How Storage Solves Timing Gaps in Real Estate Closings
Real estate closings rarely line up as cleanly as the calendar suggests they should. Your sale might wrap up two weeks before your purchase closes, or your lease might run out while the underwriter is still working on your loan.
When that happens, you need somewhere safe to keep your stuff. At Georgetown Moving and Storage, we’ve spent more than 20 years helping families moving to or from the DMV area bridge these in-between stretches.
This is how you can keep your move on track, no matter how the dates shift.
Where Timing Gaps Come From
For your closing dates to line up as planned, your lender, the title company, the appraiser, the inspectors, and sometimes the seller’s own purchase all have to align. Even if all parties are on the ball, unexpected issues can cause delays. With that many variables involved, it’s rare to have a perfectly synchronized sale and purchase. Finding yourself with a gap is totally normal.
Here are the scenarios we see most often:
Sellers Who Close Early
You accept a strong offer and close on your current home, but the buyers need to move before you can get into your new place. Storage allows you to accept the offer and be out in time.
Buyers Waiting on New Construction
It’s not unusual for build schedules to slip. You were promised that your new home would be ready in March, but they had an issue with a supplier, so you cannot get in until late May. Secure, climate-controlled storage lets you keep everything safe and in good condition during the gap.
First-Time Home Buyers
Just because your lease ends at the end of the month doesn’t mean the lender and seller will be able to close before you have to move. Renters often have to find a way to bridge a housing gap before moving into a new place. Full-service storage means you only pack and move everything once.
Contingent Sales or Purchases
Real estate closings are hard to time perfectly under any conditions. When there is a contingent chain of closings, such as a seller whose closing date depends on the purchase of their new home, lining things up is virtually impossible. Storage gives you a way to keep moving forward while each piece falls into place.
Expired Rent-Back Agreements
Sometimes a buyer gives you extra time in your home before they take possession. Even with that extra time to close on your new home, you can be forced to move out before your new place is ready. Storage gives you the breathing room to honor your contracts until you’ve closed escrow on your new purchase.
The Last Thing You Want to Do is Move Everything Twice
One of the most burdensome parts of a real estate timing gap is moving twice. If you rent a standard storage unit, you have to deal with movers when you vacate your place and then again when you want to empty the unit. If you need an item before you’re settled, you have to dig through piles of boxes and furniture to find it. During an already stressful time, this adds a lot to your list.
Full-service storage, the way we do it, takes most of that off your plate completely. You pack up once (or we’ll do that for you), and once we load the truck, you’re done. We do everything for you until you’re in your new place, ready to unpack.
Our professional crew arrives and takes a careful inventory of everything. Then, we take it all to our secure, climate-controlled storage facilities. While it’s best if you take everything you need with you, if you do need an item out of storage, we’ll bring it to you. And when you’re ready to move in, we deliver it all wherever you need it to go.
Storage for As Long (or Short) as You Need It
From a gap of a single day to several months, you need storage that keeps everything safe and in good condition until you’re ready for it. During real estate sales and purchases, closing dates can be a moving target. The right storage solution flexes with your changing timeline.
Our short-term storage is built for this kind of situation. We’ll keep everything safe for you until everything comes together. Once you know your move-in date, call us to schedule delivery.
If you need storage for a longer period, to travel or work overseas, our long-term storage delivers the same security and climate control at even lower rates.
Will Storage Damage Your Stuff?
Part of the stress of needing storage during a move is worrying about the extra handling and where everything will be stored. A typical storage unit without climate control exposes your wood, leather, and fabric items to destructive humidity, heat, or cold. You do not want the outdoor conditions in the DMV area to affect everything you own.
Our storage facilities in Arlington and Alexandria keep temperatures and humidity steady, January through December. A standard unit is like leaving things in a garage or attic, while climate-controlled storage is like keeping everything inside your home. The air stays comfortable whether you’re there or away.
We also have PODS-like portable storage units you can load at your leisure. We keep them in the same climate-controlled storage facilities.
We Take the Stress Out of Real Estate Timing Gaps
If you have to move out of your current place before your new place is ready, don’t deal with the headache all on your own. We combine moving with storage to make the process as easy as it can be. You close on your new home and tell us where and when to deliver.
We can manage packing, moving, and storage. We use our own, well-maintained trucks, and every member of our crew has passed a background check. We’re a six-time winner of the Angie’s List Super Service Award with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, and we treat your belongings the way we’d want ours handled.
Call us at (703) 889-8899 or request a free estimate online.
