An interstate move is the most likely place for a gap to open up between when your old place needs to be empty and when your new one is actually ready — settlement, removalist delivery, and your own arrival date don't always land on the same day, especially over a long distance.
How to do it
- Ask your removalist first. Many interstate movers offer short-term storage as part of the same booking, which is usually simpler than arranging it separately.
- Compare a dedicated storage company for anything longer than a few weeks — self-storage facilities are usually better value than a mover's short-term option past that point.
- Check unit size against what you're actually storing, not what you think you have — most facilities have a size guide, and a house's worth of boxes and furniture is easy to underestimate.
- Ask about access hours, especially if your own schedule around the move is tight.
- Confirm insurance cover for the storage period — a removalist's transit insurance doesn't automatically extend to goods sitting in storage, so check whether you need a separate policy for that window.
Before you sign the storage agreement
- Ask your contents insurer whether goods in a storage unit are covered, and for how long. If they aren't, ask the facility what insurance it offers.
- Read the access, notice and price-change terms. Short-term deals can roll into a higher ongoing rate.
- Keep a numbered list of what goes in, with photos, so you can check it all comes out again.
- Line up the delivery leg: if your interstate removalist is storing goods for you, get the storage and delivery dates in the same written quote.
Storage is a service, so the Australian Consumer Law's guarantees apply: it has to be provided with due care and skill and within a reasonable time. See the ACCC's consumer guarantees guide. If you're also between homes yourself, see temporary accommodation and confirming your contents insurance.
Common mistakes
- Assuming your removalist automatically includes storage — confirm this explicitly when getting quotes.
- Booking a unit sized for what you think you have rather than what you've actually measured.
- Leaving it until the week of the move, when short-term availability is tightest.
One more thing worth checking: ask whether the facility has climate control if you're storing anything sensitive to heat over an Australian summer — electronics, instruments, and some furniture finishes can suffer in an un-climate-controlled unit over several weeks.
Related tasks
If you're also arranging temporary accommodation for yourself, sort both at the same time — they're usually driven by the exact same date mismatch.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does short-term storage cost in Australia?
- It depends on the unit size, the city and how long you need it, and a short-term deal can roll into a higher ongoing rate. Get written quotes from two or three facilities near where you're moving, for the size you've actually measured, and check the price-change terms before you sign.
- How far ahead should I book?
- As soon as you know there's a genuine gap between moves — popular sizes near capital cities can book out, and storage is far easier to arrange ahead than at the last minute.