How to Use Self Storage When Relocating

Storage.com is your number one ally when moving to a new home. We’re here to provide you with useful moving tips and hacks, or additional storage whenever necessary.

Relocating is stressful, and timing is often the most testing part of a major move. What if you have to move out of your old home before your new one is ready? What if you need to get your car across the country, as well as a moving truck? While these are difficult situations you’ll most likely encounter while relocating, investing in a self storage unit can help you through.

Here are a few ways you can use self storage when relocating.

Storing the Contents of Your Entire Household

Daphane Trevillyan, a realtor with Keller Williams Realty in Des Moines, Iowa, says there are several reasons why she recommends using storage during a move to her clients, including selling a home before the new home is move-in ready.

“For me and my team, it happens [to] three or four out of 10 people,” she says.

When you have to be out of your old home by a certain date, chances are you’ll either have to stay with family or friends or rent a hotel room for a few weeks until your new home is available. In this situation, you’ll be able to take some luggage with clothes and toiletries to get you through the transition, but you most likely won’t be able to keep furniture, appliances, and boxes of other household items with you. This is where self storage can help.

Moving Your Home into Self StorageBefore you move everything to storage, though, make a checklist of what you have. This not only helps you keep track of everything, but it makes it easier to determine how much storage space you need for your items.

In most cases, people storing everything they own will need a 10×20 or 10×30 unit. You can always check with storage facility operators to see what unit size(s) will accommodate your specific needs, too.

Now, packing your entire household is daunting enough as it is, so remember to pack one room at a time and label everything by room. This can help you find things faster in case you need to grab something. For example: All kitchen items should be in boxes labeled “Kitchen” and stored in the same area of your unit.

As for how you should organize your belongings in your unit, Herb Dierking, District Manager for Extra Space Storage in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, says to “store all the furniture at the back and [store] the boxes at the front of the unit.” The idea behind this is that you probably won’t need to grab furniture until it’s actually time to move in to your new home, whereas you may need something from one of your boxes sooner.

Also, no matter how packed your unit is, be sure to leave yourself some room to move around. Dierking suggests creating paths in your unit when organizing so you can get to things you need without having to climb over other items.

One last thing to consider when storing everything you own—you might want a storage facility that has additional security features. Sure, you’ll have a lock on your unit, but extra security will give you peace of mind about leaving your entire household in temporary self storage. If having more security for your items is a priority, look for storage facilities with gated access, video surveillance, or alarmed units, all of which can prevent break-ins.

Storing Vehicles Temporarily

People who relocate across the country often encounter the issue of how to get a car, truck, or motorcycle to their new home when they also have to drive a moving truck. This is particularly difficult for families with only one licensed and insured driver.

Using Vehicle Storage During RelocationYet again, self storage can help. You can drive your vehicle out to your new city ahead of your move-in date, leave it in a storage unit, and either fly, take a bus, or take a train back to your current home. Then, after you drive your moving truck to your new home and get everything moved in, you can pick up your vehicle.

When looking at storage facilities with vehicle storage in your new city, be aware that there are a few different types of vehicle storage. Dierking says Extra Space Storage has three options: outdoor, covered, and indoor.

An outdoor storage space means the vehicle is parked behind a gated fence. It’s a cheaper option than the other two, but it also leaves the car vulnerable to damages caused by weather. A covered storage space is still outside, but it provides slightly more shelter than the outdoor space. It will also be slightly more expensive than the outdoor space. The most expensive option, however, is an indoor storage unit at a 10×20 or 10×30 size. This provides the best protection for your vehicle and is usually a better fit for people who need to store their vehicles longer than a few weeks.

Something to keep in mind when storing a car, truck, or motorcycle, especially if it’s long-term storage, is to do basic maintenance on it. Dierking suggests checking the air in your tires and getting fluids changed before storage. Also, it’s smart to disconnect the battery if it’s going to be a while before you drive your vehicle again.

Whether you need a place to keep your entire household contents or a vehicle, a self storage unit can solve your temporary problems during relocation.

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