Mini-Storage Provides More Options If You Are Moving
You have a number of options on your move if you need to store some or all of your stuff. A large percentage of the moves we do involve temporary (apartment) housing while the client (shipper) is waiting to find something more permanent. Self-storage units (mini-storage) are popular alternatives to van line (moving company) storage for a number of reasons:
• They are self-contained units that you and only you have access to. You put your own padlock on the door that only you have the keys to.
• The only charge–aside from optional insurance–is the actual monthly storage fee. This eliminates the possibility of “hidden fees” that often accompany van line storage.
• .Local and Interstate movers can and will move you into mini-storage on request, but may charge extra if they cannot easily access your storage with a large moving van. Check with your storage agent first and be sure to ask about access for a tractor- trailer (75-80 feet long)or semi-trailer rather than a moving truck (35-40 feet long) if that is what your mover is driving.
• Self-storage allows you to access your stuff for no charge at any time during their hours of operation.
• Furniture to be stored can be wrapped in affordable, disposable paper moving pads that are yours to keep. This eliminates the expense and effort of padding, unpadding and repadding with rental moving pads. Your stuff stays safely padded and dust-proofed in storage and is pre-wrapped and ready for your move-out.
• Climate-controlled storage is advisable for anyone storing their goods in the summer months in areas with a warm climate. In Phoenix, AZ where I live and work this is a must. Air-cooled mini-storages here average $150.00 per month for a 10′ x 20′ unit. This is roughly the same size (200 square feet) as a 24′ rental truck.
If you are moving yourself and think you may have to store some of your things you may want to ask your truck rental agent to add an extra day onto your rental. This will give you time to see what fits and what doesn’t in your temporary housing so that you can make just one truck trip to your storage unit. Most mini-storages are built for rental truck access but call ahead to make sure.
Moving company storage is done in large (app. 7′ x 7′ x 7′) wooden crates called vaults that are often stacked 3 or 4 high in a warehouse. Obviously, they have to be forklifted onto the dock for you to access them. There is a substantial charge for this as well as scheduling constraints. If you are looking at long-term storage, and don’t need to access your stuff, this may be a better option for you. Moving companies can offer fairly low monthly storage prices for longer term customers. The expensive part is called the “warehouse out” charge, for unpacking the vaults, unpadding and repadding your furniture and reinventorying everything for your delivery driver before being loaded on the truck. This may be a worthwhile expense if you plan on having them moving you to your new home, especially if it is going to be a long distance move. One big advantage is that your stuff remains insured throughout the entire process, because it is being handled by different agents of the same company.
