Yes, for the things you can't decide about yet, when the house has to be empty first. That usually means probate hasn't been granted, the family hasn't agreed who has what, something still needs valuing, or a sale, the end of a tenancy or care-home fees won't wait. No, for anything you already know is going, if it's yours or the estate's to decide on: storing it only adds a storage bill to a clearance you'll pay for later anyway. If the things belong to someone else, such as a tenant who has died, don't clear anything: store them and take advice (see the landlord section below). So for most houses the answer is to split it: store the keep and undecided piles, and clear the rest now. On our September 2026 price list, a 25 sq ft unit (a few pieces of furniture and some boxes) is typically £78 every four weeks before any introductory offer (£44 to £188 depending on the site), and a 50 sq ft unit (about a one-bedroom flat's worth) £143 (£82 to £304). Independent cost guides put a full van load of clearance from about £595 (Checkatrade) and a whole three-bedroom house at £500 to £1,200 (MyBuilder); they measure differently, so get written quotes. Our minimum term is two weeks.
When storing first makes sense
Storage earns its cost when something outside your control stops you deciding, and the house can't wait.
| Your situation | Why it's worth storing first | What to store |
|---|---|---|
| Probate hasn't been granted | Until the grant, GOV.UK advises that you "should not make any financial plans or put property on the market". It says probate usually comes within 12 weeks of applying, sometimes longer, and the valuation and application come before that, so plan storage for longer than 12 weeks. Storing lets you empty the house without selling or giving anything away. | Anything of value, and anything a beneficiary might want |
| The family hasn't agreed | Once something has gone to a clearer, it can't be shared out. A unit keeps it all in one place until you agree, and the account holder can authorise others to use it (our terms allow access by "You or Your Agents", clause 14; see can I share access to my storage unit?), so every sibling can see the same things. | Everything that's disputed or undecided |
| Things still need valuing | Executors must value the person's possessions (GOV.UK lists furniture, jewellery, paintings, antiques and electrical goods) before applying for probate. | Antiques, collections, jewellery boxes, good furniture |
| The house must be empty by a date | A buyer, a landlord or a care arrangement sets the timetable, and it may not match how long the family needs to decide. | The keep and undecided piles |
If one of those applies, storing the uncertain part of the house protects you from the one mistake that can't be undone: something with money or meaning going in the van.
When it doesn't
If nobody wants it and it has little resale value, clear it now. Storing it means paying for a unit every four weeks, then paying to clear it anyway.
Some things also can't go into a unit at all. Clause 18 of our terms says you must not store:
- food or perishables, unless securely packed against vermin (so empty the kitchen cupboards first);
- flammable things, including gas, paint, petrol, oil and cleaning solvents (the shed and garage are where these turn up);
- currency, deeds and securities, so cash found in the house, property deeds and share certificates go to the executor or the solicitor, not the unit;
- items that are unique, or whose value can't be put in money terms.
That last point matters in a family house. The clause gives no list, so if you're unsure whether something falls under it, ask us before you pack it. We'd suggest irreplaceable letters, photographs and one-off keepsakes stay with a family member.
What it costs, side by side
These are the typical (middle) list prices across our sites' September 2026 price lists, per four weeks, before any introductory offer. Twelve weeks is three four-week payments.
| Unit size | Roughly holds | Typical per 4 weeks | Range across sites | 12 weeks at the typical price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 sq ft | a few pieces of furniture and boxes | £78 | £44 to £188 | £234 |
| 50 sq ft | a one-bedroom flat | £143 | £82 to £304 | £429 |
| 100 sq ft | a typical furnished three-bedroom house | £230 | £136 to £524 | £690 |
| 150 sq ft | a four-bedroom house, or a three-bedroom house with its loft and garage | £319 | £178 to £768 | £957 |
And the clearance side, from two independent cost guides:
| Clearance | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Full van load (up to 1,000kg) | from £595 (Checkatrade, June 2026) |
| Three-bedroom house | £500 to £1,200 (MyBuilder, August 2026) |
| Four-bedroom house | £800 to £1,500 or more (MyBuilder, August 2026; generally 20% to 40% more in London and the South East) |
Put together, the numbers make the case for splitting the house. On our size guide, a typical furnished three-bedroom house fits 100 sq ft, and a fuller one with its loft and garage 150 sq ft. Twelve weeks at 150 sq ft is about £957 at the typical price, which is in the same range as clearing a three- or four-bedroom house outright. If most of it is heading for clearance anyway, you pay both. Storing only the undecided pile in a 25 sq ft unit is about £234 for the same twelve weeks. Our September 2026 price lists also show introductory discounts of 50% or 75% off at our sites. Offers change, so the online quote shows what's on at your nearest site now.
Sort first, then store and clear
Go through the house once, before anyone quotes, and give everything one of five labels:
- Keep: what the family has agreed on.
- Undecided or to value: this is what the unit is for.
- Sell: if you're the executor, hold off until you're sure it's allowed before the grant, and check with the estate's solicitor if there is one.
- Donate: the same applies, because giving something away before the grant raises the same question as selling it. When it's clear, some charities, such as the British Heart Foundation, pick up furniture and electrical items from your home free.
- Clear: what's left is what the clearance firm quotes for, so it's a smaller job.
Before anything leaves, search drawers, pockets, books and paperwork for wills, bank letters, policies and cash. Photograph what goes into the unit and keep a simple list of what went where; it helps with the valuation and with the family.
When you book the clearance, GOV.UK says you must check the company is on the register of waste carriers, choosing "upper tier". If you skip that check and the waste is later fly-tipped, you could face a fixed penalty notice or prosecution. Ask for a written receipt that names the company.
Your situation
If you're the executor
You can rent a unit from us from day one, on behalf of the estate, in your name as executor. You don't need the grant first. Our terms require the stored goods to be insured for their replacement value (clause 31), through our contents protection or a policy of your own. Whether the estate pays the storage fees is one to check with the solicitor. Our guide to clearing an inherited house goes through the order of jobs.
If you're clearing a parent's home as they move into care
Your parent is still alive, so their things are still theirs, and the sell and donate steps above are written for an estate, not for them. While they can make their own decisions, what's kept, sold or given away is their call. If they can't, it needs someone with legal authority: an attorney under a registered lasting power of attorney for property and financial affairs (the type GOV.UK says covers decisions about money and property, including selling a home), or a property and financial affairs deputy appointed by the court. A health and welfare lasting power of attorney doesn't cover this. An attorney under a property and financial affairs lasting power of attorney can also hold the storage account in that capacity.
If the council is assessing what your parent pays towards care, the government's statutory guidance says it must disregard the value of their main or only home for 12 weeks when they first enter a care home as a permanent resident. That's a rule about the council's financial assessment, not a deadline for clearing the house, so ask the council how it applies to your parent. If the family lives far away, ask your removals or clearance firm whether they'll deliver to the unit, and see do I have to be there on moving-in day? and can a removals firm drop off at my unit without me?. More in our guide to storing a parent's belongings when they move into care.
If you're a landlord
If a tenant has died and left belongings in your property, those belongings aren't yours to clear: they form part of the tenant's estate. Don't hand them to a clearer. Storing them keeps them safe and intact while it's worked out who deals with them. Who you should notify and how (the tenant's personal representatives, next of kin, or someone else), and how the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 applies, are questions for legal advice before anything is moved on or disposed of. Our guide to storing a tenant's abandoned belongings covers keeping records while you wait. If it's only your own furniture coming out between lets, see storing a landlord's furniture between tenancies.
How our terms fit a clearance
The minimum term is two weeks, and you pay in advance, four weeks at a time. When you're done, you give notice (normally 14 days; the exact figure is on the front of your agreement), and we refund any unused days after the notice period. So you don't have to guess how long the sorting will take. A refundable deposit is taken when you sign and returned within 21 days of the agreement ending, once the unit is left clean and empty.
If the last few weeks have been hard, Cruse Bereavement Support's free helpline is on 0808 808 1677. When you're ready, you can get a price for your nearest site online, or call us on 0800 2545585, tell us roughly what's staying and what's going, and we'll help you pick a size. There's no rush to decide on the phone.
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