“Will my movers store my stuff if my new place isn’t ready yet?” is a question we hear constantly at Two Chicks Moving, especially during Southwest Florida’s busy summer closing season, when new-construction delays and overlapping lease dates are common. As a mover in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Estero, and Bonita Springs, we work with plenty of households who need somewhere safe to keep their belongings for a few weeks — or a few months — between move-out and move-in. Here’s what to know before you assume your moving company has you covered.
Do Moving Companies Offer Storage, and How Long Will They Hold Your Stuff?
Yes — many full-service movers and portable storage container companies build storage directly into their moving services. According to moveBuddha’s guide to mover storage, most portable container companies (think PODS, Zippy Shell, Smartbox, and International Van Lines) include roughly 30 days of free storage with a move, then switch to a monthly rate if you need longer. Full-service van lines work a bit differently: Allied Van Lines, for example, offers temporary “storage-in-transit” for up to 90 days before your goods need to move into permanent storage.
The catch most people don’t realize: unlike a dedicated self-storage facility, many moving-company storage arrangements have a built-in time limit — often somewhere in the 90-to-120-day range — before you’re required to either take delivery or transfer everything into longer-term storage. If you’re not sure how long you’ll actually need the space, that’s a question worth asking before you book, not after.
When Moving-Company Storage Makes Sense in Southwest Florida
A few situations come up again and again for households moving in and around Lee and Collier counties:
- Closing delays: New-construction closings across Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Estero routinely slip by a few weeks, and short-term mover storage bridges the gap without a second move.
- Snowbird transitions: Seasonal residents heading north for the summer often need a place to store furniture and belongings during the off-season rather than pay to keep a home fully furnished.
- Downsizing overflow: Households moving into a smaller condo or senior community sometimes need a few months to sort through what doesn’t fit before deciding what to sell, donate, or keep.
- Business relocations: Commercial moves often need inventory or office furniture held temporarily while a new space is built out.
What Storage Actually Costs
Pricing varies by provider and storage type. Mover-arranged warehouse storage typically runs $150 to $400 per month, or roughly $100 to $300 per storage vault, sometimes with a one-time handling fee to move items in and out. A standalone self-storage unit is often cheaper for long stretches — typically $75 to $300 per month depending on unit size — which is why moveBuddha’s guide generally recommends mover storage for shorter, move-adjacent needs and self-storage facilities once you’re looking at several months or more.
One Florida-specific detail worth asking about either way: climate control. Southwest Florida’s heat and humidity can warp wood furniture, mildew upholstery, and damage electronics in a non-climate-controlled unit surprisingly fast, so it’s worth the modest upcharge if your belongings will be sitting for more than a few weeks.
Before booking storage with any mover, it’s worth asking a few direct questions: What happens once the free storage period ends? Is the facility climate-controlled and secure? Can you access your items while they’re in storage, or is it sealed until delivery? If you’d like to see how we handle short- and long-term storage for local moves, our storage solutions page walks through how it works for households across Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Estero, and Bonita Springs.
Local Area Guide: Bonita Springs’ Newest Corner of Fresh Dining, at Entrada
If you’re settling into Bonita Springs this summer, there’s a lower-key dining scene worth exploring beyond the well-known Old 41 corridor: the Entrada mixed-use development, which quietly picked up several new tenants this spring. According to Gulfshore Business’s mid-2026 Southwest Florida restaurant roundup, Wichcraft, a gourmet sandwich shop, opened in May next to The Bohemian at Entrada, joined by Craft Spirits Social in the same development.
It’s part of a broader wave of smaller, chef- and owner-driven openings spreading across Bonita’s newer pockets this year — Acqua Bistecca opened at Saltleaf on Estero Bay, Break The Fast and Cazaroto Pizza & Pasta joined Prado at Spring Creek, and Lemonade Land started pouring at the Flamingo Island Flea Market. Combined with the larger retail build-out already underway at Midtown Bonita and the restaurant growth along Old 41, it’s a good sign for anyone weighing a move to Bonita Springs: new, independent food and drink spots tend to follow rooftops, and they’re showing up in more corners of the city than just downtown.
Curious what moving to Bonita Springs looks like with Two Chicks Moving? Our Bonita Springs movers page has details on how we handle local and long-distance moves across the area.
Ready to Plan Your Move?
Whether you need a few weeks of storage between closings or a full-service move across Southwest Florida, Two Chicks Moving offers transparent, flat hourly rates and a crew that treats your belongings — and your timeline — with care. Reach out for a free, no-obligation quote today.
