Selling a house is a notoriously difficult process and one that can take much longer than you'd hope for. Before you put your home on the market, it's important to do everything you can to maximise your chances of a sale. Once you make that sale, you might be put in a difficult position, depending on where you're moving to and how quickly your new property is available.

To make life easier, renting a self-storage unit is incredibly useful when you're preparing your home for the market. Here are the various stages you're likely to go through, and how storage can help you out.

Decorating and renovating

The thought of decorating, or even going as far as structural renovation, might seem like an odd one in a house you're moving out of. However, it can be extremely beneficial when it comes to selling.

With renovations, the increase in property value can sometimes outweigh the cost, and it certainly makes a house more attractive. Decorating is a good idea because it makes everything look fresh and clean for viewings. It also lets you choose a neutral colour scheme, which helps potential buyers imagine themselves making the property their own.

Redecorating or performing other work on your home is much easier when you have the space to work quickly, so put anything non-essential into storage while you finish the work. This also protects delicate and valuable items from paint and other damage.

Preparing for viewings

Once the redecoration is out of the way, you can begin getting ready to stage viewings. Unless you have very minimalist tastes, this means getting a considerable amount of your belongings out of the way. Remember, you want people to be able to easily imagine themselves living in the property.

If you've redecorated, you'll probably want to move some of the things out of storage and back into your home. Keep anything stored that's too far from neutral, including art, unusual furniture and particularly personal items. Try to keep the property relatively empty whilst still feeling like a home.

Keeping on top of clutter

If your house is on the market for a while, there's a chance clutter will build up again as you buy new things and carry on living in the property.

Use your storage for keeping as much as possible hidden away so the house continues to look appealing. With this method, you don't have to avoid buying anything or preparing to move to your new home, but you can still maintain a neat, tidy property that's ready to make a sale.