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During a remodel your belongings have to be out of the workers’ way and still within your reach. There are five places they can go: another room of your home, a self-storage unit, a portable container, a mover’s warehouse, or the home of someone you know. Which one fits depends on how much of the home is being renovated, how long the job runs and how often you need to get at your things. Decide before the start date, because clearing rooms is the one task that is entirely yours.
Another room in your home
If the work is in one or two rooms, the cheapest storage is the room you use least: a guest bedroom, a dining room, a corner of a basement. It costs nothing and everything stays to hand. It only works if the renovation is not taking the whole home, and if you can live with a crowded room for the length of the job. Leave yourself a path through it; do not box yourself in. Keep the door closed and sealed while dusty work is going on, and cover what is stacked nearest the door.
Self storage
A rented unit suits things you will not need for weeks: furniture, rugs, books, out-of-season clothes. A common approach is to send the furniture to storage and keep the small everyday items at home. Choose the size with care, since a unit too small is the usual mistake, and ask about access hours and whether the unit is climate controlled if you are storing wood furniture, art or instruments.
A portable storage container
For a house with a driveway, a portable container is like having a storage unit outside the door: the rooms are cleared completely and your things stay close. Sizes, prices and delivery terms vary by company, so compare them, and buy a heavy-duty lock, which the company usually does not supply. A condo or homeowners association may need to give permission.
On a New York City street it is another matter. The curb is not yours to occupy. The Department of Transportation requires a permit for each refuse container a carting company places on a city street, valid for up to five consecutive days, and the permit carries no right to a parking space (NYC DOT). Do not assume a storage container can sit outside an apartment building for the length of a renovation. Ask the container company and 311 what is allowed on your block. The version that avoids the question is the one where the company loads the container at your door and keeps it at its own warehouse until you are ready.
Movers
Heavy furniture is hard to move even as far as the elevator. A moving company can pack, carry and store in one arrangement. Get quotes from at least three, which is also what the New York State Department of Transportation advises, preferably after each has looked at your home. That department licenses moving companies that operate within the state, and it will verify a mover’s license if you call or email with the company’s exact name. Ask for proof of insurance too, and ask your managing agent what the building requires of movers, such as an insurance certificate and a booked service elevator.
Family and friends
If someone you know has a spare room or a dry basement, ask. Agree on dates before anything is delivered, and be clear about when you will collect, since a renovation’s end date can move.
How to pack for a renovation
- Sort first. A remodel is the best chance you will get to give away what you do not use.
- Label every box with its room and its contents, and keep a list.
- Keep documents, medicine, jewelry and anything irreplaceable with you, not in storage.
- Pack a kit for daily life during the job: a kettle, a few dishes, chargers, towels, a week of clothes.
- Photograph furniture and art before it leaves, in case of a damage claim.
- Clear more than the room being renovated. The workers need a path in and somewhere to set down tools and materials.
What stays in place
Not everything has to go. What remains near the work is protected: dust isolation and protection of the surrounding areas are part of the preparation stage on our jobs, before demolition starts. Tell your contractor early what is staying, so the protection is planned around it. If you are also deciding whether to live at home through the work, read staying vs moving out during a renovation.
A renovation is also the moment to make sure your things have a proper home afterward; see custom storage and closets. For how the work is staged, see apartment renovation in NYC and home renovation in NYC.
Planning a remodel and wondering how much has to be cleared? Call us or send the request form and we will tell you what the work area needs.
Questions people ask
Can I put a storage container on the street in NYC?
Do not count on it. The Department of Transportation requires permits for containers placed on city streets; its refuse container permit is issued to carting companies, lasts up to five consecutive days and reserves no parking space. Ask the container company and 311 before you plan around one. The alternative is a service that takes the loaded container to its warehouse.
Do I have to empty the whole apartment for a renovation?
Only for a full gut. For a kitchen or bathroom job, clear the room itself, the route the workers use and enough space nearby for tools and materials. The rest is sealed off and protected.