What to Do With Your Belongings When You're Deployed

Relocation orders just came through. You're deploying in six weeks. You will need to prepare mentally, getting medical checked, and saying goodbyes, you've also got to figure out what happens to all your stuff while you're gone.

Our team at StorPlace on Nolensville Road works with military families regularly. Fort Campbell is close enough that we see a steady stream of soldiers, airmen, and their families dealing with this exact situation. We've learned what works and what causes headaches months into a deployment.

Let's talk through your options and what actually makes sense.

Why This Decision Matters More Than You Think

When you're deploying, you've got a thousand things on your mind. What to do with your belongings feels like item #847 on the priority list. But here's the thing making the wrong call here can create problems that follow you across the world.

What we've seen go wrong:

• Stuff stored improperly that comes back damaged or destroyed
• Family members are stuck dealing with storage issues while you're deployed
• Items were lost because nobody knew where they were stored
• Money wasted on storage that wasn't necessary
• Important documents are misplaced when they're needed

Getting this right means one less thing to worry about while you're deployed. And that matters.

Your Best Options

Let's break down what you can actually do with your belongings.

Option 1: Keep Your Place and Everything In It

When this works:

• You're married, and your family is staying in the area
• Single, but deployment is short
• You've got rock-solid roommates handling rent and utilities
• Military housing, you're not giving up

When this doesn't work:

• You're single with a lease that ends during deployment
• Can't afford to pay rent on an empty place for 9-12 months
• The roommate situation is shaky
• Housing allowance stops or changes during deployment

Reality check from our team: Most single service members can't afford to pay rent on a place they're not living in. Do the math before you commit.

Option 2: Move Everything to Family

When this works:

• Family lives close enough to make it practical
• They've got actual space (not "we'll make it work" space)
• The relationship is solid, and they're reliable
• Items have sentimental value, and you want family to watch them

When this doesn't work:

• Family is across the country (moving costs add up fast)
• They're doing you a favor, but don't really have room
• You've got a lot of stuff
• Furniture won't fit in their already-full house

Our team sees this attempted frequently. Sometimes it works great. Sometimes it creates family tension for the entire deployment. Know which situation you're in.

Option 3: Sell Everything and Start Fresh

When this works:

• Deploying for an extended period and circumstances are changing
• Furniture is old/cheap and not worth storing
• You're okay starting over when you return
• Moving to a different duty station after deployment

When this doesn't work:

• You've got quality furniture that you'd have to replace for thousands
• Sentimental items that can't be replaced
• Electronics, tools, equipment with real value
• Military gear you'll need immediately upon return

Quick math: If replacing everything costs $5,000+ and storage would cost $1,200 for the year, storage wins financially.

Option 4: Storage Unit

This is where our team sees the best outcomes for most service members, especially those from Fort Campbell and the surrounding areas.

Why storage works:

• Your stuff is secure and accessible if needed
• Family can access it if something comes up
• Climate-controlled options protect valuables
• Month-to-month flexibility if plans change
• Way cheaper than keeping an apartment
• Everything's in one place, not scattered across three locations

Let's dig into how to do this right.

StorPlaceOn 7116 Nolensville Rd Ste 101, Nolensville, TN

Deployment is stressful enough without worrying about your belongings. Do this part right, and it's one less thing occupying mental space while you're overseas.

If you're military and facing deployment near the Nolensville, Brentwood, or Fort Campbell area, come talk to our team at StorPlace Self Storage, 7116 Nolensville Rd.

We'll help you figure out the right size unit, walk you through the setup, and make sure you've got a solid plan before you leave.

Thank you for your service. Let us handle protecting your stuff while you're handling everything else.