Buying a new home is exciting, but moving dates don't always go to plan. One of the most frustrating situations is needing to move out of your current property before you can move into your new one.
Settlement delays can leave you between houses for days or even weeks, with removalists booked, furniture packed and nowhere for your belongings to go.
Temporary storage can help bridge that gap. With moving house storage, your belongings can be packed at your current home, stored securely while you wait for settlement, and then delivered to your new address when you're ready to move in.
What Happens if Your House Settlement Is Delayed?
Property settlement is usually scheduled for an agreed date, but delays can occur for several reasons.
These may include:
- Finance or lender delays
- Problems with conveyancing or legal documentation
- Bank processing delays
- Vendors requesting additional time
- Issues identified during building or pest inspections
- Delays involving another property in a settlement chain
Sometimes the delay is only a day or two. In other situations, it can take considerably longer to resolve.
The problem is that your settlement date and moving date are often connected to completely different arrangements.
Your removalists may already be booked. Your rental lease may be ending. Another buyer may be preparing to move into your existing property.
That can leave you needing to move out even though your new home isn't ready.
Where Do You Store Your Belongings Between Houses?
If there's a gap between moving out and moving into your next home, you'll need somewhere to keep your furniture, appliances, boxes and other household belongings.
There are several options, including traditional self-storage, temporary storage and mobile storage.
For people who have already packed for a move, mobile storage can be particularly convenient because it reduces additional handling.
Rather than transporting everything to a storage facility yourself, a mobile storage unit can be delivered directly to your property.
You pack it at your home, it's collected for storage, and it can then be delivered to your new address once you're ready to move in.
How Mobile Storage Works During a Settlement Delay
Mobile storage provides a practical way to manage an unexpected gap between properties.
The process is straightforward:
1. Your storage unit is delivered to your current home.
You can load your furniture, boxes and household belongings directly into the unit.
2. The unit is collected.
Once you've finished packing, we can collect the mobile storage unit and transport it to secure warehouse storage.
3. Your belongings remain stored while you wait.
If settlement takes longer than expected, your belongings can remain in storage until your new property becomes available.
4. Your unit is delivered to your new home.
Once settlement is complete and you have access to the property, your storage unit can be delivered to your new address for unloading.
This makes mobile storage particularly useful when you don't know exactly how long you'll be between moving houses.
Mobile Storage vs Self-Storage When Moving House
Traditional self-storage can certainly provide somewhere to keep your belongings, but it may involve considerably more transport and handling.
You may need to load your belongings into a truck or trailer, drive them to the storage facility, unload everything into the storage unit and then repeat the process when you're ready to move into your new home.
Mobile storage can remove several of those steps.
Instead, the storage comes to you.
For someone dealing with an unexpected settlement delay, this can mean:
- Less double handling of furniture and boxes
- No repeated trips to a self-storage facility
- No need to hire a separate trailer or storage vehicle
- Flexible storage while waiting for your new home
- Fewer changes to an already complicated moving schedule
- Convenient delivery to your new address when you're ready
It can be particularly valuable when you only need temporary storage between houses and don't want to organise an entirely separate move into and out of a storage facility.
What Should You Do if Settlement Is Delayed?
If you find out that your settlement won't proceed on the expected date, act quickly.
Start by contacting your conveyancer or solicitor to understand what's causing the delay and whether there is a revised settlement date.
You should also contact your removalist as soon as possible. Depending on their availability, they may be able to change your booking, although rescheduling or cancellation fees may apply.
If you still need to leave your current property, consider arranging temporary accommodation and storage early rather than waiting until moving day.
It's also worth separating the belongings you'll need while you're between homes.
Keep items such as these with you:
- Important documents
- Medications
- Chargers and electronics
- Toiletries
- Clothing
- Children's essentials
- Work equipment
- Valuables
- Anything you'll need immediately after moving in
Everything else can be packed and stored until your new home is ready.
How Much Storage Do You Need Between Houses?
The amount of storage you need depends on the size of your home and how much furniture and other belongings you're taking with you.
gobox offers different storage unit sizes, so it's worth considering your larger items first, including beds, couches, dining furniture, appliances and the number of boxes you'll need to store.
As a general guide, gobox's Medium unit is designed for approximately a 1–2 bedroom home, while the Large is designed for approximately a 2–3 bedroom home. Larger households can use multiple units.
Choosing the right size can also help you avoid paying for storage space you don't need.
How Long Can You Store Your Belongings Between Houses?
Sometimes settlement is delayed by only a few days. Other moving situations may leave you needing storage for several weeks or longer.
This is why flexibility is important when choosing storage while moving house.
If your new moving date isn't confirmed, you don't want additional pressure to remove your belongings from storage before you're ready.
gobox offers storage without long lock-in contracts, so your belongings can remain stored while you wait for your moving plans to come together. You can also review the current mobile storage costs when planning your move.
Should You Arrange Storage Before Settlement?
If your settlement is progressing normally and your moving dates align, you may never need temporary storage.
However, storage can be worth considering earlier if you already know there may be a gap between properties.
For example, you might be:
- Selling before buying your next property
- Moving out of a rental before settlement
- Staying with family temporarily
- Waiting for renovations to finish
- Moving interstate
- Downsizing before your next home is available
- Dealing with an uncertain settlement date
If you're moving interstate between Melbourne and Adelaide, storage can also help when the dates at either end of your move don't align.
Organising storage ahead of time gives you more options and makes changing moving dates easier to manage.
Why Choose gobox When You're Between Homes?
When you're caught between moving dates, the last thing you want is to move your belongings more times than necessary.
With gobox, your storage comes to you.
Your mobile storage unit can be delivered to your current property so you can pack your furniture and belongings before you move out. Once loaded, your gobox can be collected and kept securely stored while you wait for settlement.
When you finally receive the keys to your new home, your gobox can be delivered to your new address ready for you to unpack.
gobox provides mobile storage in Melbourne and mobile storage in Adelaide, making it a convenient option for homeowners, renters and families who need flexible storage while moving.
Whether the gap between homes is planned or caused by an unexpected settlement delay, mobile storage can help keep your belongings together while your moving plans change.
FAQs About Storage During Settlement Delays
What happens to my furniture if settlement is delayed?
If you have to leave your current property before your new home is available, temporary storage can provide somewhere to keep your furniture and household belongings. Mobile storage allows you to load your belongings at your existing property and have them stored until you're ready for delivery.
Can I put my belongings in storage between moving houses?
Yes. Temporary storage can be used when there is a gap between leaving one property and moving into another. It can be useful whether the gap is caused by a settlement delay or is simply part of your planned move.
Can I use storage for only a few weeks?
Yes. gobox currently offers month-to-month storage with no long lock-in contracts, as well as a short-term 14-day option.
How does mobile storage work when moving house?
A mobile storage unit is delivered to your property for loading. Once packed, it can be collected and stored before being delivered to your new address when you're ready to unpack.
Is mobile storage better than self-storage when moving?
It depends on your needs. Traditional self-storage can work well if you need regular access to individual belongings. Mobile storage can be particularly convenient during a house move because the container comes to your property, reducing the need to transport everything to and from a storage facility yourself.
Need Temporary Storage Between Houses?
A delayed settlement is frustrating, but it doesn't have to derail your entire move.
Mobile storage gives you somewhere secure to keep your belongings while you're between properties, without requiring you to completely unpack and repack everything at a traditional storage facility.
With gobox, you can pack once, store for as long as you need, and have your belongings delivered to your new home when you're ready.
Explore gobox's moving house storage or get in touch with the team to discuss the right storage solution for your move.
