Where Do We Store Our Things While We Sell and Move Up?

There are usually two reasons. First, you'll want to pack away extra furniture, toys and clutter before your home goes on the market, so buyers can picture themselves there. Second, your sale and purchase may not close on the same day.

I'm Jeanette Nelson, a REALTOR® with Jeanette Nelson Real Estate, Keller Williams Realty, serving Orange County, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, and surrounding areas. Families moving up often ask me where their things should go while all this happens. A storage plan made early keeps your family's move calmer.

A portable container is dropped at your house, you fill it at your own pace, and it's picked up and stored or delivered to your new home.

Good for: Packing gradually before listing, and moves where you want to load once and unload once.

Check local rules first. In Huntington Beach, the city says portable storage bins may sit on private property such as a driveway, as long as they don't extend into the public right of way like a sidewalk or street. For a unit eight feet wide or less, the city offers a permit to place it on a city street for up to seven days, in front of your home or in a legal parking space next to the curb. Containers can't go in front of driveways, fire hydrants, bus stops, accessible curb ramps, colored curbs or crosswalks. Other cities have their own rules, so check with yours.

A rented unit at a storage facility works well for items you won't need for a while.

Good for: Longer gaps, or storing a few rooms' worth of things while you show your home.

Read the contract. California's Self-Service Storage Facility Act, in the Business and Professions Code, gives facility owners a lien on stored property for unpaid rent and allows the property to be sold if rent goes unpaid, after required notices. Set up automatic payments and keep your contact information current.

Some movers pick up your things, store them in their warehouse and deliver them when your new home is ready.

Good for: Families who want one company handling everything.

Check the license. California's Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS) says companies moving household goods within, into or out of California must be licensed with the Bureau, and it has a license search online. The BHGS also notes that it does not regulate storage facilities, so ask exactly how storage is handled and priced. For moves within California, the BHGS says the mover's written estimate and agreement should spell out the charges, including a "Not to Exceed Price."

A rent-back lets you stay in your home for a short time after closing, so you can move straight into your next home. It may reduce how much you need to store. It's negotiated as part of the sale. My article on selling and renting back while you move explains how it works.

Ask your insurance agent before you move anything. Storage facilities often sell their own coverage, and a California Department of Insurance training document notes that these policies may duplicate coverage already provided by your homeowners or renters policy. Find out what your current policy covers away from home, and any limits on valuables like jewelry or collectibles, before you buy more coverage.

Ask yourselves:

1. How long is the gap? Days, weeks or months?
2. How much needs to go before listing? My article on getting your home ready to sell with young kids at home has ideas for what to pack first.
3. Are we selling first or buying first? My articles on selling before you buy and buying before you sell walk through each path.
4. Do we want to move twice or once? A container or mover storage can mean loading only once.

If your family is planning a move-up and wants help timing the sale, the purchase and the move, I'd love to talk through it with you. Call or text me at 714.366.8575 | DRE: 01397168, or contact me. Jeanette Nelson is a REALTOR® with Jeanette Nelson Real Estate, Keller Williams Realty, serving Orange County, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, and surrounding areas.