In November, the cellar and the garage fill up: garden furniture, bikes, boxes left over from the last move. Yet in winter these two rooms have one thing in common: neither is really built to keep fragile things for several months.
What winter does to your belongings
Damp. A below-ground cellar with little ventilation holds moisture. Cardboard goes soft, textiles and leather take on a musty smell, wood swells, paper ripples.
Cold. In an uninsulated garage, the temperature can drop below zero. Screens, batteries, paint, liquid products and musical instruments all cope badly with frost.
Condensation. When days are warmer than nights, moisture in the air settles on cold surfaces — and above all underneath plastic sheeting.
Keeping things in the cellar or the garage: six habits
- Raise everything off the ground, on pallets or shelves. Never straight on the floor.
- Leave 5 to 10 cm between your belongings and the walls.
- Replace plastic sheeting with fabric covers that let things breathe.
- Keep papers and textiles in closed boxes, with moisture-absorbing sachets.
- Air the room in dry weather.
- Check on everything once a month.
What is better not left in a cellar or a garage this winter
- Solid wood furniture and antiques
- Musical instruments
- Mattresses, bedding and clothes
- Books, photographs and important papers
- Electronics and batteries
- Paintings and picture frames
Sports equipment follows the same logic: we go into how to store it in our article on the gear you only use every other season.
Packing properly before storing: the checklist
- Clean and dry every item before putting it away.
- Empty and defrost a fridge, then store it with the door ajar.
- Take apart whatever comes apart, and tape the screws to the piece in a bag.
- Protect furniture with blankets rather than plastic film.
- Use sturdy boxes, all the same size, so they stack safely.
- Label all four sides of each box and photograph the contents.
When to move to dry storage
If you are storing for several months, if your belongings are fragile, or if you simply have no cellar, a unit in a recent building is safer: the air stays dry and the temperature above zero.
In Belmont-sur-Lausanne, three minutes from the Pully sports centre, CBOX offers units that are heated in winter, dry, ventilated and secure, from CHF 40 per month. Free parking on site and a goods lift to the upper floors. Access is 24/7 with your personal code, from one month and with no commitment. Booking is done online.
The full size-by-size breakdown is on the sizes and prices page. And if you are clearing rooms for building works rather than for winter, see where to store your furniture during renovation.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a heated space to store furniture?
What damages furniture is mainly damp and sudden swings in temperature. A dry, frost-free space at a stable temperature is enough for the great majority of items. At CBOX, the units are heated in winter.
How long can you rent a unit for?
At CBOX, from one month, with no commitment. You keep your unit for as long as you need it.
