Sometimes a spare room needs to become a bedroom again very quickly.
An elderly parent or relative may need to stay with you temporarily while their own home is being renovated, adapted or otherwise unavailable. In other circumstances, a family may simply decide that having a relative stay with them for a period is the most practical arrangement.
Whatever the reason, suddenly finding additional space in an already busy home can be difficult.
The spare bedroom might currently contain boxes. The hallway may be crowded with furniture. Cupboards could already be full. And simply moving everything from one room into another doesn’t actually solve the problem.
Temporary self storage can help.
SecureStore provides flexible personal self storage and Removal + Storage across Bury, Manchester, Failsworth and Salford, helping households create usable space while keeping suitable furniture and possessions they still want.
2-Week Flash Offer: First Month’s Storage for Just £1
If you need to create space at home, SecureStore’s current flash offer could make now an ideal time.
For two weeks only, get your first month of storage for just £1.
Suitable belongings can be moved out of the way without forcing you to make immediate decisions about furniture, family possessions and other items you may want again later.
2-WEEK FLASH OFFER
FIRST MONTH’S STORAGE: £1
Promotional terms, eligibility and availability apply.
Call 0161 470 0288 or email info@securestoreselfstorage.co.uk to enquire.
Start With the Room They’ll Be Using
If your relative will have their own bedroom, start there.
What is the room being used for today?
Perhaps it’s technically a spare bedroom but actually contains:
- Christmas decorations
- Suitcases
- Boxes
- Children’s old belongings
- Exercise equipment
- Spare furniture
- Clothes
- Paperwork
- Hobby equipment
- Household overflow
Rather than trying to squeeze a bed between everything else, properly clear the room.
A bedroom should function as a bedroom.
Empty the Room Before Deciding What Goes Back
Where practical, removing everything gives you a much better idea of the space available.
You can then decide what genuinely belongs there.
That might be:
- Bed
- Bedside furniture
- Appropriate clothing storage
- Chair
- Lighting
- Other items appropriate to your relative’s individual needs
Avoid automatically returning every piece of furniture simply because it was previously in the room.
Think About Accessibility, Not Just Appearance
A beautifully decorated room isn’t particularly useful if it’s difficult for the person staying there to move around.
Individual requirements can vary significantly, so don’t make assumptions about what somebody needs based purely on their age.
Ask them.
Where relevant, follow advice provided by appropriate healthcare or occupational therapy professionals.
The NHS provides health information and guidance, while Age UK provides extensive information and support for older people and their families.
Don’t Diagnose the Home Yourself
If your relative has specific mobility, medical or care requirements, professional advice matters.
This blog is about creating household space—not determining what adaptations or care somebody needs.
If an occupational therapist, healthcare professional or another appropriate professional has recommended particular equipment or changes, organise the room around those requirements.
Removing unnecessary furniture can help create the space needed to do that.
Clear the Route to the Bedroom
Don’t only concentrate on the bedroom itself.
Look at how your relative will reach it.
Is the hallway full of:
- Shoe racks
- Boxes
- Small tables
- Children’s equipment
- Bags
- Household clutter?
Reducing unnecessary obstacles can also make the house feel much more spacious generally.
Look at the Bathroom
If your relative will be sharing the bathroom, make room for their everyday belongings.
You may need additional space for:
- Toiletries
- Towels
- Personal belongings
Again, this doesn’t necessarily require buying another cabinet.
Start by clearing things your household no longer uses.
Reorganise the Kitchen
An additional person in the house means additional food, crockery and everyday belongings.
Look through your kitchen cupboards.
Are they full of appliances nobody uses?
Do you have multiple sets of crockery?
Is valuable cupboard space occupied by things used once a year?
Suitable occasional-use household belongings could potentially be moved into storage temporarily, freeing up useful everyday space.
What Should You Put Into Self Storage?
Self storage isn’t about emptying your entire home.
Concentrate on suitable belongings that you genuinely want but don’t need while your relative is staying.
Examples could include:
- Spare furniture
- Seasonal decorations
- Suitcases
- Books
- Collections
- Hobby equipment
- Occasional-use household items
- Seasonal clothing
- Boxes of keepsakes
The key is to distinguish between important and important to have at home right now.
Those aren’t always the same thing.
Don’t Throw Away Furniture You May Need Again
Perhaps the spare room currently contains a desk because it normally functions as an office.
If your relative is staying for three months, selling the desk immediately might be unnecessary.
You may want the office back afterwards.
Temporary storage allows you to change how the room functions without necessarily making that change permanent.
When circumstances change, the furniture can potentially return.
The Same Applies to Hobby Rooms
Perhaps the room is currently used for:
- Sewing
- Crafts
- Music
- Gaming
- Collecting
- Reading
Temporarily changing its purpose doesn’t mean giving up the hobby.
Pack suitable equipment carefully, label everything and store it until the room becomes available again.
Don’t Transfer the Problem to Another Bedroom
This is one of the easiest mistakes.
Everything leaves the spare room.
Then it goes into your bedroom.
Or your child’s room.
Or the dining room.
You now have one excellent bedroom and another unusable room.
Dedicated storage allows suitable belongings to actually leave the house temporarily rather than simply moving around it.
Avoid Filling the Garage Without Thinking
The garage is another obvious destination.
But before filling it, consider what else the garage is used for and whether its conditions are suitable for the belongings concerned.
You may still need space for:
- Bikes
- Tools
- Vehicle equipment
- Garden equipment
- Household items
Turning the garage into an inaccessible pile of boxes can create another problem.
Could You Reclaim More Than One Room?
Once you start creating space, you may notice clutter elsewhere.
The objective isn’t necessarily to strip the house bare.
But you could use the opportunity to reconsider whether every piece of furniture and every box needs to remain inside the property.
Even small changes can make shared living easier.
Create Personal Storage Space for Your Relative
Someone staying with you shouldn’t feel as though they’re permanently living out of a suitcase.
Where possible, make suitable wardrobe, drawer or cupboard space available.
If the bedroom has a wardrobe but it’s full of your clothes, clear it.
Move seasonal or occasional-use clothing elsewhere or consider suitable temporary storage.
Providing genuine personal space can make the room feel much more like theirs while they’re staying.
Think About Privacy Too
Creating physical space is only one part of making a longer stay work.
An additional person in the household changes everyone’s routines.
A dedicated bedroom can give your relative somewhere private rather than requiring them to spend all their time in shared living areas.
That is another reason why properly clearing the room can be worthwhile.
What If Their Own Home Is Being Adapted?
A relative may be staying with you because work is being completed at their own property.
That could create a second storage requirement.
Depending on the project, suitable furniture and household belongings from their property may also need temporarily moving.
Rather than spreading possessions between several family homes, keeping suitable belongings together in dedicated storage can make them easier to manage.
Storage During Home Adaptation Work
If building or adaptation work is happening, contractors may need rooms cleared.
The GOV.UK guidance on home adaptations provides information about potential support for home and housing adaptations in relevant circumstances.
The exact work and any support available will depend on individual circumstances, so check current official guidance and obtain appropriate professional advice.
Keep Belongings Organised by Person
If you’re storing belongings from more than one household, labels become especially important.
Instead of:
BOX 1 – CLOTHES
use:
MUM – WINTER CLOTHES – BOX 1
or:
SPARE BEDROOM – OFFICE EQUIPMENT – BOX 2
This avoids confusion when items need retrieving.
Photograph Important Boxes
Another useful technique is taking a quick photograph of the contents before closing each box.
You can keep a corresponding digital album on your phone.
Months later, you don’t have to remember whether a particular item was in Box 7 or Box 17.
Keep Important Documents Accessible
Don’t accidentally store paperwork that may be required during your relative’s stay.
Keep necessary documents somewhere appropriately secure and accessible.
Exactly what needs retaining will depend on individual circumstances.
When in doubt, separate paperwork before the main household packing begins.
Removal + Storage Can Help With Bulky Furniture
Clearing a room can involve much more than boxes.
You may need to move:
- Bed frames
- Mattresses
- Wardrobes
- Desks
- Drawers
- Bookcases
- Chairs
SecureStore provides Removal + Storage, so you can speak to our team about moving suitable household belongings as well as storing them.
This can be particularly useful when a room needs preparing quickly.
What Happens When Your Relative Returns Home?
If the arrangement is temporary, you can reassess everything afterwards.
The spare bedroom might return to being:
- Home office
- Guest bedroom
- Hobby room
- Dressing room
- Study
Suitable furniture you’ve retained can come back.
Alternatively, you may discover that you prefer the house with less furniture and clutter.
At that point, you can make a more permanent decision without having rushed into one beforehand.
Don’t Automatically Bring Everything Back
This is worth remembering.
If something has been in storage for six months and nobody has needed or missed it, ask whether it genuinely needs to return.
You could decide to sell suitable unwanted items through eBay UK or Facebook Marketplace.
Suitable items may also be accepted by charitable organisations.
Storage can give you time to make sensible decisions rather than hurried ones.
Use SecureStore’s £1 First-Month Flash Offer
If your household circumstances are changing now, our current promotion could help you get organised.
For two weeks only, get your first month of storage for £1.
Use the additional space to:
- Clear a spare bedroom
- Temporarily store furniture
- Reorganise shared areas
- Create wardrobe space
- Store hobby or office equipment
- Keep suitable belongings while another property is being adapted
2-WEEK FLASH OFFER – FIRST MONTH’S STORAGE £1
Promotional terms, eligibility and availability apply. Contact SecureStore for full details.
How to Book Your Unit With SecureStore
Getting started is straightforward:
- Decide which room your relative will use.
- Identify the furniture and belongings that need removing.
- Separate items into keep at home, store, sell/donate and dispose categories.
- Follow any relevant professional advice concerning your relative’s individual requirements.
- Pack and clearly label suitable belongings.
- Contact SecureStore and ask about our 2-week flash offer – first month’s storage for £1.
- Choose a suitable storage unit.
- Ask about Removal + Storage if larger furniture needs moving.
- Prepare the bedroom and shared areas before your relative arrives.
2-WEEK FLASH OFFER: FIRST MONTH’S STORAGE FOR £1
Call: 0161 470 0288
Email: info@securestoreselfstorage.co.uk
Visit: 574 Manchester Road, Bury
Contact SecureStore for promotional terms, eligibility and availability.
When Your Household Changes, Your Home Can Change With It
Making room for another person doesn’t necessarily mean you need a larger house.
Sometimes you simply need to temporarily change how you’re using the space you already have.
Move unnecessary furniture.
Clear the spare bedroom.
Create storage space for the person staying with you.
Keep suitable possessions you still want without allowing them to occupy valuable living space.
SecureStore provides flexible personal self storage and Removal + Storage across Bury, Manchester, Failsworth and Salford, helping families adapt their homes as circumstances change.
And for a limited period, your first month of storage is just £1 with our 2-week flash offer.
Call 0161 470 0288, email info@securestoreselfstorage.co.uk, or visit 574 Manchester Road, Bury to enquire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can self storage help if a relative is temporarily moving into my home?
Yes. It can provide somewhere for suitable furniture, boxes, office equipment and other belongings that need temporarily removing to create usable living space.
What is SecureStore’s current flash offer?
For a limited two-week period, your first month of storage is £1, subject to promotional terms, eligibility and availability. Contact SecureStore for full details.
Can SecureStore help move furniture?
Yes. SecureStore provides Removal + Storage. Tell our team what needs moving so we can discuss your requirements.
What if my relative has specific accessibility or care requirements?
Seek appropriate professional advice relevant to their individual circumstances. Healthcare and occupational therapy professionals may be able to advise on specific needs and appropriate adaptations.
Can belongings stay in storage after my relative moves home?
Speak to SecureStore about your storage arrangements if you decide you would like to continue storing suitable belongings.
