School me on moving/furniture storage

[Hayata]

So it looks like the hacienda is going to sell. And we don't have a new place yet, so we'll need our stuff moved out and stored.

Firearms are stored at a buddy's place.

Any recommendations, lessons learned, or businesses to avoid? It's been 22 years since we last moved and had so little stuff at the time...

Appreciate all input.

 

[the_great_white]

Make sure the furniture is worth more than the storage fees. Storage ain't cheap.

 

[JohnMick96]

Make sure the furniture is worth more than the storage fees. Storage ain't cheap.

This

 

[4ssss]

If you need help, believe it or not, on the U Haul site they have guys that can do it. Their prices are really reasonable and you can see them while you're looking. We had 2 guys up north helping us, and we booked 2 more guys down here to unload. They had the biggest U Haul truck they have loaded and unloaded in about 2 hours each for us. Only thing damaged was a small tv on the way down.

 

[Just1more]

Make sure the storage facility is climate controlled.
pack your own boxes and mark them on top and one side. Lowes and Uhaul sell all sizes of moving boxes.
put mattresses in a closed bag. Also found at Uhaul
hire a very reputable company.

 

[palmettomoon]

I pack my own stuff. Paid packers are too busy worrying about where their next meth hit is coming from.

Hire a truck & drive it yourself if you can fit it all in the cargo bay. I hire local lumpers to load and then unload at my destination. Moving blankets are dirt cheap compared to repairing good quality furniture.

If you move your furniture into storage for any length of time (especially this time of year) make sure it is climate controlled.

USAA will cover your articles in storage if you have them for renters or homeowners. Do not let the shytebirds running the storage facility "force" you to buy their ****ty insurance products.

 

[mfoster]

My daughter used pods which were stored at my house for 8 months until they purchased Their home.
i don’t think they cheaper than storage but you will only have to unload once if you have a place to store them

 

[BH-ATL]

I hope to move my son back from Austin as soon as he sells his house. U-Pack pods have good reviews and are likely the same as moving yourself when you include gas and hotel. Plus no worrying that somebody will break into the truck at the hotel. If you are moving out of state don't use a broker. There are too many horror stories of movers quoting one price, get your stuff and then hold it for ransom.

 

[ARCman47]

**DON'T

 

[rbstern]

Moved five years ago. Had to store stuff during new home building process. Have also helped others do similar moves, where some or all of the stuff went into storage.

Ideally, find a quality, climate controlled place between where you are and where you are going. And whatever size unit you think you need...go up one size. They cube up really well, but it's easier when you have more room to organize and arrange everything. Ask for a ground floor unit near the entrance, if possible. Not a deal breaker if otherwise, but it saves some time and effort.

There is a difference between the better quality storage locations and the, ehem, entry level ones. We used a place called Morningstar in Lawrenceville. Clean, secure, well lit, well maintained, good climate control, lots of carts, convient parking, and a small moving truck available to reserve, for short hauls, for a nominal fee. Free beverages from the office if they are open when you are moving. Had a great experience storing stuff there for six months. A close friend of ours used the same place recently, and we had the same experience helping her move.

Also: When it came time to get our stuff to our new house, I didn't have a good trailer to use. Some Tractor Supply locations have a trailer for rent for $25/day; usually a 5x10 or 6x12 single axle, well maintained, easy to pull with any mid-sized or larger vehicle. My new place was 75 miles from the storage place. I was able to do three runs in one day with the rented trailer.

And, of course, reach out to your friends. Bribe them with beer and sandwiches. These kind of moves go really fast with a dozen people and a few pickup trucks working the problem.