A gap between moving out and moving in is more common than most people expect. Your buyer wants to complete on Friday, but your own purchase won’t complete until next month. Or a link further up the chain has stalled and nobody can give you a firm date. Either way, you need somewhere to live and somewhere to keep your belongings until the keys to your new home are in your hand.
This guide covers the six realistic options, what storage costs in 2026, and the order to do things in once you know a gap is coming. It is written from the removals side of the process. We have spent over 20 years moving households across St Albans, Hertfordshire and London, and mismatched completion dates are one of the most common problems we help people plan around.
| Quick answer If the gap is only a few days, the simplest fixes are renegotiating the dates before exchange or staying with family. If the gap is a week or longer, most people move into temporary accommodation and put their furniture into storage, ideally with the same removal company, so one team handles the collection, the storage and the final delivery. |
1. Why do completion dates end up out of sync?
In England and Wales, the completion date is only legally fixed at exchange of contracts. Before exchange, everything is provisional, which is why dates can drift for weeks and then suddenly need to be agreed in a matter of days. The most common causes of a gap are:
- Chain pressure. Your buyer needs to complete quickly because of their own sale, but your seller cannot move that fast.
- Mortgage or survey delays. A lender’s valuation, a survey issue or a slow mortgage offer holds up your purchase but not your sale.
- Searches and legal enquiries. Local authority searches or unresolved questions between solicitors push your purchase back.
- New-build or probate delays. Build completion dates slip, or a probate sale waits on paperwork outside anyone’s control.
- A broken chain. Someone further up or down the chain pulls out and you choose to sell anyway, often to keep a good buyer.
Knowing the cause matters, because it tells you how long the gap is likely to last. A slow mortgage offer might add two weeks. A broken chain can add months.
2. What are your options when there’s a gap between homes?
There are six realistic ways to bridge the gap. The right one depends mainly on how long the gap is and whether contracts have already been exchanged.
| Option | Best for a gap of | Main advantage | Watch out for |
| 1. Renegotiate the dates | Any length, before exchange | No extra move, no storage | Only possible before exchange; a buyer under pressure may walk away |
| 2. Agree a delayed or extended completion | Days to a few weeks | Everyone moves once | Needs every party in the chain to agree |
| 3. Rent-back from your buyer | Days to a few weeks | You stay in your home and move once | Buyer’s lender and insurer may need to approve; needs a written agreement |
| 4. Stay with family or friends, belongings in storage | One week to several months | Lowest living cost | You pack for two destinations; can strain relationships on a long gap |
| 5. Short let or serviced apartment, belongings in storage | Two weeks to a few months | Your own space and flexible terms | Short lets cost more per night and many have minimum stays |
| 6. Move into an unfurnished rental | Three months or more | Feels settled, no storage needed | Two full house moves and a tenancy term that may outlast the gap |
Options 1 to 3 avoid storage entirely, so try them first. Options 4 and 5 are what most people end up doing when the gap is confirmed and cannot be closed. Option 6 only makes sense for long or open-ended gaps, because you pay for two complete moves and a tenancy.
3. How much does storage cost during a move in 2026?
Storage is usually priced by floor area. The Self Storage Association UK Annual Industry Report 2026 puts the national average at £27.40 per square foot per year excluding VAT, with London averaging around £38.80. The table below converts those averages into estimated monthly costs by home size.
| Home size | Approx. unit size | UK average (est. per month, inc. VAT) | London average (est. per month, inc. VAT) |
| Room contents or small studio | 25 sq ft | £69 | £97 |
| One-bedroom flat | 50 sq ft | £137 | £194 |
| Two-bedroom flat or small house | 75 sq ft | £206 | £291 |
| Two to three-bedroom house | 100 sq ft | £274 | £388 |
| Three to four-bedroom house | 150 sq ft | £411 | £582 |
Estimates only. Calculated from SSA UK 2026 averages (£27.40 and £38.80 per sq ft per year, ex VAT) plus 20% VAT, per calendar month. Unit sizes are rough industry guides. Actual prices vary by facility, term and demand, and Hertfordshire facilities differ from site to site.
Three costs are easy to forget when budgeting for a gap:
- Two removal legs. You pay for the move into storage and the move out of it. On most moves the second leg is a similar size job to the first.
- Insurance. Storage providers usually charge separately for cover based on the value you declare.
- Minimum terms and extras. Some facilities charge a minimum period, a deposit, or for padlocks and packing materials.
For an exact figure for your move, request a free quote and tell us both your move-out date and your expected move-in date. We quote the removal and the storage together, so there are no surprises when the second leg comes round.
4. Self storage or removal company storage: which suits a chain gap?
Both work. The difference is who does the handling and how many times your belongings are moved.
| Self storage unit | Storage with your removal company | |
| Who loads and unloads | You, or a crew you book separately for each leg | The same crew that moves you |
| Number of companies involved | At least two (storage facility plus removals) | One |
| How items are held | In a unit you rent by the square foot | Typically in containers or crates, depending on the provider |
| Access during the gap | Usually good; you visit when you like | Usually by arrangement, so plan what you need in advance |
| Best for | Gaps where you need regular access to items | Gaps where you want one plan, one contact and less handling |
If you have never used storage before, our guide on how storage works during a house move explains the process step by step.
5. What should you do the moment you know there’s a gap?
The earlier you plan, the more options stay open. Work through these steps in order.
- Find out which dates are fixed. Ask your conveyancer whether contracts have been exchanged on the sale, the purchase, or both. Only exchanged dates are binding.
- Plan for the longest likely gap. Get a best case and worst case from your conveyancer and budget for the worst. Ending storage early is easy; finding somewhere to live at short notice is not.
- Decide where you will live. Family, a short let or a rental. This decides how much you need to keep with you.
- Book the removal and storage together. Give your removal company both addresses and both dates, and tell them the second date may move.
- Split your belongings into two groups. What goes into storage and what comes with you for the gap. Section 6 below covers this.
- Photograph and list what goes into storage. A simple inventory makes any insurance claim far easier and helps you find things when they come back.
- Check your insurance. Ask your home insurer whether contents cover applies to items in storage, and arrange storage cover if it does not.
- Sort your post. Set up a Royal Mail redirection to wherever you are staying so bank cards, letters and completion paperwork reach you.
Our printable moving house checklist covers the rest of the move, from eight weeks out to moving day.
6. What should go into storage and what should stay with you?
Pack the gap boxes first and keep them separate from everything else, so they never end up on the storage load by mistake.
| Put into storage | Keep with you during the gap |
| Furniture, beds and mattresses | Passports, ID, and property and mortgage paperwork |
| Most kitchenware and small appliances | Medication and prescriptions |
| Books, ornaments and decorative items | Laptops, chargers and work equipment |
| Out-of-season clothing | Clothes for the full gap, plus one change for the weather turning |
| Garden furniture and tools | School uniforms, bags and anything the children need daily |
| Spare bedding and towels | Valuables, jewellery and sentimental items |
Do not put food, plants, gas bottles, paint, fuel or anything flammable into storage. Most providers prohibit them, and they can damage everything else in the unit.
7. How do you protect your belongings while they are in storage?
Storage is only as good as the packing that goes into it. A few habits make a real difference on a gap of more than a couple of weeks:
- Use strong double-wall boxes and fill them properly. Half-empty boxes collapse when stacked.
- Cover mattresses and upholstered furniture so dust and moisture cannot settle on them.
- Make sure everything is completely dry before it goes in, especially garden furniture and appliances like washing machines.
- Dismantle bed frames and large tables, and keep all fixings in labelled bags taped to the main piece.
- Label every box on two sides with its contents and the room it belongs in at the new house.
If you would rather not do it yourself, our packing and unpacking service covers the whole house or just the fragile items.
8. How Shaheen Express Removals handles a move with a gap
When your dates don’t line up, the move becomes two jobs instead of one. We handle both, so you are not coordinating a storage facility and a removal crew separately while also chasing solicitors.
- One team from start to finish. The same crew collects your belongings, places them into storage and delivers them to your new home.
- Storage options to suit the gap. Personal and business storage, including shipping containers and crates.
- Delivery planned around your completion. We plan the second leg around your completion date and talk you through the options if that date moves.
- Trusted locally. Rated 5.0 from 444 Google reviews, with over 20 years in removals, fully insured and DBS-checked staff.
Based at 29 Burnside, St Albans, we cover St Albans, Hertfordshire, Luton, Essex and London.
| Got a gap between completion dates? Call 07903 494502 or request a free quote online. Tell us your move-out date and your expected move-in date, and we will quote the removal and storage together. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I store my furniture with my removal company between houses?
Yes. Many removal companies, including Shaheen Express Removals, offer storage alongside the move. Your belongings are collected from your old home, held in storage for the gap, then delivered to your new home by the same team, so you only deal with one company and one point of contact.
How much does it cost to store the contents of a three-bedroom house?
A three-bedroom house typically needs around 150 sq ft of storage. Based on the Self Storage Association UK 2026 average of £27.40 per sq ft per year (ex VAT), that works out at roughly £410 per month including VAT nationally and around £580 in London. These are averages, not quotes, and removal costs for the two moves are extra.
Is my home insurance valid while my belongings are in storage?
Not automatically. Many home contents policies limit or exclude cover for items kept away from the home, so check your policy before the move and ask the storage provider what cover they offer.
What happens if my completion date changes after exchange of contracts?
Once contracts are exchanged, the completion date is legally binding. If the other party fails to complete on time, your contract usually sets out what happens next, which can include compensation. Speak to your conveyancer straight away, then tell your removal company so the delivery can be rebooked.
Can my buyer let me stay in the house after completion?
Sometimes. This is called a rent-back arrangement. It needs a written agreement, and the buyer’s mortgage lender and insurer may need to approve it, so raise it with both conveyancers early rather than on completion day.
How long can I keep my belongings in storage during a move?
Most storage is flexible and charged weekly or monthly, so it can run from a few days to several months. Minimum terms vary between providers, so confirm the minimum period before you book.
