Using Self Storage to Stage Your Home for Sale

July 14, 2025

Make Your Home Show-Ready, Sell Faster, and Maximize Value

When it comes to selling your home, first impressions matter. Staging a home (meaning making it look clean, spacious, and inviting) can significantly influence how quickly it sells and how much buyers are willing to pay. One powerful yet often overlooked tool in this process is self storage. By moving excess belongings off site, you can instantly boost your home’s appeal without sacrificing function or comfort while you’re still living in it.

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly how self storage can help you stage your home for maximum impact, walk through the key benefits, and offer practical tips for getting started.

Why Staging Matters in the First Place

According to the National Association of Realtors, staged homes sell faster and for more money than non-staged homes. Buyers want to envision themselves in your space, and clutter or overly personal decor can get in the way.

Key staging goals include:

Making rooms look larger
Highlighting the best features of the home
Reducing distractions
Helping buyers emotionally connect with the space

This is where self storage becomes a strategic asset.

The Role of Self Storage in Home Staging

Self storage lets you temporarily remove non-essential items from your home to create a more open, neutral, and appealing atmosphere. You don’t have to part with your belongings forever. Just long enough to make your house market ready.

Here’s how self storage supports effective staging:

1. Decluttering Made Easy
Buyers are drawn to clean, organized homes. That means removing:

Excess furniture that makes rooms feel cramped
Overloaded bookshelves or countertops
Storage bins, toys, off-season clothes, and other non-essentials

Instead of shoving everything into closets (which buyers will open), use a self storage unit to neatly tuck these items out of sight.

2. Creating Spacious Rooms
A queen bed with two nightstands might be ideal for daily life. But downsizing to just a bed while showing the home can open up precious square footage. Furniture editing is one of the fastest ways to improve a room’s flow and visual appeal.

3. Neutralizing Decor
Personal touches like family photos, kids’ artwork, or bold color palettes can make it harder for buyers to see themselves in the home. Use storage to temporarily remove personalized or eccentric items while keeping them safe and accessible for your next place.

4. Pre-Packing Early
Moving is inevitable, so why not start now? Packing up seasonal gear, extra linens, or collectibles and putting them in storage helps you prepare for the move while getting the house show ready.

5. Protecting Your Belongings
By moving valuables, fragile items, or heirlooms into a secure, climate-controlled storage unit, you can ensure they stay safe while your home is open to showings or open houses.

What to Put in Storage Before You List

Not sure where to begin? Here’s a list of common items that make great candidates for storage when staging:

Off-season clothing and coats
Holiday decorations
Extra kitchen gadgets and small appliances
Family photo albums or framed portraits
Oversized or worn furniture
Children’s toys and baby gear
Pet supplies not used daily
Books, DVDs, and media collections
Exercise equipment
Wall art that’s overly niche or colorful

By removing even a handful of these items, you’ll make your home feel instantly lighter and more open.

Choosing the Right Size Storage Unit

If you’re not sure what size storage unit you’ll need, start with our Storage Unit Size Guide. A basic 5x10 unit is great for smaller staging projects, while a 10x10 or 10x15 can comfortably hold the contents of multiple rooms.

Most families find that one mid-size unit is sufficient to hold furniture, decor, and boxes during the home-selling process.

How to Pack and Store Items Safely

Proper packing is key to protecting your belongings and keeping your storage unit organized.

Tips for efficient and safe storage:

Use uniform-sized boxes to stack efficiently
Label everything clearly
Keep frequently needed items near the front
Disassemble large furniture to save space
Use furniture covers and moisture absorbers

If you want extra peace of mind, be sure to protect your belongings with coverage through our Tenant Protection Plan.

Climate Control: Do You Need It?

For items like electronics, wood furniture, artwork, or leather goods, a climate-controlled storage unit offers added protection from humidity, heat, and cold. If your home is being shown in the summer or winter months or you’re storing sensitive items, this upgrade is worth considering.

Location, Convenience, and 24/7 Access

When choosing a storage facility to support your home staging project, look for:

Drive-up access to make loading and unloading easier
24/7 entry in case you need to retrieve something on short notice
Strong security features like fencing, lighting, and cameras
Flexible month-to-month leases so you only pay for what you need

At Goodfellas Storage, we make it easy to store your items with confidence during every step of your home-selling journey.

The ROI of Self Storage in the Selling Process

Staging with the help of self storage can be one of the most cost-effective ways to increase your home’s perceived value and reduce time on the market.

Let’s say your home could sell for $10,000 more with professional staging. Even spending a few hundred dollars on a storage unit for two or three months is a small investment for a potentially big return.

Final Thoughts: Use Self Storage as Your Secret Staging Tool

Selling your home is about more than listing it. It’s about presenting it in its best possible light. By decluttering, simplifying, and protecting your belongings with the help of self storage, you give your property the clean slate buyers are looking for.

Whether you're working with a stager or doing it yourself, a storage unit can streamline the entire process and reduce the stress of moving. You’re not just storing stuff. You’re making space to sell faster, for more.

Ready to stage your home with storage?
Explore our Size Guide to pick the right unit, and learn about our Tenant Protection Plans to protect your belongings during the transition.