There is a particular kind of cupboard every home seems to have.
You know the one. You open it carefully, one hand ready to catch the board game, the Christmas wreath, the spare duvet, the old printer, the camping chair and the mysterious bag of cables that nobody has touched since 2018.
That is usually the moment people start thinking about personal storage.
Not because they want to get rid of everything. Not because they are moving house. But because everyday life has quietly outgrown the space available at home.
Across Chesterfield, personal storage can be useful for families, downsizers, renters, renovators, students, hobbyists, tradespeople with home equipment, and anyone who feels like their spare room, garage, loft or hallway has become a holding area for “stuff we still need, but not right now”.
According to the Self Storage Association UK’s 2025 Annual Industry Report, 10% of people are considering using self storage, while 88% of existing customers say they are satisfied with the service. It is no longer just something people use during a house move; for many, it has become a practical extension of the home.
Go Store offers personal storage in Chesterfield, including Queen’s Park and Grassmoor locations, with ground-floor, dry and secure storage options. Our Queen’s Park facility has more than 450 individual storage spaces from 12–200 sq ft, while Grassmoor has more than 200 spaces from 12–160 sq ft. Both sites offer 7-day access with a personal PIN and monitored CCTV, fire and burglar alarm systems.
So, what should you actually put into storage first?
Here are 17 things you may wish you had stored sooner.
1. Seasonal Decorations
Christmas decorations are a classic example. You need them once a year, but for the other eleven months they take up loft space, cupboard space or half the garage.
The tree, baubles, lights, wreaths, outdoor decorations, Halloween boxes, Easter decorations and birthday banners can all be stored together in labelled boxes. When the season comes around, you simply collect them in one go.
A good tip is to use clear plastic boxes or large labels so you are not opening six identical cardboard boxes trying to find the fairy lights.
2. Suitcases and Travel Bags
Suitcases are useful, but they are awkward things to live with. They do not fold down, they are difficult to stack neatly, and they often end up on top of wardrobes or wedged in the spare room.
If you only travel a few times a year, suitcases are perfect candidates for personal storage. Better still, you can store smaller travel bags inside larger ones to save room.
3. Camping Gear
Chesterfield is brilliantly placed for weekends in the Peak District, but camping gear can take over a home very quickly.
Tents, sleeping bags, air beds, folding chairs, cooking equipment, walking poles, cool boxes and muddy boots all need space. They are also the kind of items you want to keep, but not necessarily trip over every time you go into the garage.
A storage unit gives you somewhere to keep your outdoor kit together, dry and ready for the next trip.
4. Garden Furniture
Garden furniture is great in July and deeply annoying in November.
Parasols, cushions, folding chairs, loungers, outdoor rugs and children’s garden toys can all be stored over winter. This helps protect them from damp weather and frees up sheds and garages for items you need more often.
Before storing, clean everything properly and make sure cushions are completely dry.
5. Children’s Toys You’re Not Ready to Part With
Parents often face the same problem. The children have outgrown certain toys, but you are not quite ready to donate, sell or pass them on.
Maybe there is another child in the family who will use them later. Maybe they are sentimental. Maybe they are expensive toys worth keeping.
A storage unit can be a halfway house between “keep everything in the living room” and “make a rushed decision you regret later”.
6. Baby Equipment
Prams, cots, Moses baskets, highchairs, stairgates, baby baths and car seats can take up an incredible amount of room.
If you are planning to use them again, or want to keep them for a family member, storing them properly can be far better than cramming them into a loft or garage.
Clean fabric items first, remove batteries from anything electronic, and cover larger items to keep dust away.
7. Furniture During a House Move
Moving home rarely runs perfectly to plan.
Completion dates shift. Chains delay. Rental contracts overlap. New homes need decorating before furniture can go in.
This is where storage units in Chesterfield can be extremely useful. Instead of trying to squeeze everything into a relative’s garage, you can store furniture temporarily while you sort the move at your own pace.
Sofas, dining tables, wardrobes, beds, sideboards and office furniture can all be stored during the gap between “we need it out” and “we are ready to move it in”.
8. Furniture During Renovations
Anyone who has renovated a room knows the fantasy and the reality are very different.
The fantasy: a smooth makeover with dust sheets, a cup of tea and a dramatic reveal.
The reality: furniture piled into the hallway, boxes in the bedroom, paint tins on the stairs, and someone saying, “Where did we put the screws for that?”
Using personal storage in Chesterfield during renovation work can give decorators, builders and flooring fitters the space they need. It also helps protect your belongings from dust, paint splashes and accidental damage.
9. Spare Beds and Mattresses
A spare bed is useful when guests stay, but it can also dominate a room that could be used as a home office, dressing room, hobby room or playroom.
If you only need guest furniture occasionally, consider storing the bed frame, mattress or fold-out guest bed until it is needed.
Always use a proper mattress cover before storing and avoid placing heavy items on top.
10. Sports Equipment
Golf clubs, fishing tackle, bikes, paddleboards, gym equipment, skis, football goals and cricket bags all take up more room than expected.
They are also often dirty, bulky or awkwardly shaped.
Go Store’s Chesterfield facilities list items such as motorcycles, bikes, golf clubs, fishing tackle, tents and camping equipment as examples of items people may store.
If your hallway currently looks like a sports shop had an argument with a garage, this may be a good place to start.
11. Sentimental Items
Some belongings are not useful every day, but they matter.
Photo albums, memory boxes, family keepsakes, inherited furniture, school books, old letters, wedding decorations and children’s artwork can be difficult to part with.
The key is to store them properly. Use strong boxes, label them clearly and avoid mixing precious keepsakes with random household clutter. Sentimental items deserve to be organised, not buried at the back of a damp shed.
12. University Belongings
Student life often comes with awkward gaps.
There is the gap between halls and a shared house. The gap between summer and the new term. The gap when parents really do not want an entire bedroom’s worth of student belongings returning home.
Storage can be useful for bedding, books, kitchen equipment, small furniture, clothes, sports kit and boxes of everyday essentials.
For students living in or around Chesterfield, a small unit can be a simple way to avoid moving the same belongings back and forth again and again.
13. Hobby Supplies
Hobbies are good for you. The storage requirements are not always good for your home.
Craft supplies, art materials, sewing machines, photography backdrops, musical equipment, model-making kits, car parts, tools, vinyl collections and event props can all become difficult to manage.
A storage unit gives hobby items a proper home, especially if you rotate what you use depending on the season, project or event.
14. Clothes You Only Wear Occasionally
Most wardrobes are full of clothes that are not needed every week.
Winter coats in summer. Wedding outfits. Ski jackets. Formalwear. Fancy dress. Maternity clothes. Interview suits. Festival gear.
Vacuum bags can help, but they are not always ideal for long-term storage, especially for delicate fabrics. A better approach is to use garment bags, plastic storage boxes and clear labels.
Keep your everyday wardrobe for everyday clothes. Store the rest.
15. Tools and DIY Equipment
Power tools, decorating equipment, ladders, wallpaper tables, tile cutters, workbenches and boxes of fixings can all take over a garage or utility room.
If you use them regularly, keep them close. But if you only decorate once or twice a year, storing bulkier DIY equipment can free up a surprising amount of space.
It also stops the garage becoming so full that the car, bikes or bins no longer fit.
16. Items You’re Keeping for Someone Else
This is the silent storage problem.
A friend leaves a box “for a few weeks”. A grown-up child leaves furniture “until they get sorted”. A relative asks you to keep something “just for now”.
Six months later, your spare room is no longer your spare room.
Using storage can create a cleaner boundary. The items are still safe, but your home does not have to become the family overflow warehouse.
17. Things You Want to Keep While You Decide
Not every decision needs to be instant.
Sometimes you are clearing a house after a bereavement. Sometimes you are separating, downsizing or moving into a new phase of life. Sometimes you simply do not know what you will need yet.
Storage gives you breathing space. It lets you make decisions slowly and sensibly, instead of making emotional choices because everything is piled in the hallway.
Go Store lists reasons such as house moves, decluttering before a house sale, downsizing, family bereavement, and moving or working abroad as common reasons people may need storage.
Where to Start: The Simple 3-Pile Method
If you are considering personal storage in Chesterfield, start with one room. Not the whole house. Not the loft, garage and shed in one heroic Saturday.
Just one room.
Create three piles:
Keep at home
These are the things you use every week or genuinely need close to hand.
Store safely
These are useful, valuable, seasonal or sentimental items that you want to keep, but do not need every day.
Let go
These are items to donate, sell, recycle or throw away.
This stops storage becoming a place where clutter goes to hide. The goal is not to store everything. The goal is to make your home work better.
How to Pack for Storage Properly
A little preparation makes a big difference.
Use strong boxes rather than weak supermarket boxes. Label every box on at least two sides. Put heavier items at the bottom and lighter items on top. Wrap fragile items individually. Keep screws, brackets and small parts in labelled bags taped to the item they belong to.
For furniture, dismantle what you can. Cover sofas, mattresses and wooden pieces. Make sure everything is clean and dry before storing.
For anything you may need sooner, keep it near the front of the unit. There is nothing worse than realising the Christmas decorations are behind the dining table, three bikes and a wardrobe.
What Size Storage Unit Do You Need?
This depends on what you are storing.
A small unit may be enough for boxes, decorations, clothes, tools or student belongings. A medium unit may suit furniture from a room, hobby equipment or items during decorating. A larger unit may be more suitable during a house move, renovation or major declutter.
Go Store’s Queen’s Park and Grassmoor facilities both offer a range of unit sizes, with Queen’s Park offering spaces from 12–200 sq ft and Grassmoor offering spaces from 12–160 sq ft.
A useful rule is this: make a rough list of what you want to store before asking for a quote. It is much easier to recommend the right space when you know whether you are storing ten boxes, a sofa, a bed frame, garden furniture, or half a house.
Personal Storage Chesterfield: A Better Way to Use Your Home
The best thing about storage is not the unit itself. It is what it gives back.
A spare room becomes a guest room again. A garage becomes usable. A hallway becomes clear. A loft becomes less terrifying. A home office becomes somewhere you can actually work.
Whether you are moving, renovating, downsizing, clearing space for a new baby, making room for a hobby, or simply tired of living around things you only use twice a year, personal storage can be a practical and flexible solution.
If you are looking for personal storage in Chesterfield or storage units Chesterfield, Go Store has secure, accessible storage options at Queen’s Park and Grassmoor, with a range of unit sizes to suit everything from a few boxes to larger household items.