Storage during a remodel

Remodeling does not leave much room for furniture. Drywall dust gets into upholstery, flooring crews need bare floor, and a tile saw is a poor neighbor for a piano. Some owners stack everything in the garage, then find the garage is where the contractor stages lumber. Others try to live in one corner of the house with a sheet of plastic between them and the work. A cleaner answer is to take the furniture off the property for the length of the job. O'Brien's Moving & Storage packs it, moves it to the Sparks warehouse, and brings it back when the work is finished.

At a glance

• Furniture out of the dust and out of the contractor's way
• 7 ft x 7 ft x 5 ft wooden vaults, from $40 per month
• About 2 to 3 weeks notice to bring your goods home
• Crews pack, wrap, load and return your furniture

Which remodels need storage

A kitchen remodel empties the kitchen and usually the dining room next to it, since cabinets, appliances and dishes all need to go somewhere. A bathroom remodel is smaller, but the furniture from the hall and the bedroom beside it often goes too. New flooring is the one that surprises people: floors run through the whole level, so every room on that level has to be cleared, and the last room cleared is the last room finished.

Whole-house remodels, additions and second-story projects are where storage matters most. If the plan is to repaint, refloor and rewire, living in the house is not practical, and the furniture can spend weeks or months in the warehouse. Vault storage runs short term or long term, so the monthly charge follows the length of your project.

• Kitchen and dining: tables, chairs, hutches and small appliances
• Flooring: every room on the level, plus area rugs
• Whole-house projects: beds, sofas, desks, art and décor
• Additions: furniture for the rooms next to the work

Planning the dates with your contractor

Ask your contractor for two dates: when the first room must be empty, and when the first finished room comes back. Your estimator builds the storage schedule around them. Stored goods generally ship on about 2 to 3 weeks notice, so call 775-359-6683 as soon as the contractor gives you a completion date, and tell us the day the rooms will be ready.

Remodel schedules move. A permit inspection, a backordered countertop or a rainy week can push things out. Because your furniture stays in the vault until you call, a slipped date costs a phone call and one more month of storage, not a scramble.

How your furniture is handled

Our crew wraps and pads each piece, packs dishes and small items into cartons, and loads everything into 7 ft x 7 ft x 5 ft wooden vaults. The vaults are stored in our 30,000 sq ft Sparks warehouse, which shares a site with our office and truck yard on Glendale Ave. Vault storage starts at $40 per month, and the number of vaults depends on what you are clearing.

Before you decide, read how the vaults work on the vault storage page, or check the guide to preparing furniture for storage. A free in-home estimate and 10 free heavy-duty boxes come with the visit.

Moving back in

When the rooms are done and cleaned, our crew delivers the goods back to the house, sets the furniture where you want it and takes the packing paper away. Many owners ask for the rooms to be delivered in order, with the bedrooms first, so the family can sleep in their own beds while the kitchen is still being finished. Say so when you book and the loading plan can follow it.

Homes in Incline Village, Truckee and the Carson Valley often renovate on a seasonal clock, with a short window between snow and the next snow. Planning storage early helps keep that window clear. See the Lake Tahoe and Truckee service area for the towns we cover.