Tips for using mobile storage unit

Changing your address means that you have to transport your entire household from point A to point B. Whether you are moving for a couple of blocks away or conducting a long-distance move, there is a possibility that you will need to temporarily store your belongings somewhere. This usually happens when you have renovations to complete, or in other words, when your home is not ready for moving in. Also, storage units can come in handy when you have excess belongings in your apartment and limited space. When it comes to storing your belongings, onsite storage solutions is the latest approach that more and more people are beginning to use. You just have to call your local moving company and see if they offer this kind of service. But before you do that, let’s learn a bit more about using a mobile storage unit. Stay with us.

Organize your belongings before using mobile storage unit

Before you call your movers Fort Washington PA, you should prepare your belongings for transportation. More precisely, you should choose what are you going to pack and what are you going to leave behind. Actually, this is the perfect time to get rid of everything that you are not using regularly. So do a decluttering tour of your home and sell, donate, or simply throw away everything you don’t need. There are several advantages to doing this:

• It is easier to pack less stuff. Additionally, there is less chance that you will forget something when you are not surrounded by piles of items.
• It takes less time to pack less stuff
• You will save some money. Let us explain this. The cost of a relocation consists of the distance of the move and the total weight of the shipment. This means that the less stuff you pack, the lower the price will be.

  

Why using a mobile storage unit could prove to be a good idea?

If you believe that getting full-service moving is a waste of your finances, but you are not capable to pull off the whole move on your own, renting a mobile storage unit might be the perfect solution for you. What happens here is that your moving partner will leave a moving container in front of your home so that you can pack your belongings into it. They will later come back to pick it up, and transport it to your desired destination. So, what are the pros of renting a portable container?

• It’s more cost-effective. Moving can be very expensive, especially long-distance relocations with average prices starting at $4,300. If you decide to rent a portable container you will trim down the price to $800, but you will have to do some of the tasks on your own.
• It is easy to load and unload a moving container.
• These containers have a sturdy build, and your belongings will be safe.

What do you need to know before renting a portable container?

So, you have decided to organize the move on your own and save some money along the way. Renting a portable container is a good idea, but here is what you need to be aware of before you decide to use one.

• How much space do you need? The larger the container the higher the renting price will be. So, before you rent one try to estimate what size do you need. How many belongings are you planning to pack and transport? Don’t overpay for something that you don’t need.
• Inform your moving company about pickup and delivery locations so that they could give you an approximate price.

Get some packing supplies

Organizing a move on your own means that you will have to get some basic tools. Most of these tools you can get in your local DIY store. Another option is to go online and see if someone is selling or giving away used boxes. But the best option is to ask your friends who recently moved if they have some leftover boxes that you could use. So here is what to get for this occasion:

• Cardboard boxes
• Packing paper
• Bubble wrap
• Scissors
• Packing tape
• Marker pens
• Sticker labels
• Basic tools like screwdrivers

In case you didn’t know it is possible to get packing services separately from moving services. This option could be useful for those who have a limited moving budget but have to move in a hurry and don’t have enough time to pack on their own.

Useful packing tips

Okay, now when you have the necessary packing equipment it is the time for packing. So how to pack and protect your belongings in the most efficient way? Here some tips to help you with this task:

• Don’t forget to label your boxes. Also, create some sort of moving inventory and list all boxes. This will help you to keep count of what you have already packed.
• Pay attention not to overstuff the boxes. Items like books accumulate weight quickly and can tear the bottom of the box if you are not careful.
• When loading boxes into containers, place heavier boxes at the bottom.
• Create a wall. Don’t fill out the floor space first, stack boxes vertically instead.
• Try to use boxes that similar in size, it is easier to stack boxes like this.
• Pack fragile items properly, and don’t forget to label these boxes as fragile.

  

Additional tips

• Don’t pack everything into the container. While you should use the container stuff like furniture and appliances, you don’t have to use it for packing food, flammables, and liquids. Also, items like important documents, medications, and valuables should be in your essentials bag.
• Try to fill the entire container to prevent boxes from tumbling.
• Pack important items at the front so that you could reach the easier if necessary.

As you can see, using mobile storage unit is great for a DIY move as it is quite cost-effective. We hope that you will find our advice useful and we wish you a happy relocation.