Full-Service Packing and Storage in NYC (2026): How It Works and What It Costs

Sometimes you need your whole home packed up and stored for a while — a renovation, a sale that closed before your next place is ready, a stint abroad, or simply downsizing with no time to deal with it. In New York City, doing that yourself means boxes, a truck, a storage unit across town, and a lot of trips. Full-service packing and storage replaces all of it with one coordinated service: a crew packs everything, moves it, and keeps it safe until you want it back. Here's exactly how it works, when it's worth it, and what it costs.

What "full-service packing and storage" actually means

It's two services run as one job by the same accountable team:

1. Professional packing — a trained crew brings the materials and packs your entire home: fragile items, electronics, clothing, kitchen, furniture disassembly, the works. You don't touch a box.
2. Transport and storage — everything is loaded, inventoried, and moved into a secure, climate-controlled warehouse, where it stays until you schedule delivery to your new place (or back to the same one).

The point is that one company owns the whole chain — so nothing gets lost in a handoff between a packing service, a mover, and a storage facility.

How the process works, step by step

1. Survey & estimate. We size the job from a quick video walkthrough or an itemized list — enough to know the crew, truck, materials, and roughly how much storage space you'll need.
2. Pack day. The crew arrives with boxes, paper, padding, and crating materials and packs the home, labeling and logging an inventory as they go.
3. Load & transport. Everything is padded, loaded, and driven to the warehouse the same day.
4. Climate-controlled storage. Your belongings are stored in our temperature-controlled facility in Secaucus, NJ — three miles from the Lincoln Tunnel. You're billed month-to-month and pay only for the space you actually use.
5. Delivery when you're ready. When your next place is set, we schedule redelivery and, if you'd like, unpacking.

When it makes sense

• Renovations — clear the apartment, store it, bring it back when the dust settles.
• A gap between homes — your sale or lease ends before the next place is ready.
• Home staging — remove clutter and excess furniture to show a property.
• Downsizing or estate transitions — store what you're not ready to part with.
• Extended travel or a work assignment abroad — a secure place for everything while you're gone.

In most of these, you won't need day-to-day access to your things — which is good news for the budget (more on that below).

What it costs — and what drives the price

There's no flat sticker price, but the cost comes down to a few clear factors:

• Packing labor and materials. A one-bedroom packs faster than a four-bedroom; fragile-heavy homes (art, glassware, electronics) take more care and materials.
• The volume you store. Storage is priced by the space your goods occupy. A studio takes far less room than a townhouse, and you pay for what you use.
• How long you store. Storage is month-to-month, so a two-month renovation costs far less than a year abroad.
• Access needs. If you won't need to retrieve items, a more remote, lower-cost warehouse is perfect — and that's usually how pack-and-store customers prefer it.
• Building logistics. NYC's usual variables apply on pack/move day: walk-ups vs. elevators, long carries, freight-elevator reservations, and parking. For the full picture, see what actually drives the cost of a NYC move.

The honest way to get a real number is a short video walkthrough or an item list — anything less is a guess.

A few NYC-specific things to know

• Certificate of Insurance (COI). Most co-op, condo, and rental buildings require the mover to file a COI naming the building before move day. A full-service mover handles this for you — just send your building's requirements.
• Climate control matters here. NYC humidity and temperature swings are hard on wood furniture, instruments, electronics, and art. Temperature-controlled storage protects them; a cheap non-climate unit can warp or mildew them.
• You don't have to visit the warehouse. Because the storage is managed, you don't need a facility near you — which is exactly why a slightly remote, secure warehouse is both safe and economical.

How to get an accurate quote

Two easy options, no in-person visit required:

• Record a quick video walking through each room, or
• Send an item list (furniture plus a rough sense of boxes).

From either, we'll send a detailed written estimate covering packing, transport, and storage — and we're happy to keep the whole thing over email if that's easier for you.

Why Scanio for pack-and-store

Scanio Moving & Storage has packed and stored New York homes since 1941. We're fully licensed and insured (NY DOT T11495, ICC MC93512, US DOT 537054), our in-house crews know NYC buildings, and our Secaucus warehouse is secure and climate-controlled. One team handles everything from the first box to the day it all comes back.

Ready for a number? Request a free estimate or learn more about our storage service. Prefer email? Just say so and we'll keep it there.