Storage for decluttering your home

Need more room at home, but not ready to part with everything you own? Storage for decluttering gives you a secure place to keep belongings you want to retain without letting them take over your everyday living space.

Whether you are clearing a spare room, reorganising the garage or simply trying to make your home feel less crowded, a personal storage unit can act as an extra room away from home. Store the things you still need, remove what you no longer use and create a home that is easier to organise.

Self storage can help when your home contains items that are worth keeping but are not needed every day.

Instead of filling cupboards, spare bedrooms, lofts and garages with rarely used belongings, you can move them into a storage unit and keep your home focused on the things you use regularly.

Storage for decluttering can be particularly useful when you want to:

• Clear a room for a new purpose
• Make space for a growing family
• Store seasonal clothing and equipment
• Reduce clutter in a smaller home or flat
• Sort through inherited or sentimental belongings gradually
• Prepare your home for guests, decorating or sale
• Trial a less cluttered home before deciding what to keep permanently

The aim is not to move every unwanted item into storage. It is to create a clear divide between the belongings you need at home, the things you want to keep for later and the items you are ready to let go.

Decide what stays, goes and gets stored

Before choosing a storage unit, sort your belongings into four groups.

Keep at home

These are the things you use regularly or may need at short notice. They should have a clear and convenient place within your home.

Examples include everyday clothing, frequently used kitchen equipment, children’s current toys and essential paperwork.

Put into storage

These are items you want to keep but do not need to access every day. They may be valuable, sentimental, seasonal or intended for future use.

These belongings are usually the best candidates for a decluttering storage unit.

Sell or donate

Items that are still useful but no longer suit your home can be sold or donated. Setting these aside immediately prevents them from being packed into storage unnecessarily

Recycle or dispose of

Broken, expired or unusable items should be removed responsibly. There is little value in paying to store something you are unlikely to use again.

What can you store while decluttering?

A personal storage unit can be used for many common household belongings, including:

• Seasonal clothing and bedding
• Christmas decorations
• Suitcases and travel equipment
• Bicycles and sports equipment
• Camping and outdoor equipment
• Garden furniture
• Books and collections
• Spare chairs and occasional furniture
• Boxes of photographs and personal belongings
• Kitchen equipment used only occasionally
• Furniture you plan to use in a future home
• Appliances that have been cleaned and prepared for storage

Before moving anything into storage, check that it is clean and completely dry. Clothing, bedding and soft furnishings should be packed carefully, while fragile items should be wrapped and placed in strong boxes.

Big Yellow’s Box Shop provides cardboard boxes, plastic storage boxes, protective covers, bubble wrap, tape and other packing materials.

Combustible, flammable or explosive items cannot be placed into storage. Check the full self storage security and prohibited-items information before packing.

How to declutter your home using storage

A structured approach will help you create lasting space rather than simply moving clutter from one location to another.

1. Choose a clear goal

Start by deciding what you want to achieve.

You might want to turn a spare bedroom into an office, make the garage usable again or create more wardrobe space. A defined outcome makes it easier to decide which belongings should remain in the room.
 

2. Work through one area at a time

Avoid emptying your whole home at once. Start with one cupboard, one section of a room or one category of belongings.

Finishing a smaller area gives you a visible result and makes the wider project feel more manageable.
 

3. Sort before you pack

Use the keep, store, sell or donate, and dispose categories before placing anything into a box.

Do not use a storage unit as a way to postpone every decision. Only store items that have a clear value, purpose or likely future use.
 

4. Create an inventory

Make a simple list of everything going into storage. You could use a spreadsheet, notes app or photographs of each box and its contents.

Number each box and use the same number in your inventory. This will make it much easier to find individual items later.
 

5. Choose the right storage unit

Estimate how many boxes, pieces of furniture and bulky items you need to store.

Big Yellow’s storage unit size guide uses familiar comparisons to help you understand different room sizes, from small lockers and telephone-box-sized spaces to rooms comparable with sheds, vans and garages.

Choosing the right size means you are not paying for space you do not need. It also gives you enough room to organise your belongings safely and access them when required.
 

6. Review what you are storing

Set a date to review your storage unit, particularly if you are using it while making longer-term decisions.

When you visit, ask whether each item still has a likely use. Anything that no longer feels necessary can be sold, donated or removed, helping you keep both your home and storage unit organised.

What size storage unit do I need for decluttering?

The right storage unit size depends on what you are removing from your home.

A small locker or room may be enough for boxes of clothes, decorations, books or smaller household items. Larger rooms may be more appropriate when storing furniture, appliances or the contents of several rooms.

Before requesting a quote:

1. Make a list of everything you plan to store.
2. Measure larger pieces of furniture.
3. Count your boxes.
4. Consider whether items can be safely stacked.
5. Decide whether you need an aisle for regular access.
6. Leave some additional room if you expect to add more items.

Use the storage size guide for visual comparisons or speak to the team at your nearest store for help choosing an appropriate room.

How should I organise a decluttering storage unit?

A well-organised storage unit should make it easy to find and retrieve your belongings.

• Place heavy boxes and sturdy furniture at the bottom.
• Keep lighter and more fragile items higher up.
• Label boxes on more than one side.
• Group similar items together.
• Keep frequently needed belongings near the entrance.
• Leave a clear walkway if you expect to visit regularly.
• Use furniture drawers and empty suitcases for smaller items.
• Avoid filling boxes so heavily that they cannot be moved safely.
• Keep an inventory outside the storage unit.
• Do not place damp, dirty or wet items into storage.

Seasonal items can be arranged in a rotation. Keep the things you will need next nearest the front, then move them to the back when the season changes.

Short-term and ongoing storage

Storage for decluttering can be used for a defined project or as part of an ongoing home organisation system.

Short-term decluttering storage

Short-term storage can help when you are clearing several rooms, preparing your home for sale, decorating or deciding what to keep after a major change.

It gives you time to make considered decisions without living among piles of boxes.

People who are also relocating can find more information in Big Yellow’s guide to storage when moving home.

Longer-term household storage

Longer-term storage can work as an extension of your home for belongings that are used occasionally.

Seasonal decorations, sports equipment, luggage, outdoor furniture and other bulky items can remain accessible without using valuable space at home throughout the year.

Reviewing the unit periodically will help ensure you are continuing to store only the things you genuinely want to keep.

Why use Big Yellow for decluttering storage?

Big Yellow provides personal storage rooms ranging from smaller locker-sized spaces to larger rooms for furniture and household belongings.

Storage rooms are clean, dry and individually alarmed. Stores also use security features including CCTV monitoring and individual PIN access. You can access your belongings during the access hours offered by your chosen store.

You can also:

• Choose from a range of storage unit sizes
• Increase or reduce your room size if your needs change, subject to availability
• Access your storage seven days a week
• Buy boxes and packing materials
• Use trolleys to help move larger items
• Find storage facilities across the UK
• Request help from the in-store team

Learn more about how self storage works, check current storage prices or read about contents protection.

Start creating more space at home

A successful declutter should make your home easier to use, not force you to get rid of belongings that still matter.

By keeping everyday essentials at home, moving occasional items into storage and letting go of things you no longer need, you can create a more practical and manageable living space.

Find your nearest Big Yellow store, choose the space you need and start reclaiming your home.