Storage While Moving House: The Complete Guide to a Stress-Free Move in Abu Dhabi
Moving house is one of life’s most significant events. It ranks alongside starting a new job and planning a wedding for stress levels. There are contracts to sign, dates to coordinate, movers to book, and a thousand small tasks that accumulate in the weeks before the big day. Amid all of this, one question often goes unanswered until the last moment: what happens when there is a gap between moving out and moving in?
This gap is more common than most people realise. A tenancy ends on the thirty-first, but the new one starts on the fifth. A villa purchase completes, but the renovation needs two more weeks. You are relocating from another emirate and your furniture arrives before your keys are ready. In each case, you need storage while moving house. A secure, accessible place where your entire household can wait safely until your new home is ready to receive it.
At Simple Storage, we specialise in storage while moving house for Abu Dhabi residents. Our fully air-conditioned facility, flexible monthly contracts, and moving service make the transition between homes seamless. We also offer a comprehensive moving and storage service that combines transport and secure holding in a single coordinated package. This guide explains everything you need to know about storage while moving house, from planning your timeline to choosing the right unit size and preparing your belongings for their temporary home.
Why Storage While Moving House Is Essential
Most moves do not align perfectly. The overlap between handing over your old keys and receiving your new ones is rarely exactly zero days. When it is not, you face a logistical problem. Your belongings need somewhere to go. Friends and family might offer garage space, but that comes with obligations and risks. Leaving everything in a moving truck overnight is expensive and insecure. Storage while moving house solves this problem professionally.
The gap might be short. A few days between tenancy dates. You check into a hotel or stay with family, but your furniture cannot come with you. Storage while moving house provides a safe holding space for exactly this period. Your items are unloaded into a private, lockable unit where they remain until your new home is ready. You collect the keys, and our team delivers everything to your new address. The transition is smooth because storage while moving house bridges the gap.
The gap might be longer. Perhaps you are purchasing a property that needs work before you can move in. Renovations take weeks or months. Your rented home must be vacated on time, but your purchased home is not yet liveable. Storage while moving house keeps your furniture, appliances, and personal items protected throughout this extended transition. You are not rushing your renovation to accommodate a move-in deadline. You are not paying rent on two properties simultaneously. You store your belongings, complete the work at a reasonable pace, and move in when the property is genuinely ready.
For expats relocating within the UAE or internationally, storage while moving house serves yet another purpose. Your shipment may be delayed. Your new accommodation may not be confirmed. Rather than making rushed decisions or paying for temporary furnished rentals, you store your household and wait for clarity. Storage while moving house gives you the flexibility to handle relocation on your own timeline.
How Our Moving and Storage Service Works
Simple Storage offers a combined moving and storage service that simplifies the entire process. Instead of booking a moving company and a storage provider separately, you deal with one team from start to finish. This coordinated approach saves time, reduces cost, and eliminates the risk of miscommunication between different service providers.
Our moving and storage service begins with a consultation. You tell us what you need to move and store, and we recommend the right unit size. On moving day, our team arrives at your current home. We load your furniture, appliances, and boxes onto our vehicle. Everything is transported directly to our facility and placed into your private storage while moving house unit. You do not need to hire a separate van. You do not need to coordinate between a mover and a storage company. One team handles everything.
When your new home is ready, the process reverses. Our team retrieves your belongings from your storage while moving house unit and delivers them to your new address. We unload everything into the rooms you specify. The moving and storage service is complete, and you are settled into your new home without ever having handled the logistics of separate providers.
This integrated moving and storage service is particularly valuable during stressful moves. You are managing estate agents, lawyers, banks, and utility companies. Simplifying the physical move into a single provider relationship removes one major source of complexity. Your moving and storage service partner handles the heavy lifting while you focus on everything else that a house move demands.
When to Arrange Storage While Moving House
The ideal time to arrange storage while moving house is as soon as you know your move dates. Even if those dates are tentative, securing your unit early ensures availability and gives you time to plan. Waiting until the week before your move risks finding that the unit size you need is not available, adding stress to an already pressured situation.
If you are using our moving and storage service, booking early allows us to schedule your collection at a time that suits you. Peak moving periods, such as the end of the academic year and the weeks around major holidays, fill up quickly. A reservation made three to four weeks in advance guarantees your preferred date and the right unit size for your storage while moving house requirements.
Early booking also gives you time to sort through your belongings. Moving house is an opportunity to declutter. Items you no longer need can be sold, donated, or discarded before the move. This reduces the volume requiring storage while moving house, which can lower your unit size and monthly cost. Rushing this process means paying to store things you did not need to keep.
What Storage While Moving House Costs
The cost of storage while moving house depends on the volume of your household and how long you need the unit. At Simple Storage, our pricing is transparent and published. You pay a monthly rate with no long-term commitment, which is ideal for moves where timelines can shift.
For studio and one-bedroom apartments, a medium unit is typically required. Our ten-by-ten-foot unit accommodates a full apartment including bed, sofa, dining set, wardrobe, appliances, and boxes. The monthly rate ranges from AED 1,450 to AED 1,950. This is the most common storage while moving house option for individuals and couples.
For two-bedroom apartments, a larger medium unit or entry-level large unit provides the necessary space. A ten-by-fifteen-foot unit handles two bedrooms of furniture, a full living and dining setup, kitchen appliances, and all boxed items. Rates range from AED 1,450 to AED 1,950 for medium units, moving into the large category at AED 2,750 to AED 3,950 for more spacious requirements.
For three-bedroom villas and larger properties, our large units are purpose-built. A ten-by-twenty-foot unit accommodates a three-bedroom villa. A ten-by-thirty-foot unit handles four to five-bedroom properties with extensive furniture. Rates range from AED 2,750 to AED 3,950 per month for storage while moving house at this scale.
If your move involves a very short gap, perhaps only a week or two, a single month of storage while moving house is all you need. The minimum rental period is one month, and after that, storage continues on a rolling basis. You only pay for the time you use.
Every rate includes our fully air-conditioned facility, 24/7 access, your private unit, a free padlock, and use of our trolleys and loading areas. No deposit is required. Our moving and storage service collection and delivery are provided at no additional cost.
Choosing the Right Unit for Storage While Moving House
Selecting the correct unit size is essential for cost-effective storage while moving house. Too small, and your belongings will not fit. Too large, and you pay for unused space. Here is a guide to matching your home to the right unit.
Studio Apartments
A studio apartment typically requires our ten-by-ten-foot unit. This accommodates a double bed, a small sofa, a dining set for two, a wardrobe, a television unit, and approximately twenty to twenty-five boxes. Storage while moving house for studio residents is straightforward, with the medium unit providing ample space for a comfortable fit.
One-Bedroom Apartments
A one-bedroom apartment also fits within a ten-by-ten-foot unit, though some residents with extensive furniture may prefer the ten-by-fifteen-foot option for additional aisle space. The standard inventory includes a queen bed, a three-seater sofa, a dining set for four, a wardrobe, bedside tables, kitchen appliances, and twenty-five to thirty boxes. Storage while moving house for one-bedroom homes is the most common residential category we serve.
Two-Bedroom Apartments
A two-bedroom apartment generally requires a ten-by-fifteen-foot unit. This accommodates two beds, two wardrobes, a large sofa with armchairs, a dining set for four to six, full kitchen appliances, and thirty-five to forty-five boxes. Some compact two-bedroom apartments fit in a ten-by-ten-foot unit with efficient packing. Our team can advise on the right storage while moving house unit based on your specific inventory.
Three-Bedroom Villas and Larger Homes
Three-bedroom properties require a ten-by-twenty-foot unit at minimum, with larger villas needing ten-by-thirty-foot units. These accommodate multiple beds, extensive living and dining furniture, garden equipment, and fifty or more boxes. Storage while moving house for larger families involves more logistics, and our moving and storage service is particularly valuable at this scale, handling the heavy lifting and transport for substantial household contents.
Preparing Your Belongings for Storage While Moving House
How you prepare your items before they enter storage while moving house directly affects their condition when you retrieve them. Moving is chaotic, and proper preparation prevents damage during transport and storage.
Furniture Preparation
Disassemble what you can. Bed frames, dining tables, shelving units, and desks all occupy significantly less space when broken down. Keep hardware in labelled bags taped to each piece. This makes reassembly efficient when your storage while moving house period ends and your belongings are delivered to your new home.
Clean all surfaces. Dust and residues attract pests and can cause deterioration. Use breathable covers on upholstered furniture. Never use plastic wrap, which traps moisture and causes mildew. Our fully air-conditioned facility protects your furniture, but breathable covers provide an additional layer of protection during storage while moving house.
Box Packing
Use sturdy, uniform boxes that stack securely. Double-walled boxes maintain their shape over time. Label every box on multiple sides with its contents and the room it belongs to in your new home. This labelling is invaluable when our moving and storage service delivers your belongings. Instead of directing boxes room by room based on guesswork, you simply read the labels and point.
Pack a separate essentials box for items you will need immediately upon arrival at your new home. Kettle, tea, coffee, snacks, phone chargers, basic toiletries, a change of clothes, and important documents. This box should travel with you, not go into storage while moving house. When the moving and storage service delivers everything else, you are not searching through dozens of boxes for the one containing the kettle.
Electronics and Appliances
Remove batteries from all devices. Batteries leak and destroy electronics. Photograph cable connections before disconnecting so you can recreate the setup in your new home. For appliances like refrigerators and washing machines, clean and dry the interior completely before storage while moving house. Store with doors slightly ajar to prevent internal odours.
The Simple Storage Difference for Storage While Moving House
Several factors make our approach to storage while moving house different from other Storage Options in Abu Dhabi.
A Fully Air-Conditioned Facility
Our entire building is air-conditioned. During the gap between homes, your belongings are not sitting in a hot garage or an uninsulated container. They are in a stable, cool environment that protects wood from warping, leather from cracking, electronics from heat damage, and fabrics from deterioration. Storage while moving house should protect your belongings from all threats, including the climate.
Integrated Moving and Storage Service
Our moving and storage service means you deal with one provider from collection to delivery. No coordinating between a moving company and a storage facility. No wondering who is responsible if something goes wrong between the two. One team handles your entire storage while moving house experience, from loading at your old home to unloading at your new one.
Flexible Contracts
House moves rarely go exactly to plan. Completion dates shift. Renovation timelines extend. With storage while moving house at Simple Storage, your contract runs on a monthly rolling basis. If your new home is delayed, your storage extends without penalty. If everything moves faster than expected, you give thirty days’ notice and we deliver your belongings.
24/7 Access
Even during storage while moving house, you may need to access your unit. You realise a document is in a stored box. You want to retrieve seasonal clothing. You need to check on furniture. Our 24/7 access means you can visit whenever you need to, without appointments or fees.
No Deposit and Free Padlock
Starting storage while moving house with Simple Storage is straightforward. No deposit is required. We provide a free padlock, and you hold the only key. Your first month’s payment and our moving and storage service handle the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions About Storage While Moving House
How far in advance should I arrange storage while moving house?
Ideally, book your storage while moving house three to four weeks before your move date. This secures your preferred unit size and collection slot.
What size unit do I need for storage while moving house?
Studios and one-bedroom apartments typically need a ten-by-ten-foot unit. Two-bedroom apartments need ten-by-fifteen feet. Villas need ten-by-twenty feet or larger. Our team can advise based on your specific inventory.
Do you offer a moving and storage service?
Yes. Our moving and storage service combines collection from your old home, secure storage, and delivery to your new home. One team handles the entire process.
Can I access my storage while moving house unit?
Yes. 24/7 access is included. You can visit your unit whenever you need to during the transition.
What if my move is delayed?
Your storage while moving house arrangement continues on a monthly rolling basis. There are no penalties for staying longer than planned.
Is the facility air-conditioned?
Yes. Our entire facility is fully air-conditioned, protecting your belongings throughout storage while moving house.
Do I need to pay a deposit?
No deposit is required. You pay your monthly rental and nothing more upfront.
How quickly can I arrange storage while moving house?
Same-day arrangements are possible subject to unit availability. We recommend booking in advance to secure your preferred size and date.
What happens on moving day?
Our moving and storage service team arrives at your old home, loads everything, and transports it to your storage while moving house unit. When your new home is ready, we deliver everything to your specified rooms.
Get Your Storage While Moving House Quote
Moving house is challenging enough without worrying about where your belongings will go during the transition. Storage while moving house from Simple Storage provides the secure, accessible, air-conditioned space you need, combined with a professional moving and storage service that handles the heavy lifting from start to finish.
Contact Simple Storage by phone or WhatsApp at 052 193 3312, or visit simplestorage.ae to use our unit size calculator for an instant online quote. Tell us about your move and what you need to store, and we will recommend the right unit with a firm, all-inclusive monthly price.
No hidden fees. No deposit. Free padlock. Just professional storage while moving house and a reliable moving and storage service that makes your transition between homes as smooth as possible.