Before you choose portable storage services, consider how many full rooms of furniture and belongings you need to move or store. Moreover, you also need to know how much loading and unloading time you will have. What packing supplies will you need, and where will you get them? And finally, what restrictions exist at the other end of your move? Planning ahead will save time, hassles, and money.
Are There Any Restrictions on Portable Storage Containers?
Check with your town or HOA regarding restrictions before you rent your portable storage container. Ask whether your area allows on-street parking of portable storage containers in your neighborhood. For example, the municipal code of Dover, Delaware limits portable storage containers to one per lot for no more than 30 days, nor longer than 60 days in any calendar year, except while an existing building permit remains on file and os active. In addition, the portable storage container must not block any fire hydrants, obscure sight lines at intersections, impede traffic flow, or hinder safety force access through the neighborhood.
Do You Need Wardrobe Boxes, Bubble Wrap, or Packing Tape?
Wardrobe boxes allow you to move clothes from closets while still on their hangers. Also, once full of your children's clothes, you can fill the bottom with toys, sports equipment, or shoes. Bubble wrap keeps fragile items and mirrors protected, while color-coded packing tape helps you organize everything from the same room or belonging to the same person.
Will You Need a Dolly, Moving Blankets, or Ratchet Straps?
Unless you hired professional movers to load and unload your container on wheels, you need at least one dolly for moving furniture and large appliances into your container on wheels. Moving blankets protect the finish on your prized possessions, while ratchet straps secure everything when your belongings do not fill the entire container from front to back. Thread these straps through the rails on each side of the truck, and then work the ratchet to tighten the straps.
What Needs to Unload First?
When storing items, it doesn't matter when you're storing them so much as it does in what order you store them. Remember, the first items into the storage container will unload last. As a rule, kitchen, bathroom, children's and pets' items should unload on arrival at the new residence to prevent being unprepared in the new home.
Make sure you ask these questions when preparing for your portable storage. Plan ahead and you will have a much smoother and better experience.