Home Renovation? Here's How Storage Keeps Your Project on Track

Renovating your home in Tyndall, Springfield, Freeman, or anywhere in southeast South Dakota? The construction is hard enough without tripping over your own furniture. Here’s how a storage unit keeps your stuff safe, your contractor happy, and your project moving.

The Renovation Storage Problem Nobody Warns You About

You’ve planned the renovation. You’ve hired the contractor. You’ve picked the countertops, the flooring, the paint colors. You’re ready.

Then your contractor says: “We need this room completely empty by Monday.”

And suddenly you’re staring at a living room full of furniture with nowhere to put it. The spare bedroom is already full of boxes. The garage has your cars in it. And your kids’ rooms are not an option unless you want to explain why there’s a dining table in front of their bunk bed.

This is where renovations stall. Not because of permits or materials — because people don’t have a plan for their stuff.

A temporary storage unit solves this instantly. Move your furniture and belongings into a unit before demo day, give your contractor a clear workspace, and bring everything back when the dust settles. Literally.

Why Your Contractor Wants You to Use Storage

Talk to any contractor in the Yankton area and they’ll tell you the same thing: empty rooms renovate faster and cheaper.

Here’s why:

Fewer delays. When a room is full of furniture, the crew spends time moving things around instead of working. Every piece of furniture they have to work around adds time. Time is money — yours.

Less damage risk. Drywall dust gets into everything. Paint splatters. Tools scratch surfaces. A stray boot crushes something fragile. The more of your belongings that are on-site during renovation, the more likely something gets damaged. Contractors aren’t negligent — construction is just messy.

Better results. Painters do better work on empty walls. Flooring installers do better work on empty floors. Cabinet installers need clear counters and open floor space. The quality of your renovation improves when the crew has room to work.

Faster completion. An empty room can be gutted, rebuilt, and finished in half the time of a room where the crew is constantly navigating around your stuff. If your contractor quotes you four weeks, filling a storage unit could shave that down to three.

Room-by-Room Renovation Storage Strategy

Not every renovation requires you to empty the entire house. Match your storage to the scope of your project.

Kitchen Renovation

Kitchens are the most common home renovation — and the most disruptive. You’ll want to move: - All small appliances (mixers, blenders, toasters, coffee maker) - Dishes, glassware, and cookware you’re not using daily - Extra pantry items and dry goods - Table and chairs if the kitchen has a dining area - Any decorative items, rugs, and curtains

Keep accessible: A box of daily essentials — plates, cups, silverware, a coffee maker, a microwave. Set up a temporary “kitchen” in another room. You’ll be eating sandwiches and takeout for a while.

Storage needed: A 5x10 typically handles a kitchen’s worth of items.

Bathroom Renovation

Bathrooms are smaller but everything needs to come out. Move: - Towels, linens, and toiletries (except daily essentials) - Any freestanding furniture (shelving, hampers, cabinets) - Decorative items

Storage needed: A bathroom’s contents usually fit in a 5x5 or even a corner of a larger unit you’re already using.

Full Home Renovation

If you’re doing floors, painting the entire interior, or a major remodel that touches multiple rooms, you may need to empty most of the house. This is where a 10x15 or 10x20 unit earns its keep.

A 10x20 unit fits the contents of a typical three-bedroom home. If you’re not emptying everything — leaving beds and a few essentials — a 10x15 handles the rest.

Flooring Projects

New flooring means everything on the floor has to move. For a single room, you might shuffle furniture to other rooms. For a whole-house flooring project, that’s not an option. Everything goes into storage, the floors go in, and you move back in room by room.

How to Pack for Renovation Storage

Renovation storage is usually short-term — two weeks to three months. But that doesn’t mean you should skip the packing basics.

Protect furniture. Moving blankets or furniture pads over every surface. Wrap legs and corners. Stack chairs on top of tables to save space.

Box everything else. Don’t throw loose items into a unit. Pack them in boxes, label the boxes, and you’ll thank yourself when it’s time to unpack.

Put essentials near the front. You will need to get into your storage unit during the renovation. Maybe the contractor needs a specific item, or you realize you packed something you need. Keep daily-use items and important boxes near the unit door.

Don’t over-stack. A two-month rental doesn’t justify packing the unit to the ceiling. Leave room to access things and keep weight reasonable on lower boxes.

Protect against dust. Even in a storage unit, cover upholstered furniture with sheets or plastic covers. Renovation dust is incredibly fine and travels — even after the work is done, it lingers in fabric.

For more detail, check our complete packing guide.

Timing: When to Get Your Storage Unit

Book your unit at least two weeks before your renovation start date. Here’s why:

• Moving day takes longer than you think. Emptying rooms, loading a truck or trailer, driving to the storage facility, unloading, and organizing — it’s a full day for a large project.
• Your contractor’s start date isn’t flexible. If they arrive Monday and your living room is still full, you’ve just wasted a day of their schedule (and your money).
• You’ll make better decisions with time. Rushing to pack the night before demo day means broken items, lost items, and poor organization.

The ideal timeline: 1. 4 weeks before: Reserve your unit and confirm the size 2. 2 weeks before: Start packing non-essential items (off-season clothes, decorations, books, rarely used kitchen items) 3. 1 week before: Pack remaining items room by room 4. 2-3 days before: Move furniture and large items to storage 5. Day before renovation: Final walkthrough — the rooms should be empty and ready

What Size Unit for Your Renovation?

When in doubt, go one size up. An extra $15-20 per month is nothing compared to the frustration of a unit that’s too small. Check our full size guide for detailed breakdowns.

Short-Term Rental: What It Costs

Renovation storage is typically a one-to-three-month rental. In the Tyndall, Springfield, and Freeman area, you’re looking at:

• 5x10: $50–$75/month
• 10x10: $75–$120/month
• 10x15: $100–$150/month
• 10x20: $125–$175/month

For a two-month kitchen renovation using a 5x10 unit, that’s roughly $100-150 total. Compare that to the cost of a damaged couch or an extra week of contractor time because they couldn’t access the room efficiently. Storage pays for itself.

Lock N’ Leave It Storage offers month-to-month leases — no long-term contracts required. Rent for two months, three months, or however long your renovation takes. When you’re done, give notice and move out.

Don’t Let Your Stuff Slow Down Your Renovation

The renovation itself is stressful enough. Where your furniture goes shouldn’t be another headache.

Lock N’ Leave It Storage in Tyndall, Springfield, and Freeman gives you a clean, secure place to keep everything while your contractor works. Move your stuff in, let the work happen, and bring it all back when the new floors are in and the paint is dry.

Reserve a unit today — tell us what you’re renovating and we’ll help you figure out the right size. No pressure, no commitment until you’re ready.