Going away for a week is easy enough. Going away for three months, six months or an open-ended work assignment is a little different. Suddenly, you have to decide what happens to everything you’re not taking with you. That’s where storage while travelling can make life simpler. Instead of paying for extra space you won’t be using, leaving suitcases with friends or squeezing belongings into a spare corner somewhere, you can pack what you want to keep and have it waiting when you return.
For people living in Abu Dhabi, especially expats who travel frequently or spend part of the year elsewhere, a little planning before departure goes a long way.
What Should You Put Into Storage While Travelling?
Start with the things you definitely won’t need while you’re away.
There’s no point storing something you’ll end up asking a friend to retrieve two weeks into your trip. Before packing, separate your belongings into three groups: taking with you, storing, and getting rid of.
Items people often put into storage while travelling include:
- Seasonal clothes and shoes
- Suitcases you’re not taking
- Books and personal collections
- Small appliances
- Sports or hobby equipment
- Home décor
- Extra kitchenware
- Boxes of personal belongings
- Furniture, depending on how long you’ll be away
Important documents, medication, passports, jewellery and anything you may urgently need should stay somewhere appropriate and accessible rather than disappearing into the back of a storage unit.
Short Trip or Long Trip? It Changes What You Need
Someone travelling for five weeks has different needs from someone taking a year-long overseas assignment.
If your plans are fairly short, short-term storage in Abu Dhabi may be enough. You can keep the things that are getting in the way at home without making a lengthy commitment.
Longer periods need a bit more thought.
With long-term storage Abu Dhabi residents should pay more attention to how items are packed, particularly furniture, clothing, electronics and paperwork. Something that’s fine inside a moving box for two weeks may not be packed well enough to sit there for eight months.
For extended trips, long-term storage in Abu Dhabi gives you somewhere to keep belongings you still want but won’t be using for quite a while.
Don’t Pack the Night Before Your Flight
It’s tempting. It’s also how damp towels, half-used food and mysterious boxes labelled “stuff” end up in storage.
Give yourself a few days.
Before packing:
- Wash and completely dry clothes and bedding.
- Clean furniture and appliances.
- Empty anything containing food or liquids.
- Remove batteries from suitable devices if they won’t be used for a long period.
- Use strong boxes rather than whatever cartons happen to be nearby.
- Label boxes on at least two sides.
- Take photos of valuable or larger belongings.
- Make a quick inventory of what you stored.
You don’t need to catalogue every T-shirt. A basic list such as “Box 4: winter clothes, shoes, spare bedding” is enough to save some head-scratching when you get back.
Personal Storage for Travellers and Expats
Travel plans aren’t always neat.
A two-month work contract can become six. A planned return date might change. An expat may leave Abu Dhabi between leases without knowing exactly when they’ll be back.
That’s why personal storage for travellers can be particularly useful when there’s a gap between where you’re living now and whatever comes next.
EAZY’s personal storage in Abu Dhabi can be used for everyday household belongings, clothing, electronics and other suitable personal items. The units are climate controlled and kept dust and pest free, which can be useful when belongings will be sitting untouched for a while.
For storage for expats, flexibility matters too. You may not necessarily know at the beginning whether you’ll need the space for three months or much longer.
What About Suitcases and Travel Bags?
Sometimes you don’t need a full household storage solution at all.
Maybe you’re between accommodation, travelling onward with only a smaller bag, or simply own several large suitcases that take up far too much cupboard space.
In that case, luggage storage in Abu Dhabi may make more sense.
Before storing luggage:
- Empty every pocket.
- Remove snacks, toiletries and anything that could leak.
- Make sure the bag is dry.
- Clean dirt from wheels and the outer shell.
- Loosen tightly compressed bags where appropriate.
- Keep smaller travel accessories together inside a labelled bag.
One forgotten chocolate bar at the bottom of a backpack can turn into a much bigger nuisance after a few months.
Think About Abu Dhabi’s Climate Before You Leave
One thing worth considering with travel storage Abu Dhabi residents use is what happens to belongings while nobody is checking on them.
Heat and changing environmental conditions can be harder on some materials than others. Electronics, paperwork, certain fabrics and wooden furniture deserve more care than a box of plastic household items.
Climate-controlled storage can provide a more stable environment, but packing still matters. A climate-controlled unit cannot fix a sofa that was stored damp or protect glasses that were thrown loose into a carton.
Clean, dry and pack first. Then think about the storage environment.
Make Coming Home Easier Too
Most people plan for departure and forget about arrival.
Try packing one box specifically for the first day or two after you return. It could contain basic bedding, towels, chargers, a few kitchen essentials and whatever else you’d rather not search for immediately after a long flight.
Mark it clearly and leave it somewhere reachable.
The same goes for anything you know you’ll want fairly soon. Don’t bury it behind a wardrobe, ten boxes and a dining table.
Good storage while travelling should make returning easier, not give you another job to deal with.
Need Storage While Travelling for a While?
Planning an extended trip is easier when you know your belongings have somewhere suitable to stay. Whether you’re leaving Abu Dhabi for a few months, between leases or travelling without a fixed return date, EAZY can help you free up space without having to part with the things you want to keep. Explore our personal storage in Abu Dhabi for climate-controlled, dust and pest-free storage, and arrange a solution that works around your travel plans.
FAQs
Is Storage Worth It If I’m Only Travelling for a Few Months?
It can be, particularly if you’re giving up your accommodation, moving between leases or have belongings you don’t want to take with you. Short-term storage can also be useful when you know roughly when you’ll return.
What Should I Not Put Into Storage Before Travelling?
Avoid storing perishable food, hazardous or flammable products, damp belongings, medication you may need, and illegal or prohibited goods. Expensive jewellery, passports and irreplaceable valuables may also be better kept somewhere specifically suited to high-value items.
How Should I Prepare Clothes for Long-Term Storage?
Wash them first and make sure they’re completely dry. Fold or hang them according to the fabric, avoid packing them while damp, and use clean storage containers or suitable garment covers.
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