Can a Storage Unit Help You Stage Your Home for Sale?

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January 21st, 2026

The real estate market is constantly changing, and to be successful in selling a home, it's important to understand which home-selling techniques help the process. Of course, pricing your home strategically will get buyers in the door, but strategy doesn't stop there. Once buyers are in your home, staging can be the difference between just another open house and having multiple offers.

Understanding the Connection Between Staging and Real Estate Success

When you put your home up for sale, you are not selling just a house, but selling a vision of what life could be. You're selling pancakes in the breakfast nook on Sunday morning, a cookout in the backyard on a summer afternoon, and a warm, inviting Christmas morning with the family. Home selling is about turning a house's rooms, space, and light into a story, and staging is a powerful tool for telling those stories. Studies have shown that home staging can reduce time on the market by up to 30% for a well-prepared, staged home. Another study found that investing just 1% of the selling price in staging can deliver a 5%-15% return on investment.

While staging can be helpful for the home-selling process, it must be done effectively. The first step in staging includes decluttering the property. Keep in mind the goal is to sell a house, not the belongings inside it. Clearing out your property will open up the space and reduce distractions so buyers can focus on the attributes of the home that made you love it, too. Removing personal items may seem counterintuitive, but it's suggested to keep the house a neutral, clean canvas so the new owners can envision themselves in a new life, not inside of yours.

How A Storage Unit Simplifies the Staging Process

Now that you understand why staging helps sell a home, here comes the hard part. Living in a house you are trying to sell can be a difficult challenge because it serves as a transition period between living here and moving to your next chapter. As discussed, a big part of staging is the decluttering process. What should you do with household items you want to keep but remove from your property while it's being shown? This is where a storage facility comes into play. Many realtors recommend that their clients invest in a temporary storage unit to store their belongings while their home is on the market. A storage unit is a fantastic way to keep heirloom items that you want to keep, but need to be out of the house for staging purposes. For folks with smaller homes, it can be stressful to find a place to store everything while keeping the home open house-ready. A storage unit also provides flexibility to experiment with staging arrangements without purchasing additional furniture.

What to Move to Furniture Storage

Every home has different needs when it comes time to stage and sell. Consider hiring staging professionals to help you make the most of your time and budget. However, if you choose to stage your home yourself, here are a few tips:

Remove any bigger, bulkier furniture items that make rooms feel small. This could include oversized couches, large hutches, shelving units, etc.
Collection of memorabilia items. This could include personal gallery walls if they are filled with personal family photos.
Excess clothing, including out-of-season items. Closets don't need to show how much you can fill them with. Empty space can also convey size.
Unless you have a dedicated workout space, remove larger exercise equipment. The same goes for hobby equipment in a spare bedroom or bonus space.

Choosing the Right Storage Solutions for Your Home Sale

When choosing a storage unit for your home sale, there are some important factors to consider. Location is at the top of the list. Do you want the unit closest to your home to be up for sale, or would you prefer it to be closer to your new home? If you're primarily using it for staging purposes, then the former may be preferred.

Ask yourself how the bulk of the storage will be used. Do you have any specialty items that require climate-controlled storage? If your storage unit contains items of value, how secure do you want your storage unit and the facility to be? Moving takes time. Do you need a storage unit long-term or short-term? Only you will know what your needs are during this transitional time.

Temporary Storage: Timing Your Move Strategically

Selling, buying, and moving homes is a lengthy process. Without the help of realtors, it's hard to know when the best time is to rent a storage unit to get the best bang for your buck. We recommend using a storage unit at the start of your move, before you list your home. Cleaning and staging your home before photos are taken can be incredibly beneficial! It gives you time to go through your belongings, make a plan, and avoid rushing the packing process. Additionally, your first impression will likely be shaped by online listings, as most Americans begin their home search online. Having the home cleaned and staged will put your best foot forward before buyers even step through the door.

Maximizing Space in Your Home With Storage

Maximizing space in the house will be helpful during the selling process. Take a room-by-room approach when decluttering. Not only does this help you from being overwhelmed, but it also gives you the chance to consider which attributes for each room are worth highlighting. With less stuff in each room, it helps bring in natural light and showcase architectural features that may have been previously hidden due to usability. Discuss with your realtor and real estate photographers on which features will be important emphasize.

ROI on Using Storage for Staging

While renting a storage unit may require more cost upfront than other home-selling methods, it's important to consider the return on investment. Storage costs vary based on your needs and typically range from $100 to $200 per month. Spending 4-6 months on storage prepping the home before listing could not only impact how many days it's on the market, but some sources say it could increase the offer price by up to 15% than without it. The investment of a mere thousand dollars could turn into quite a bonus at closing. Is your home ready to make the best possible first impression? Don't let clutter stand between you and your ideal sale price. Explore storage solutions at Awesome Possum Storage today!