Should You Rent a Storage Unit While Your Home is on the Market?

Should You Rent a Storage Unit While Your Home is for Sale - Golf Course Homes for Sale in Scottsdale AZ

Is renting a storage unit the right choice for you when you’re selling your home? Experts say it is – and here’s why.

When you’re selling your golf course home in Scottsdale, your REALTOR® will talk to you about decluttering the space as part of the home staging process – but should you rent a storage unit for your extra belongings while your house is on the market? This guide explains why it may be a good idea for you.

First things first: If you don’t have extra “stuff,” you probably don’t need a storage unit. However, if you have items that are cluttering up your home – such as furniture, keepsakes and boxes – it may be a good idea.
When your house is on the market, decluttering means something different than it normally does. It means turning your home into an easy-to-walk-through showplace that enables buyers to use their imaginations. If a home looks well-lived-in, it’s harder for buyers to imagine their belongings in the space. And if a home is completely devoid of furnishings and decor, buyers don’t know where to begin. That makes it a balancing act for the seller – there should be enough furniture and decor to give each room a clear purpose, but not so much that buyers get the distinct feeling that they’re in someone else’s home.
Related: How to sell your home when you have pets

What to Declutter if You’re Selling Your Home

Check out this quick list of things you may want to stash in storage while your house is on the market:

Excess furniture. If you own furnishings that have seen better days, or if a piece of furniture interrupts natural walking paths in any room, it’s time to put them in storage. Oversized pieces should go, too – they can make your space appear smaller.
Equipment you don’t regularly use. If there’s a treadmill in your spare room that’s been gathering dust, send it to storage unless you’re willing to turn the entire spare room into a home gym.
Personal decor. Large family photos, religious decorations and collections should go into storage while your house is for sale. That’s because they make your space too personalized, and you want buyers to envision their own belongings in your home.
Appliances you’re not using. If you’ve had an air fryer sitting on your counter for months and rarely use it, put it in storage until you get to your new home. That’ll free up counter space and make your home look more like a model house.
Off-season clothes. You should cut the clothing in your closets down by at least a third, even if the closets are exceptionally large. Additionally, if you have your off-season clothing stored in plastic tubs, send them to the storage unit.
Boxes of things you’ve been hanging on to. Holiday decor, keepsakes and other boxes or plastic storage containers should be in storage while your house is on the market. That makes storage spaces appear larger and gives buyers less visual clutter so they can imagine using those spaces for their own things.
Items in your shed or outdoors. If there’s anything you’re not using outdoors – an old bicycle, a leaf-blower or other items – your storage unit is the place to put them while your house is for sale.

Are You Buying a Golf Course Home for Sale in Scottsdale?

If you’re selling your home and buying another one, call us at 480-405-4228 or fill out the form below to talk to a REALTOR now.
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Don Matheson
REALTOR® | Founder
The Matheson Team – RE/MAX Fine Pro

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Should You Rent a Storage Unit While Your Home is on the Market?