Moving at short notice: what to do in 72 hours in Bayonne

The landlord wants the flat back. A job transfer lands on a Tuesday, with a start date the following Monday. A leak leaves the apartment unfit to live in, or a break-up means leaving right away. Nobody chooses this kind of move: it just happens to you, with three days on the clock and sometimes no new address yet. In Bayonne, Anglet or Biarritz, where new-build flats often come with little more than a utility cupboard and old cellars smell of damp, one question quickly jumps ahead of all the others: where does all this go, and this very week? We have gathered the questions we hear most often at moments like these, followed by an hour-by-hour plan to get you through the 72 hours.

Two problems, not one

A rushed departure piles everything up at once. Finding somewhere to sleep, telling your employer or the school, handing back the keys, and deciding what happens to every piece of furniture. When a move is planned, the sorting is spread over weeks. Here, you have a weekend. The classic trap? Trying to settle everything in one go, then throwing out or selling off things you will regret a month later. Split the two issues instead. First, clear the home by the date you have been given. Then, once the dust has settled, choose what comes with you. That is exactly what a self-storage unit is for: it pushes the second decision back to a moment when you can think straight.

The questions that come up when everything speeds up

• Is finding a storage unit within a few days realistic? Often, yes. But it depends on which sizes are free when you call, and no honest operator will guarantee you a unit. The smart move: get in touch as soon as your moving-out date is known, even if everything else is still up in the air. We will tell you what is available, and at which facility.
• Online or in person: which is faster? Booking online requires no bank card and lets you hold a unit straight away. One detail worth knowing: when everything is done remotely, access is granted within 15 days at most, the length of the cooling-off period. Need to load this weekend? Then sign the contract with the team instead, and your unit is open to you immediately.
• Which documents should I bring? Photo ID, proof of address and your bank details (IBAN). Also plan for the deposit, one month's rent, returned after the move-out inspection, and the first month, payable by card or in cash.
• No time to make an inventory: what size should I pick? A few minutes are enough to estimate your volume room by room, and it is far more reliable than a quick glance around the living room. Got it wrong? No big deal: switching units during your rental is free.
• Can insurance wait? No, it is compulsory, with cover of at least €5,000. Your home insurance may already cover belongings kept outside your home: one call to your insurer will tell you. If not, we can arrange it for you, from €15 a month.
• "I have no idea how long this will last." Almost nobody in your situation does, and that is not a problem. The contract runs for one month minimum, then month to month, with no maximum term. The day your new address is confirmed, 15 days' notice is all it takes to hand the unit back.
• What if I can only load in the evening or on a Sunday? At Les Arènes, units are accessible 24/7. At Anglet and Les Pontots, access runs every day from 6am to 10pm, Sundays included. Only the office keeps tighter hours: it is located at Les Arènes and opens Tuesday to Saturday. So if you need to sign, do not bank on a Sunday or a Monday.

What a storage unit takes off your mind

• The pressure of the deadline: the home is emptied on time, and the sorting can wait until you are settled.
• Being tied into a long lease: no commitment, just a monthly contract you end once your situation stabilises.
• Worrying about your belongings: a private space in a clean, dry and ventilated building, under video surveillance, with an access code that is yours alone. A far cry from a cousin's damp garage or a friend's living room.
• Exhausting back-and-forth trips: trolleys and hand trucks free to use, a fully ground-level facility in Anglet, and a self-service goods lift at Les Arènes.
• Hunting for boxes: the shop at Les Arènes sells cardboard boxes, tape, protective covers and padlocks. Handy when you have not had time to find any elsewhere.
• The faceless contact form: on the other end of the line, a local team that knows its three facilities inside out and points you to the right one.

Customer story: from Biarritz to Bordeaux in one weekend

Camille, a nurse, was renting a one-bedroom flat near Les Halles in Biarritz: no cellar, and not a single spot to park a van. Her transfer to Bordeaux was confirmed on a Wednesday, with a start date the following Monday and furnished accommodation provided for the first few months. She called us on Thursday morning, a suitable size was free at our Bayonne Les Arènes facility, and she signed on Friday afternoon at the office. On Saturday evening, she parked right outside her drive-up unit, about ten minutes from home via the BAB, and loaded everything without climbing a single flight of stairs. Her sofa, her bed and some thirty boxes are now waiting for her, safe and dry, while she looks for a flat over there.

Your 72-hour plan, step by step

• 72 hours to go: book your storage first. As soon as the date is set, pick up the phone. Choose the facility according to your route: Les Arènes to stay close to central Bayonne, Les Pontots if you are coming in on the main roads, Anglet if you live in the residential neighbourhoods or near the beaches.
• 72 hours to go: make three piles. What comes with you, what goes into storage, what gets given away or thrown out. In doubt? Into storage it goes. The final sort can come later.
• 48 hours to go: paperwork and supplies. One folder with your ID, proof of address and bank details. Boxes, tape, a thick marker pen. And a rental van booked if your car will not be enough.
• 48 hours to go: pack what you use least first. Books, decorative items, out-of-season clothes. Write the room and the contents on two sides of every box: you will thank yourself in a few months.
• 24 hours to go: deal with the fridge and freezer. Perishable food has no place in a storage unit. Appliances, on the other hand, are accepted switched off, emptied and fully dry; leave the doors ajar to avoid odours.
• Moving day: load in the right order. Heavy furniture and rarely used boxes at the back, anything you might need near the door.
• Moving day: keep your survival bag with you. Important papers, chargers, medication, a few changes of clothes. That bag never goes into storage.

Further reading

• Water damage: where to store your furniture during repairs
• The checklist for a well-prepared move, for next time
• All our tips for storing and moving in the Basque Country

• Move out first, decide what to keep later: a storage unit gives you that breathing space.
• Call as soon as your moving-out date is known, as availability varies by unit size.
• Need immediate access? Sign the contract in person; a 100% online booking opens access within 15 days at most.
• Keep your ID, proof of address and bank details close at hand.
• Monthly contract with no commitment, 15 days' notice, free change of unit size.

Have to move out in a few days? Call our team in Bayonne or book a storage unit online without a bank card: we will help you find the right size, at the facility that suits you best.