If hiring a company to oversee your packing as you get ready to move seems like a luxury, then the best solution is to get yourself some moving container and conduct a DIY operation. The most complex part of any packing venture is the actual disassembling of the furniture and household items. Once this has been done, each piece needs to be wrapped, boxed and labeled. Doing this in an organized manner that allows for all the items to be easily retrieved might seem like a marvel. But it is not actually that difficult. If cutting back on costs is the only way for you, then teaching yourself to get organized wont be very difficult.

A number of storing and packing companies will allow you to hire a moving container even if you do not want any other services. You would probably need to make a booking a few days in advance to your move and they will come and deliver it to your doorstep. All you have to do is to keep everything boxed and ready to be placed inside the container when it arrives. The packing company will leave the container with you and come and pick it up as per your instructions.  This could be the next day or probably after a couple of days.

If however you need help to move your belongings into the unit, then you can organize for professional handlers to help you with that as well. This would be for an additional fee, which you would have to budget for separately. However if you cannot afford this then here are a few tips to help you place your belongings safely within the container .

• Disassemble as many items as you can. This will help prevent them from breaking or getting damaged during transit.
• Placing as much padding as possible between the bottom and sides of the unit and your boxes. The tighter the fit, the lesser the chances of your boxes crashing over or banging into the sides. For this to work you also need to ensure that the unit is the exact size of all your packed belongings. It being larger or smaller than the sum total of what you need will not help at all.
• The heat within a moving container is often more than 150 degrees which is why you need to keep in mind substances that could be hazardous at this temperature. These would include aerosol cans, chemicals, acids and any type of combustible, flammable or explosive items. Putting any of these into the unit could potentially result in an explosion during transit or even while unpacking. It is therefore important for everyone involved in the process to be cognizant of these dangers.
• Putting food items, plants and animals into the moving container is also not advisable. Because of the temperature and the inadequate circulation it is advisable to place only inanimate objects or items that are vacuumed sealed within the unit.  This will help ensure that all your belongings reach your destination intact and in good condition. 

Once all the items have been placed inside the unit, you can either drive it to your new destination yourself or get the packing company to do that. While driving it yourself will bring down the cost considerably, there are definitely some benefits to getting this professionally done. And the most important of these include peace of mind and helping you save a lot of your time. If you are putting your belongings into storing at your destination point, you could ask the very same company to help you with the transit. This will help bring down the cost and also ensure that your belongings reach safely. Even if the items are going directly into your home, renting the moving container from a company at your destination point might also be beneficial. In case of disputes or forgotten items, it is easier to get everything sorted if the company responsible is close to your new residence and not at the point of origin.

Please visit one of our Self Storage members at http://www.selfstoragesocialnetwork.com/blogs/posts/SarahLittle

Tweet This Post 

Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.