There are lots of situations where someone needs additional space or storage short term. It’s actually a great idea if you’re moving and your new home isn’t quite ready yet or you’re decluttering to sell your home and want your home to make a great first impression! There are storage facilities near you that can quote prices and sizes, based on the quantity of items you need to store. You generally can hire a moving company to do the heavy lifting or do it yourself. If you choose to do it yourself, you will need to rent a truck, have help to load it, drive to the facility and unload it into the appropriate sized unit. You should also allocate appropriate funds for the reverse process once you’re moved.
There are also some companies that will deliver a container or pod to your home that you fill or load onsite and they will pick it up and store it at their warehouse until you’re ready for it at your new home. You can then conveniently unload it once at your new location. Be sure to ask what fees apply for delivery and the length of storage.
Being in the auction business for as long as I have, I’ve dealt with lots of storage unit. I have had consumers call me that need to liquidate the contents of the storage units and call with various situations of how that stuff all ended up in there. They inherited, they moved, they downsized, they had a hobby, they just collected and didn’t know when to stop. Generally, they have stored things for years with intentions of going through it, keeping the sentimental items or keepsakes that are meaningful or things that are otherwise valuable to them. Without fail, the ones that call me had good intentions that just didn’t work out as they envisioned it.
So, here are my top tips for those who find themselves in a similar situation of dealing with long-term stored items or short-term moving and storage plans.
- PACKING TO MOVE: Sort and discard as you’re packing. Consider making an inventory and catalog your boxes with an organizational number or letter that you map on the inventory. You’ll know exactly which box contains the items you’re looking for. Make a donation box for items you no longer need. Do not pack food in your storage! Food attracts bugs and rodents to your unit or pod and will wreak havoc on all items in the storage! Don’t pack with mothballs in EVERY box. Mothballs emit a toxic fume and can make you sick in large quantities. If you’re concerned about insects and want to use mothballs, use them sparingly, outside of the bags or boxes, and with caution! Don’t use tape directly on your furniture. Tapes and adhesives can degrade in storage units. Use a barrier of paper, plastic furniture wrap or moving blankets between the tape and your furniture to protect the finishes from damage. You can purchase plastic bins, boxes, wardrobe boxes, furniture plastic wrap from hardware stores and some storage facilities. Newspaper end rolls make excellent packing materials and can be purchased inexpensively from your local newspaper office.
- DOWNSIZING OR MOVING ITEMS FROM STORAGE UNIT: If the unit is too full to allow you to go through the boxes there, is it within your budget to rent a nearby unit and sort into it? Go through each box and sort, deciding which items you are keeping, donating or would like to resell. Rewrap and pack the keepers. Photograph all items you want to pursue reselling and label box or consider making an inventory as you go. Box separately anything that is to be donated. Take donations away at the end of each session. Bag and dispose of anything that may have gotten broken during the initial move. Clearly mark each box, consider inventorying for your own records and sort them into categories as they are placed into the new unit. If a second storage unit to sort into is not in your budget, you may shuffle boxes into the hall or parking lot and deal with it in stages as time and space permits.
- PACKING THE POD: (Also see No. 1 above) Packing the pod can be a science! You want to make the best use of the space. Use similarly shaped and sized boxes so you can stack efficiently. Keep the items you need access to at the end with door, load them last. Clearly label fragile items and take care that they aren’t on the bottom. Pack the pod with weight equally distributed, heavier items on the bottom. Chairs are space hogs and are often stacked one upside down on top of another, making sure the crest rail doesn’t scrape the floor or leave dents in the seat cushion of the chair it’s stacked onto, use some protective padding to prevent permanent dents. Use the furniture shelves or crevices to hold smaller boxes to limit wasted space and voids. Use blankets to protect furniture and pictures, mirrors and other breakables. Use plastic bags and/or bins for liquids and other items that could spill or leak during transport or storage. Use bracing bars, cardboard or ropes if your pod is not completely full or there is a risk of shifting during transport. Use a box labeling system that will allow you to move the boxes efficiently one time and directly to the room they belong in once you are ready to unload. Leave some space to allow the door to close. Recycle all those packing materials. You’ll feel good about doing your part for the environment!
Have a happy moving day! Enjoy your new home!
The opinions expressed are those of the author, Valerie Grimm. She is a licensed Realtor with Locality1 Realty for Keller Williams Realty Clear Lake/NASA, Professional Auctioneer and owner of Martindale Auction Services. Licensed by the State of Texas, and a member of Texas Auctioneers Association (TAA) and Fellowship of Christian Auctioneers International (FCAI), National Association of Realtors®, Texas Association of Realtors® and Houston Association of Realtors®. She has served on the Board of Directors for the TAA (2011-2012, 2012-2013 & 2014-2015). Texas Auctioneer’s License No. 16230.
This article is not intended as professional advice or counsel and may be very different from where you live. Use your best judgment and consult an attorney in your personal and business dealings. Use of this article is protected.