Storing Belongings Between Home Closings in McLean, VA & Bethesda, MD
What happens when you’ve sold your house and handed over the keys, but your new home isn’t available for another few weeks? It sounds like a headache, and it can be. At Georgetown Moving and Storage, we have a solution that makes this awkward transition as easy as it can be, even for busy families with no time to waste.
Over the past 20 years, we’ve helped families move to and from Northern Virginia, Maryland, and the Washington, DC area. When you’re already in the middle of moving, having to wait to get into your new home can feel stressful. Here’s how to handle it so you can keep your attention on your work and life.
A Gap Between Closings Is Normal and Manageable
You may think something has gone wrong to throw off your perfectly synchronized sale and purchase closings, but in reality, that is the exception. Even if it seemed like you planned it perfectly, there are too many moving parts outside of your control. So, it’s okay if you find yourself in the very common position of needing temporary housing and a safe place to keep all of your stuff until your new home closes.
The question isn’t whether you need to bridge the gap, but how easy or hard on yourself you make it in the meantime. It can be a huge hassle that destabilizes your life, or a simple hiccup that you barely remember once you’re settled into your new place.
Save Yourself From Moving Twice
For many people, the default scenario is to move everything into a storage unit, then hire the same or new movers when your place is ready. This works, but it adds a lot of logistics and stress to your plate. You’re essentially moving twice within a short time period.
The better answer is full-service storage. This compresses your experience into a single pickup and a single delivery. Our experienced moving crew picks everything up. Each item goes on a meticulous inventory before we take it all to our highly secure and climate-controlled storage facilities. On your move-in date, we deliver everything to your new place, whether that’s in Bethesda or out of state. You never have to think about storage. All you have to do is let us know when and where you want it all delivered.
Packing Help When Time Is Short
Whether you’re facing a closing gap of a few days or several weeks, getting everything packed up safely before moving day while managing work and school is a Herculean task. In addition to full-service storage, having professionals help you pack can make a challenging move manageable.
We can help you pack up your entire house or just take care of a few rooms or items. Our crew brings the boxes, the wrapping materials, and the experience to pack a kitchen, a closet, or an entire home efficiently and carefully. Fragile pieces are cushioned, and everything is labeled so it’s easy to find later.
Even if you pack everything yourself, we bring blankets and protective materials for your furniture. That way, it stays safe and protected during moving and storage.
How to Protect High-Value Pieces During Moving and Storage
If you feel hot during a DMV summer, imagine how your belongings fare inside an uninsulated storage unit. Wood swells and cracks, leather and upholstery get damp and start to welcome mildew, and antiques and heirlooms that your family has preserved for decades can emerge damaged beyond repair.
That’s why we make sure our climate-controlled facilities hold a steady temperature and humidity range no matter what the weather is outdoors. If you wouldn’t leave something unprotected in the garage or an attic, it should never go into a standard storage unit.
Using climate-controlled storage is like keeping everything inside your home where it’s never too hot or cold. As a result, your pieces come out looking as good as they did when they went in.
Worried about your artwork and antiques during the move? We offer custom crating, surrounding each piece in tailored, rigid protection.
Pack Light, Store the Rest (With a Few Exceptions)
If you’re wondering what to pack and keep with you during the gap, think about it like a trip with a few additions. During a move, there is a small set of things that should never leave your side. These include jewelry and essential documents like your birth certificates. You also want to keep your medications and your laptop with you. Add a few changes of clothes (make sure you have options and you’ll be comfortable), toiletries, and phone chargers, and you’re in good shape between closings.
Everything else can go into storage. There are a couple of caveats to this. You may need to find a neighbor or family member who can house your houseplants if you can’t keep them in your temporary housing. They will not survive in storage and are not allowed in there anyway. You also cannot store hazardous materials like paint, propane, and cleaning chemicals.
Storage Built Around Your Timeline
A builder’s delay might cost you a week or a month, so you don’t want to lock yourself into a rigid storage contract. Our short-term storage is designed for this scenario. You can keep your stuff with us for two days or six months without any lease obligation. Once you know your closing date, a quick call is all it takes for us to schedule delivery.
If you’re leaving for longer, traveling while you’re in between homes, or working overseas for a while, we also offer long-term storage. You get the same quality, security, and climate control at lower rates.
Your Bridge Between Homes
A gap between closings sounds like a headache, and on your own, it usually is. Handed to us, it becomes a date on the calendar and nothing more. You close on your new home, tell us where to deliver, and the move behind the move takes care of itself.
For more than 20 years, we’ve helped families across the DMV with moving and storage. Our background-checked crews and single-pickup, single-delivery storage handle the in-between so that you can manage your life during even the most complicated move.
Call us at (703) 889-8899 or request a free estimate online. When your next home is ready, we’ll have your belongings there to greet you.
