Moving abroad doesn’t always mean emigrating permanently.
Thousands of people leave the UK temporarily for work placements, extended travel, university, family commitments or simply the opportunity to experience living somewhere different.
You might be heading to Dubai for a year.
Working in Australia for six months.
Taking a contract in Europe.
Spending a year travelling around Asia.
Or relocating temporarily while keeping the option of returning to Greater Manchester.
Whatever the reason, one question quickly appears:
What are you going to do with everything you own?
Taking an entire household overseas can be expensive and unnecessary, particularly when you know you’ll probably return to the UK.
Selling everything isn’t always sensible either.
Self storage provides a third option: take what you actually need abroad and keep the rest securely stored in the UK until you return.
At SecureStore, we provide flexible personal storage across Bury, Manchester, Failsworth, Salford and the wider Greater Manchester area.
Temporary Relocation Creates a Different Storage Problem
A permanent international move requires one set of decisions.
A temporary relocation requires another.
If you’re emigrating permanently, selling furniture and shipping important possessions may make sense.
But what if you’re only leaving for eight months?
Selling a good sofa, bed, television, dining table and other household belongings could mean buying everything again when you return.
Shipping them thousands of miles and then shipping them back can be equally impractical.
Self storage allows you to effectively put your UK household on hold.
Work Assignments Abroad
International work opportunities can appear quickly.
Your employer may offer a temporary position overseas.
You might accept a fixed-term contract.
Perhaps you’re working on a construction, engineering or consultancy project that requires you to relocate for several months.
Major employers increasingly operate internationally, while professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn make overseas opportunities more visible than ever.
If the assignment is temporary, moving your entire household may not be necessary.
Instead, you can take the belongings required for day-to-day life and store the rest until your UK return date becomes clearer.
Moving to Dubai or the UAE
Dubai and the wider UAE have become popular destinations for British professionals working overseas.
If you’re moving there for a job, accommodation may already be furnished or you may choose to rent a furnished apartment.
In that situation, transporting a full UK household makes little sense.
Official travel and entry information for British citizens is available through the GOV.UK UAE travel advice.
Rather than selling everything before leaving, self storage can allow you to keep furniture and personal belongings ready for your eventual return.
Taking a Working Holiday
For younger travellers, countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada can provide opportunities to combine employment with travel.
You might initially intend to stay six months and eventually remain for two years.
That uncertainty makes permanent decisions difficult.
If you sell everything before leaving, returning home can become expensive.
If you keep an entire rented property purely to store your possessions, you’re potentially paying thousands of pounds for space you’re not using.
A storage unit can provide a much more practical middle ground.
Don’t Pay Rent Just to Store Your Furniture
This is one of the biggest financial considerations.
Imagine you’re renting a two-bedroom property in Greater Manchester.
You’re offered a 12-month job abroad.
Keeping the property purely because you don’t know what to do with your furniture could mean paying:
- Rent
- Council Tax where applicable
- Utilities
- Insurance
- Other household costs
for a home you’re barely using.
Putting suitable belongings into self storage may allow you to end the tenancy while retaining the possessions you actually want.
Always consider the terms of your tenancy and obtain appropriate advice before ending any rental agreement.
What Should You Take Abroad?
The answer depends on where you’re going and how long you’re staying.
For a temporary move, concentrate on belongings that would be difficult or expensive to replace during your stay.
These might include:
- Clothing
- Laptop
- Phone
- Essential documents
- Personal items
- Specialist work equipment
- Prescription items where permitted and properly arranged
- A limited number of sentimental belongings
Before packing, check airline baggage allowances carefully.
Airlines such as British Airways and Emirates publish current baggage rules and allowances on their official websites.
Extra luggage can become expensive surprisingly quickly.
What Might Be Better Left in the UK?
For a temporary relocation, you may decide to store suitable:
- Sofas
- Beds
- Dining furniture
- Desks
- Kitchen equipment
- Books
- Clothing
- Sports equipment
- Hobby equipment
- Household belongings
- Seasonal possessions
Ask yourself:
Will I genuinely need this during the next 6–12 months?
If not, transporting it overseas may create more work than benefit.
Furnished Accommodation Changes Everything
Many people moving overseas temporarily choose furnished accommodation.
If your new apartment already contains:
- Beds
- Sofas
- Tables
- Chairs
- Wardrobes
- Kitchen equipment
there is little benefit in transporting duplicates from Manchester.
Before arranging international removals, obtain a detailed inventory of what your accommodation provides.
You may discover that you need far less than expected.
What About Your Car?
Vehicles create another decision.
If you’re going abroad for several months, consider whether keeping your car is worthwhile.
Depending on your circumstances, you might:
- Sell it
- Leave it with a family member
- Arrange appropriate vehicle storage elsewhere
- Keep it appropriately parked and insured
Vehicle requirements are different from ordinary household self storage, so don’t assume a standard storage unit is suitable for a car.
Check the relevant arrangements separately.
Important Documents Should Be Organised Before You Leave
International relocation involves paperwork.
Before leaving the UK, organise important documents carefully.
Depending on your circumstances, these may include:
- Passport
- Visa documents
- Employment contract
- Insurance documents
- Driving licence
- Financial records
- Property documents
- Medical information
- Education records
Keep documents you’ll need overseas accessible rather than packing them deep inside a storage unit.
Official guidance for British citizens living abroad is available through GOV.UK Living Abroad.
Create a Storage Inventory Before Leaving
If you’re going to be thousands of miles away, knowing exactly what’s in your storage unit becomes especially useful.
Create a basic inventory.
For example:
Box 1 – Kitchen equipment
Box 2 – Books
Box 3 – Winter clothing
Box 4 – Personal photographs
Box 5 – Office equipment
Photograph larger items and boxes before storing them.
Save the inventory somewhere you can access online.
If you later need a family member to locate something, you’ll know exactly where it is.
Give Someone You Trust the Information They Need
If you’re going overseas for a long period, consider what would happen if you needed something from your storage unit unexpectedly.
You may wish to make appropriate arrangements with a trusted person before leaving.
Speak to SecureStore about any access requirements and ensure everything is arranged correctly rather than assuming somebody else can simply access your unit.
Store Furniture Properly
Furniture should be prepared before long-term storage.
Suitable furniture should generally be:
- Clean
- Completely dry
- Properly protected
- Carefully positioned
Where appropriate, dismantling furniture can reduce the amount of storage space required.
Keep screws, bolts and fittings together in clearly labelled bags.
Taking photographs during dismantling can also make rebuilding furniture much easier when you return.
Don’t Store Food
It can be tempting to pack the entire contents of the kitchen, but food and perishable goods should not simply be placed into a storage unit.
Use up suitable food before leaving, give appropriate unopened items to friends or family, or consider donating eligible products.
The Trussell Trust provides information about its network of food banks and ways people can support them.
Always check what a particular organisation currently accepts before donating.
Use the Move as an Opportunity to Declutter
International relocation is a perfect opportunity to decide what you genuinely want.
There is little point paying to store belongings for a year if you already know you don’t want them.
Separate everything into:
Take abroad
Put into storage
Sell
Donate
Recycle or dispose
Platforms such as eBay UK and Vinted UK may be useful for selling suitable unwanted belongings before you leave.
Be Careful with Electrical Equipment
Before taking electrical appliances overseas, check whether they are compatible with the destination country’s electrical supply, plugs and voltage requirements.
For items staying in the UK, make sure they’re clean and appropriately prepared before storage.
Do not store appliances containing food, water or anything likely to deteriorate.
Fridges and freezers, for example, need appropriate preparation and must be completely empty and dry.
What About Your Christmas Decorations?
If you’re leaving for a year, you’ll probably miss at least one complete seasonal cycle in the UK.
That means items such as:
- Christmas decorations
- Artificial trees
- Winter sports equipment
- Camping equipment
- Garden furniture
- Seasonal clothing
may have no reason to travel with you.
These are obvious candidates for storage.
When you eventually return, they’re ready to come back home.
Storage for People Travelling Long-Term
Not everyone moving abroad is going somewhere specific.
Perhaps you’re taking a year out to travel.
You might spend:
- Three months in Southeast Asia
- Two months in Australia
- A month in New Zealand
- Several months travelling across South America
Carrying your entire life with you obviously isn’t possible.
Self storage allows you to travel with the essentials while keeping your UK belongings together.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office travel advice should always be checked for current destination-specific information before international travel.
What If You Don’t Know When You’re Coming Back?
Plans change.
A six-month contract might become twelve months.
A working holiday might turn into a longer stay.
Or you might return earlier than expected.
This is one reason flexibility matters when choosing storage.
Speak to SecureStore about your expected timeframe and the options available.
Moving Back to the UK Becomes Much Easier
One major advantage of keeping your possessions is what happens when you return.
Instead of arriving back in Manchester and immediately needing to buy:
- Bed
- Sofa
- Dining table
- Kitchen equipment
- Household furniture
you already own many of the things required to rebuild your home.
You can arrange your new accommodation and gradually move your stored belongings back in.
Removal + Storage Before You Leave
Preparing for an international move can involve an enormous number of jobs.
Flights.
Visas.
Accommodation.
Insurance.
Employment paperwork.
Packing.
Ending tenancies.
Utility accounts.
Transporting furniture into storage is another task on the list.
SecureStore also provides Removal + Storage solutions.
Speak to our team about whether we can help move suitable belongings from your property directly into storage before you leave.
Storage Insurance
Belongings placed into storage require appropriate insurance.
This becomes especially important when you’re going to be outside the country for an extended period.
SecureStore can provide storage insurance at a very competitive price, helping make the process straightforward.
Make sure the value declared appropriately reflects the belongings you’re storing.
Why Choose SecureStore Before Moving Abroad?
SecureStore provides flexible personal storage for customers who need somewhere for their belongings during temporary changes.
That might include:
- International work placements
- Extended travel
- Working holidays
- Temporary overseas relocation
- University study abroad
- Moving between countries
- Ending a tenancy before travelling
- Returning to the UK after living overseas
Instead of making expensive permanent decisions before you leave, storage gives you additional flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put my belongings into storage while I live abroad?
Yes. Self storage can be particularly useful when you’re temporarily leaving the UK but intend to keep furniture and household possessions for your return.
Is storage worth it for only six months?
It can be. Compare the cost and inconvenience of selling and later replacing your belongings, shipping them internationally, or keeping an entire property solely to store them.
Can I store furniture for a year?
Many types of suitable household furniture can be stored. Everything should be clean, dry and properly prepared before being placed into storage.
Can somebody else collect something while I’m abroad?
Do not assume another person will automatically be able to access your unit. Speak to SecureStore before leaving if you believe somebody may need authorised access during your time overseas.
Can SecureStore help move my belongings?
SecureStore also provides Removal + Storage solutions. Speak to our team about your requirements.
Do my stored belongings need insurance?
Yes. SecureStore can provide storage insurance at a very competitive price.
How to Book Your Unit Before Moving Abroad
Arranging storage before an overseas move is straightforward.
- Decide what you’re taking abroad.
- Sell, donate or dispose of belongings you genuinely no longer need.
- Create an inventory of everything you want to keep.
- Contact SecureStore with an approximate idea of how much you need to store.
- We’ll help you consider an appropriate unit size.
- Arrange suitable storage insurance.
- Pack and label everything carefully.
- Move your belongings into storage, or ask us about Removal + Storage.
- Head overseas knowing your UK possessions have somewhere to stay until you return.
No deposit required in many cases; same-day move-in may be available.
Take Your Opportunity – Not Your Entire House
An opportunity to work, study or travel abroad shouldn’t be made unnecessarily complicated by your possessions.
If you’re only leaving the UK temporarily, you don’t necessarily need to sell everything.
And you certainly don’t need to ship your entire household halfway around the world if you’re going to bring it back again.
Take what you need.
Sell what you genuinely don’t want.
Store the belongings you’ll want when you return.
Then concentrate on enjoying the opportunity ahead.
For flexible personal self storage and Removal + Storage across Greater Manchester, contact SecureStore.
Telephone: 0161 470 0288
Email: info@securestoreselfstorage.co.uk
Visit: 574 Manchester Road, Bury, BL9 9SW
SecureStore provides flexible personal and business self storage across Bury, Manchester, Failsworth, Salford and the wider Greater Manchester area.
