Hosting during the holidays brings joy, warmth, and lasting memories. But transforming your home into a welcoming space for holiday gatherings often comes with significant challenges. Where do you put all your everyday items to make room for guests, decorations, and festivities?
Temporary storage solutions, particularly temporary storage units, can be the key to creating the perfect holiday hosting environment without needing to declutter permanently. Whether you’re planning to host a small family dinner or welcoming out-of-town guests for an extended stay, temporary storage can help your holiday hosting go off without a hitch.
Why Temporary Storage Is Essential for Holiday Hosting
Hosting the holidays requires a balance between maintaining your everyday living space and creating room for seasonal activities. Using temporary storage units can be an essential part of the equation.
A few common scenarios that might require temporary self storage include:
- Hosting overnight guests in your home office
- Setting up additional dining space in another room
- Creating room for a Christmas tree
- Finding space for extra dining chairs, air mattresses, or serving stations for holiday meals
Key Areas to Declutter for Holiday Hosting
Before your guests arrive, strategically decluttering specific areas of your home can create a more welcoming space for holiday entertaining. While you don’t need to empty your home, putting select items into temporary storage can make a big difference to their comfort.
Living Room
This is your home’s primary gathering space. Consider removing oversized furniture or excess seating that might crowd the room. Also, clean up extra magazines, unused electronics, and nonseasonal decorations.
Guest Room or Home Office
If your home office doubles as a guest room during the holidays, temporarily store your desk, filing cabinets, extra office supplies, and other nonessential work equipment. This will make space for a comfortable bed, luggage rack, and decorations.
Dining Room
Get ready to host big holiday dinners by removing china cabinets or storage pieces that crowd your dining room, especially if you need to extend your table or add extra seating. Store your everyday table decorations and place settings to make room for holiday serving pieces and festive table arrangements.
Kitchen
You’ll need every inch of counter space in your kitchen, so clear and store small appliances and cookware you won’t need for holiday meal preparation. Organize your pantry and cabinet space by relocating lesser-used items and creating room for holiday baking supplies, special servicing pieces, and extra groceries.
Entryway
Create a welcoming first impression by storing out-of-season shoes, coats, and accessories that typically take up space in your entryway. This will make room for your guests’ coats, boots, and umbrellas.
Types of Items to Consider for Temporary Storage
As you prepare your house for holiday hosting, go through each room and look for items that take up space and can be stored temporarily without disrupting your daily routine. Some items to consider putting into temporary storage include:
- Out-of-season furniture and decorations
- Extra electronics and entertainment equipment
- Home office supplies and equipment
- Seasonal clothing and shoes
- Exercise equipment
- Rarely used kitchen appliances and serving pieces
- Hobby supplies and crafting materials
- Extra storage containers and organizational items
- Extra kids’ toys and games
Exploring Temporary Storage Options for the Holidays
Now that you have figured out everything you want to put away to make room for your holiday hosting duties, you have another challenge to solve. Where should all those extra things go?
You might be able to find storage space in your home. On-site options like garages, attics, and basements work well for short-term storage. However, in-home storage isn’t possible for everyone. You may live in a smaller home, condo, or apartment that has a limited amount of storage space. Even if you have these storage options, they may already be in use. You might have converted your basement to a bedroom, or you need your garage for the cars during the coldest season of the year.
A storage unit could be an excellent alternative if at-home storage isn’t a good option.
Why Choose Temporary Self Storage for Holiday Hosting Needs
A temporary storage unit gives you a clean, secure, and accessible space where you can stash all your extra possessions away from home without giving up your existing storage space. Most self-storage facilities offer units in a range of sizes. Small units are great for storing off-season decor and clothing. Medium units can usually hold furniture and household items. If you need to clear out multiple rooms or store several pieces of larger furniture, a large unit might be your best choice.
Look for self-storage facilities that offer month-to-month leases, especially if you plan to store your items only during the holidays.
Tips for Organizing Your Temporary Storage Unit
If you choose temporary self-storage for your extra items, take the time to organize your storage unit. Packing your unit properly will help you optimize the space so you can easily find your possessions. It will also ensure you rent the smallest space possible and don’t pay more than you should.
Some great storage tips include:
- Create a detailed inventory of your store items
- Put everything in clear plastic bins for better visibility
- Label everything clearly, including which room the items belong in
- Place frequently needed items near the front of the unit
- Use your vertical space by stacking boxes and installing temporary shelving units
- Keep pathways clear for easy access through the unit
Temporary Storage for Holiday Decorations and Gifts
A temporary storage unit can help with more than just your hosting duties. You can also deploy it for other important holiday-related missions. Think of it as your holiday common center.
Use the space to rotate seasonal items. For example, store your Christmas or Hanukkah decorations during Thanksgiving and switch them out while your New Year’s celebratory pieces wait in the wings.
A storage unit can also be the perfect hiding spot for holiday gifts, keeping them away from prying eyes. Create a gift-wrapping station in your unit where you can organize presents, store wrapping supplies, and even wrap gifts in peace. This approach keeps your home clutter-free and helps make Christmas or Hanukkah gifts truly a surprise on a special day.
Preparing Your Home for Guests and Holiday Hosting
Hosting the holidays is a lot of work, but you know it’s worth the effort. By taking the time to declutter your home, you can create a welcoming environment where friends and family can relax and make memories. While you might be able to tuck some items away into closets or your garage, if you find yourself running out of storage space, it’s time to rent temporary self storage.
Price Self Storage® makes holiday organization headache-free with month-to-month leases, competitive rates, and first-month promotions on many of our units. Our flexible terms mean you can store items just for the holiday season or enjoy a more organized home year-round.
Find your nearest Price Self Storage location and let the hosting season begin.
