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Home Staging Tips…So What Am I Supposed to Do With All My Stuff?!

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Home Stager

Home Staging Tips…So What Am I Supposed to Do With All My Stuff?!

 

One of the first questions sellers asked me at the conclusion of our consultation was, “Ok…so what am I supposed to do with all of the things I still need?!”

It’s a good and expected question. It’s easy to walk through a home and suggest that the owner remove two of the extra chairs for now and pack up two-thirds of the treasures that will accompany them to their new home. 

 

You and I don’t have to deal with
with it! 

 

After the homeowner has tossed and donated what they no longer need, there are still items they’ll take with them. Placing extra boxes and furniture in the spare room or garage doesn’t allow the buyers to see the space. 

Mention off-site storage facilities, and often the buyer rolls their eyes. Too much money! Too hard! Too far! 

 

This is your opportunity to demonstrate that you truly are the premier local agent…one who provides more than putting the For Sale sign in their yard!

Did you know?

*Even within the same franchise, rates may differ because of where the facility is located. Location-location-location!

*Rates can vary depending on seasonal demand. Rates may be higher during the summer months, when people are moving and some are moving to college.

 

What to consider…


*Do you want/need a climate-controlled or standard unit? This will depend on the time of year and your local conditions. Houston, for example, has high humidity, so a climate-controlled unit is a must. 

*Consider the floor your unit would be on and how easy it is to access. 


*Inquire about the security available

*Ask how often their rates change. Some companies use data to adjust rates depending on demand and availability. 

*Ask if there are additional insurance or administration fees.

 

  

Remember, renting an off-site storage unit may only be necessary for three to four months, depending on market conditions and how well the home is positioned for sale. 

 

You could view moving your “extras” to an off-site storage unit as an investment in getting your home sold. 




Posted by

Kathy Streib
Retired Home Stager
and Interior Redesign

In Person Consultations in Texas
for Houston & Harris Counties
and
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for all states


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Comments(14)

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Sham Reddy CRS
Howard Hanna RE Services, Dayton, OH - Dayton, OH
CRS

Great blog on staging Kathy!!! Who knows more about staging than you do?

 

May 12, 2026 04:41 AM
Kathy Streib

Awww Sham Reddy CRS it was good seeing you today at the Zoom call.

May 12, 2026 05:47 PM
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Oswego, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Good morning Kathy. Nobody likes extra expense but paying for a storage locker is an investment on the sale of a home. Time is money and if moving items off site to create a better canvas for buyers create a future vision, it is money well spent. Enjoy your day.

May 12, 2026 04:42 AM
Kathy Streib

Wayne Martin you're right!  And, many storage companies will offer a short term rental. 

May 12, 2026 05:48 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Real Estate Broker

Good morning, Kathy... I've had this conversation with sellers more than once. For many, it's short-sighted thinking. And I've found that when some research is done, there are economical ways of storing.

May 12, 2026 04:44 AM
Kathy Streib

Nina Hollander, Broker That's where agents can come in armed with information!  Most people have never used off site storage and have no idea what the costs are. 

May 12, 2026 05:49 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker

Kathy Streib hi Kathy... agents can, but they don't. Lots of agents know very little about these kinds of resources. When we moved to Charlotte, I asked my agent, who was a third generation Charlottean and in the business for over 20 years, about which companies to speak with to redo my closets and she had NO clue. I still see emails each week from agents in my own brokerage who've been in the business for some time asking about moving companies, painters, etc.

May 13, 2026 04:13 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Good Tuesday morning, Kathy. Dolores and I are among those who need to get rid of a lot of stuff. I am making regulat drops at Goodwill.

May 12, 2026 04:47 AM
Kathy Streib

Roy Kelley We donated a lot when we moved back to Houston, but we seem to have replaced it with more stuff!!!

May 12, 2026 05:52 PM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Retired Real Estate Broker

A storage unit is the make sense way to allow for the house to be shown to its best advantage and as noted maybe even sell quicker.

May 12, 2026 04:58 AM
Kathy Streib

Ed Silva, 203-206-0754 I agree. Piling boxes in a spare room or the garage won't work. 

May 12, 2026 05:52 PM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Kathy,

You are so right and off site storage spaces often offer specials like pay for one month and get 1 month free! It really is worth the investment when selling your home.

May 12, 2026 05:15 AM
Kathy Streib

Dorie Dillard Austin TX if you can show them the carrying costs for every day their home is on the market vs the expense of a few months of storage, it makes sense.

May 12, 2026 05:53 PM
Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

Selling is not easy and is often quite a hassle, especially the moving part, haha.  It would be wise for them to put most of the stuff they will be moving to a new place into storage and then have the home properly staged.

May 12, 2026 05:59 AM
Kathy Streib

Brian England If I were an agent, I'd do some research with the local storage facilities re prices and special offers. 

May 12, 2026 05:56 PM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

I used off-site storage when making our last move - and it made it so much easier to prepare the house for sale AND when we actually moved everything, a lot of it was already nicely organized and labeled.

May 12, 2026 06:07 AM
Kathy Streib

Kat Palmiotti you were smart to do that. I'd tell my sellers that they'll be packing up their belongings soon, so why not get a head start!

May 12, 2026 06:05 PM
Kat Palmiotti

And if you only need a small storage area, it's really not that expensive for the few months needed Kathy Streib 

May 13, 2026 04:37 AM
Marie-Noelle Metseye
RE/MAX Northwest - Bothell, WA
Reward Trust with Excellence

Such a practical and helpful reminder that staging isn’t just about decorating , it’s about helping buyers truly see the space. Off-site storage can definitely be a smart short-term investment to make a home feel bigger, cleaner, and more market-ready.

May 12, 2026 06:34 AM
Kathy Streib

Marie-Noelle Metseye you said it well.   It really is a short term investment that pays off!

May 12, 2026 06:07 PM
Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty
Waves Realty - Melbourne, FL
Florida Space Coast Homes

I have been recommending the small PODS now available. They drop them at the house....you fill, and they can drop it at the new home you move to. I think it is a bit easier (more expensive as well). You can offer them up to a $300 credit at closing for the cost (as your closing gift).

May 12, 2026 06:53 AM
Kathy Streib

Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty as long as the PODS aren't left sitting in the driveway of the house!  

May 12, 2026 06:07 PM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Kathy I was not aware that rates at storage facilities are different, depending on the time of the year.  Good to know.

May 12, 2026 07:36 AM
Kathy Streib

George Souto I learned this from a Storage owner.  A facility sitting on prime real estate charges more!  

May 12, 2026 06:09 PM
John Pusa
Glendale, CA

Hello Kathy Streib these are very valuable detailed educational list of home staging tips.

May 12, 2026 03:19 PM
Kathy Streib

Hi John Pusa Thank you!!! Hope your week is going well. 

May 12, 2026 06:09 PM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
Retired Broker/Owner - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Hi Kathy I've had pretty good success with getting sellers to  see the value of what they 'really' want to keep and use in their new home or not.  Probably the past 15 years or so they've used 'pods' that are stored at a facility (not in the driveway)!

May 13, 2026 11:58 AM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hi Kathy:

Doing something with all the extra stuff is often a challenge when selling and renting storage space nearby is a great option if selling comes before a new purchase - we seem to have a lot of the facilities around so it's hard to argue about the distance. But I have seen plenty of garages filled to the brim where sellers did not want to use off-site storage - it certainly makes it hard to see the space as a buyer.

Jeff

May 15, 2026 04:22 PM