.
Mobile storage gives you more flexibility around changing renovation timelines.
Your belongings can remain stored until the work is actually finished.
You don't need to be undertaking a major extension to benefit from temporary storage.
Replacing flooring throughout a house can require almost every room to be cleared.
Whole-home painting can create the same problem.
Instead of constantly shifting furniture from one side of the house to another, you can temporarily move larger pieces into storage.
That gives trades clearer access and means your furniture doesn't have to follow the renovation around the house.
Sometimes you're renovating a property before moving into it.
You might want to:
before moving your furniture into the property.
Mobile storage can make this easier because your belongings can remain stored until the house is ready.
Rather than moving furniture into your new home and then moving it again for builders, you can have it delivered once the renovation is complete.
The amount of storage you need will depend on the scale of your renovation.
A single-room renovation may only require storage for a small amount of furniture.
A major renovation may require you to remove much of the contents of your home.
Before choosing your storage size, consider:
It's generally better to think about this before packing begins rather than discovering halfway through that you need more space.
A little planning can make unpacking much easier once the renovation is finished.
Start with heavier furniture and belongings you won't need during the project.
Use sturdy boxes for smaller items and clearly label each box with the room it belongs in.
Protect furniture with suitable covers and avoid placing heavy items on top of fragile belongings.
If you're also moving house around the same time as your renovation, our older guide to How to Pack for Moving House has some useful packing ideas that can also be applied when preparing belongings for storage.
Mobile storage can be useful across many different renovation projects, including:
Store dining furniture, appliances, kitchenware and belongings from surrounding living areas.
Clear nearby rooms and hallways where builders need access.
Remove furniture from multiple rooms so flooring contractors have clear access.
Store larger pieces of furniture rather than repeatedly moving them around the house.
Keep furniture and belongings away from larger construction areas.
Store a significant portion of your home's contents while major work is underway.
Portable storage isn't only useful for homes.
Businesses undergoing renovations or fit-outs may also need somewhere temporary to keep:
Keeping these items away from active construction areas can create more room for trades and help keep the site organised.
The best time to think about storage is before builders arrive.
Start by walking through the areas being renovated and deciding what needs to be removed.
Then:
Doing this early means your renovation can start with clear rooms rather than spending the first few days moving furniture around.
Renovating your home already involves plenty of planning.
Working out where to put your furniture shouldn't become another major job.
A gobox gives you somewhere to temporarily store furniture, appliances and household belongings while renovation work is underway.
We deliver the container to your property, you pack it, and you can choose whether to keep it onsite or have it collected for storage.
Once your renovation is complete, your belongings can come back.
Yes. Mobile storage can be used to temporarily store furniture, appliances, boxes and other household belongings while renovation work is underway.
Yes, where your property has suitable space and access, your gobox can remain onsite during your renovation.
Yes. Once you've finished packing, gobox can collect your container and store it offsite until you're ready for it to be returned.
Ideally, arrange your storage before construction begins. This gives you time to pack and clear renovation areas before trades arrive.
Furniture, appliances, electronics, boxes, kitchenware, artwork and other non-essential household belongings can all be moved out of active renovation areas.
It's a great opportunity to do so. Sorting your belongings before packing means you aren't paying to store things you no longer want. Our decluttering guide can help you get started.
Running out of space at home doesn't always mean you need a bigger house.
Sometimes the problem is simply that your belongings have gradually taken over the rooms you already have. The garage fills with boxes, the spare bedroom becomes storage, furniture you still want takes up valuable living space, and seasonal items fill cupboards you need for everyday use.
A mobile storage container gives you another option. Instead of getting rid of belongings you still want or repeatedly moving them from one room to another, you can have storage delivered directly to your property.
You can pack at your own pace, keep the container onsite for convenient access, or have it collected for offsite storage.
Here are some of the everyday space problems mobile storage can help solve.
Spare rooms have a habit of becoming the place where everything without a permanent home ends up.
Boxes, children's belongings, unused furniture, seasonal items and things you're planning to sort through "one day" can gradually make the room unusable.
If you'd rather turn it back into a guest bedroom, home office, nursery or usable living space, you don't necessarily have to get rid of everything inside it.
Decluttering storage lets you move belongings out of your everyday living areas while giving you more time to decide what you actually want to keep.
You get the room back now without having to make permanent decisions about every item in a single weekend.
Garages often end up storing far more than cars.
Furniture, sporting equipment, tools, boxes, outdoor belongings and household overflow can gradually take over the available floor space.
Eventually, the garage itself stops being useful.
Moving less-used belongings into home storage can help you reclaim the garage without transporting everything across town to a traditional self-storage facility.
Because the storage container is delivered to your property, you can work through the garage gradually and decide what stays, what goes and what should remain in storage.
Furniture creates a particular storage problem because it's bulky, heavy and difficult to move.
You may have a spare bed you want to keep for the future, a dining setting that doesn't currently fit, furniture belonging to a family member or pieces you're keeping while reorganising your home.
Instead of filling another room or garage, furniture storage gives you a dedicated place to keep larger household items.
With gobox, the storage unit comes to your property, so you can move furniture directly from your home into the container rather than loading it into a vehicle, transporting it to a storage facility, and unloading it again.
One of the hardest parts of decluttering is deciding what to do with belongings you don't currently use but aren't ready to let go of.
Some things have sentimental value. Others might be useful again. And sometimes you simply need more time to decide.
Storage creates a useful middle ground.
Instead of shifting clutter from the bedroom to the garage or from the spare room into cupboards, you can move the belongings you want to keep out of your everyday living environment.
If this sounds familiar, our guide to creating more space in your home without moving has more practical ideas for reclaiming the rooms you already have.
For larger decluttering projects, decluttering storage can give you somewhere to keep furniture, boxes and household belongings while you work through your home room by room.
Renovations can quickly expose just how difficult it is to find temporary space inside your home.
Furniture needs to be moved away from trades, tools, paint, dust and building materials. Moving everything into another room may solve the problem temporarily, but it often means shifting the same furniture again when work moves into the next area.
Renovation storage gives you somewhere to clear furniture and household belongings before or during the project.
Your gobox can remain onsite if you want access to your belongings or be collected for offsite storage if you want the property completely clear.
If you're planning building or renovation work, read our complete guide to storage during a renovation for more tips on preparing your belongings and creating space before work begins.
Not everything in your home needs to be accessible all year.
Christmas decorations, camping gear, winter clothing, sporting equipment, outdoor furniture and other seasonal belongings can occupy valuable cupboard, garage and spare-room space for months at a time.
Moving items you use only occasionally into storage can free up everyday storage areas for the things you need regularly.
This can be particularly useful if your home has limited built-in storage or your family's storage needs have grown over time.
Preparing a property for sale often means removing more than obvious clutter.
Excess furniture, packed bookshelves, children's belongings, boxes and personal items can make rooms feel crowded and leave less space for buyers to appreciate the property itself.
Temporary storage gives you somewhere to put those belongings while photography, inspections and open homes take place.
Rather than shifting everything into the garage, you can gradually load the furniture and belongings you're keeping into your gobox and have the container collected if you want it completely off the property.
Our decluttering storage service explains how mobile storage can be used when clearing and preparing a home for sale.
Moving house doesn't always happen neatly in a single day.
You might need to leave a rental before your new home is available, sell one property before settling on another, stay in temporary accommodation or wait for renovations or construction to finish.
Instead of finding temporary storage for your furniture, moving house storage lets you pack your belongings into a storage container at your existing property.
You can then store the container until your new home is ready and have it redelivered when you're ready to unpack.
This can reduce double handling because you don't need to unload your belongings into a separate storage room while you're between properties.
Moving into a smaller home often means making decisions about furniture and belongings before you've had a chance to understand how your new space will work.
You may know that everything won't fit, but that doesn't necessarily mean you know what you want to sell, donate, give to family or keep.
Downsizing storage gives you time to make those decisions after the move rather than forcing you to make them all beforehand.
You can store excess furniture and belongings while you settle in, then gradually decide what comes into the new home and what you no longer need.
Sometimes the space problem isn't really about having too many belongings. It's that your home needs to serve a different purpose.
You might be:
In these situations, home storage can give you temporary extra space without forcing you to permanently part with belongings you may need again later.
Traditional self-storage usually means taking your belongings to the storage facility yourself.
That can involve hiring a trailer or van, loading everything at home, driving to the facility and unloading it into a storage unit. When you want your belongings back, the process happens again in reverse.
Mobile storage changes where the packing happens.
With gobox:
We deliver → You pack → Store @ Yours or Store @ Ours → We return it when needed.
The container comes directly to your property, allowing you to load furniture and belongings where they already are.
If you want convenient access, you can keep your gobox onsite. If you want the space back completely, gobox can collect the loaded container and store it offsite until you need it again.
That flexibility makes mobile storage useful for everything from a weekend declutter to a renovation, house move or longer-term household storage requirement.
The amount of storage you need depends on what you're trying to clear.
A few pieces of furniture and boxes will obviously require less space than the contents of several rooms.
GoBox offers different storage container sizes, so consider your largest items first and then estimate how many boxes and smaller belongings will need to fit around them.
Packing efficiently can also make a significant difference to how much you can fit inside your container.
Running out of room doesn't automatically mean you need to move house or get rid of belongings you still value.
Sometimes you simply need somewhere else to keep them.
Whether you're clearing a garage, reclaiming a spare bedroom, storing furniture, preparing your home for sale, renovating or dealing with a change at home, gobox brings the storage space directly to you.
Start with decluttering storage if your goal is to reclaim space around your home, or explore home storage for flexible household storage across Melbourne and Adelaide.
Your storage can stay onsite when you want it nearby or be collected for offsite storage when you want the extra space back completely.
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Absolutely exceptional service dealing with Gobox from two years ago until now. Their drivers and customer service reps are so helpful, friendly and easygoing! They are very responsive and communicative. I never had to wait on the phone to speak with someone and my emails have always been responded to within a day. If you need your belongings stored I cannot recommend Gobox enough. The units are clean, well engineered and secure. Delivery is made super easy as well!
