New Homes Week is an annual celebration of new build homes run by the Home Builders Federation. This year (2024), it falls between Monday 26 February to Sunday 3 March, and the theme is ‘Tomorrow awaits: Make it yours’.
New homes have all kins of advantages, from less maintenance and new appliances less likely to go wrong, to being able to move in without needing to decorate and generally better energy use. (According to the HBF, on average, owners of new build homes could save up £2,200 a year on their energy costs; 85% of new builds have an A or B EPC rating – less than 5% of older properties achieve this; and from 2023, more sustainability features have to come as standard in new homes, including energy and water efficient fixtures and fittings, and electric charging points.)
When you are buying your first home, you are likely to have sourced furniture from various places, even had donations from family and friends.
A self-storage unit can provide a safe, dry space for these things as you accumulate them, even having items delivered directly to your unit.
You can then also move in at your own pace, deciding whether Aunts Lucy´s mahogany sideboard – however lovely - really has a place in your new space.
The time it takes to move into a new build home can vary, from as little as six weeks to way longer, depending on the stage of development when you buy (buying ´off plan´ or on a completed project.)
On sales of existing properties, the ´chain´ can break if someone's sale falls through, something that won´t happen with a new build. The builders have every incentive to deliver on time, and there are very few circumstances in which a chain even exists.
Despite this, according to Lively Professional Services (house ´snagging´ professionals), less than two thirds of houses are completed on time, for any number of reasons, usually outside of the builder's control. That means a one in three chance of a delay. If you´ve sold your own home or given notice on a tenancy, there´s a gap. Sleeping on a friend's sofa or going home to parents ís one thing. Asking them to also home a houseful of belongings is another.
Good quality, accessible self-storage can take the strain by giving you a safe space to hold your belongings whilst still being accessible whenever you need them.
Decluttering absolutely has its place in a move, but sometimes there´s a piece of furniture you love but don´t think will go with the other things you have.
Rather than get rid of it and regret it later, self-storage can offer a safe space to keep these things until you are settled in and know what you want to keep, what you need, and what can go.
(It´s always a clever idea to set yourself a time limit on how long you´ll store for before deciding - there´s nothing like a deadline to force a decision.)
According to Estate Agent Today, new build houses are almost 20% smaller than in the 1950s.
Rotating possessions will keep the house fresh and decluttered, and combat and lack of storage space.
Many of us, for example, store belongings for Christmas or other religious festivals. There are things we want to keep, like a wedding dress or baby´s first shoes. These things deserve a safe space, but rarely come out in public.
In winter, we may want warm throws and matching cushions in our living room, but not want lush velvet or brocade in their in the summer months.
Bulky sports gear can be put away out of season, and for the self-employed the annual accounting paperwork needs somewhere to live.
One way and another, having an accessible, available space to store things can help keep our homes decluttered and well organised.
Pink Storage offers secure, easily accessible self-storage, across twelve self-storage sites in Wales and the Northwest of England, backed by a price promise.
With a little thought and some self storage, you really will be on the way to ´Make it Yours´.
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