Categories
Storage

4 Reasons You Should Consider a Storage Solution for Your Next Move

Regardless of the size of your house, if you have lived there for several years you have accumulated a lot of stuff. Most people don’t realize how much they have until they need to move, that’s why downsizing is such a huge part of the moving process. However, it’s not always easy to let go of items you’ve had for a long time. Doubly so if you’re moving to a much smaller space or just don’t have the time to go through everything you own. You don’t want to accidentally throw out your late grandmother’s quilt!

While you can find your own storage units, many moving companies (like Great Movers) provide storage options for customers. The best part is that the movers will help bring your belongings to your storage unit and then to your new home once you’re ready, saving you a lot of time. There are many reasons a storage unit can be beneficial to the moving process so it might be worth it to consider it for the future.

Declutter Your House

Once you’ve decided to move out of your house, you will want to attract as many buyers as possible. For best results, you should declutter your house as much as possible as a tidy home will showcase the space in the best possible light. Even if your house is large, a cluttered garage, full closet, or large stack of boxes strewn about the house can turn off potential buyers.

While it might be easier to start packing up when you know your closing date, it’s not always possible. In many cases, even if you do know the closing date, your move-out and move-in dates might not overlap.

Whatever the case is, the idea is to get as much non-essential stuff out of your house and somewhere else. If you’re not able to move into your new place yet, you will have to put your boxes into storage for a few months. Luckily, most reputable movers offer safe and secure short-term storage solutions. Plus, they don’t necessarily need to have exact dates. When you’re ready to move your boxes into your new place, all you need to do is give them a call and let them know your plans. They’ll deliver the items to you with zero hassle.

Plus, putting your stuff in storage early on allows you to also take a second look at what you own. With so much going on from finding a new house, closing on the new house, finding a buyer, packing, and all the dozens of other tasks you’ll probably be overwhelmed. Chances are you might throw out something accidentally and/or bring too many items to your new place that you don’t need. You might even bring bulky items like furniture that won’t even fit in your new place!

With everything in storage, you can spend a bit more time sorting through your belongings. If you can, wait to declutter the storage unit until after you’ve moved in. There’s nothing quite like living in a new place to give you a clearer picture of where you want to put things and whether your old aesthetic matches your new house. Plus, you’ll have a clean, empty space when you move so you can easily paint the walls without worrying about dirtying up your stuff.

Reduce Moving Costs

It might sound counterintuitive, but renting a storage unit could save you moving costs. The smaller units can often cost as little as $100 and many places offer a discount on the first month. Many CT moving companies might even offer discounts on your move if you also use their storage solutions. Of course, you shouldn’t assume that you’ll get these discounts so make sure that you ask about any promotions when you talk to the movers over the phone.

Even if you don’t get a discount, moving might still be cheaper if you put some things in storage. With less stuff to load and unload, the movers will take less time, which means a lower price tag. Of course, it also means you will need to move your own boxes into and out of storage yourself for maximum cost savings.

Alleviate Stress

While you can reduce stress by planning ahead, sometimes you’ll still run into some hiccups. Maybe your new house isn’t ready in time or maybe the people who want to purchase your home need to move in faster than expected. There are so many things that can happen that it can be overwhelming. The last thing you need is not having a safe place to store your belongings.

Even if everything goes according to plan, it can still be tricky to try and pack and move everything in a short amount of time. Thai is especially true if you’re making a long-distance move. That’s why renting a storage unit can be a great option. You can start packing even before you put your house on the market and store your stuff as early as possible. Plus, you can keep adding to the unit as the selling and buying process gets underway.

Find the Right Buyer for Items

Yard sales might be great for selling the basic knick knacks you don’t want to bring with you, but they might not be the best for more valuable items. Of course, anything could be considered ‘valuable’ so it really comes down to your knowledge of what you own and how well you know the pricing. Things that can sell for a lot include:

  • Collectible toys
  • Comic books
  • Trading cards
  • Camera lenses
  • Vintage clothes
  • Designer purses and shoes
  • Scientific equipment

Of course, to make money on things like collectibles, they need to be in almost pristine condition. For toys, most are only worth money if they are still in the box so make sure to do some research and price accordingly. There are a lot of places online where you can list your items for sale, but the most popular remains eBay. Depending on the quality and rarity of the item you’re selling, you might even be able to sell it at a profit. In order to do this, you can’t have a deadline where you need to get rid of your items. That’s why a storage unit is so useful. You can simply pack them away and spend some time doing your research and finding the right buyer.

Consider Storage Solutions for Your Next Move

Moving is both an exciting and stressful endeavor, but you can lighten the burden by adding on either long or short term storage options. That way, you will have most of your things packed already weeks before your move. And if worse comes to worst and you have to move out before you can move into your new place, you will already have your belongings in storage. It’s a win win.

If you are interested in storage solutions, make sure to ask the professional movers what they offer.

FAQ

Will my stuff be safe in storage?

It depends on who you use, but with Great Movers we offer 24/7 surveillance and secure indoor storage facilities.

How long can I store my belongings?

Most moving companies allow you to store your boxes for up to a year, though you can always ask for an extension if that isn’t enough time.

What happens if something gets damaged while in storage?

If your items are damaged while in storage, make sure to let the movers know the second you notice. Your items are automatically insured under the released value protection for $0.60 per pound per item. If you plan on storing valuable items, you should take out moving insurance so you can be reimbursed for the total cost of the damage.

Categories
Moving Tips

Ultimate Packing Tips for a Smooth Cross Country Move

Whether you’re making a cross country move to or from Connecticut, you’re not alone. Thanks to shifting economies and the rise of remote work, more and more people are relocating to places that are affordable and offer more space. If you’re also planning a cross country move, you probably want to make sure all your belongings get to your new home in one piece.

Packing for long distance moves isn’t as easy as tossing your things into a box haphazardly. What you might have been able to get away with for local moves won’t cut if for longer distances. So before you start packing, read the tips below to make your next move across the country a little less painful.

Declutter

Moving is the perfect opportunity to get rid of stuff you no longer use or need. In order to declutter successfully, you should set aside a good chunk of time to go through everything you own. And we mean everything. Depending on the size of your home and how much you own, this step could take you a few days or even a week! The biggest mistake you can make is trying to rush this step. Take it slow and be deliberate when choosing what items you take with you. Some of the more obvious items to get rid of are things that are broken or tattered clothes. As well, try to use up as many consumable items as possible. That includes:

  • Food
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Toiletries
  • Condiments
  • Newspapers and magazines
  • Bath and beauty supplies

But that’s not all you should get rid of. While going through everything you own, consider the last time you’ve used an object. If you haven’t used it in the past 6 months or so, you probably don’t need to take it with you. For more seasonal items, you should think back to the last year. Separate everything into piles: keep, donate/sell, trash. You’ll need to be ruthless during this process, but it will be worth it. Sell items that are in good conditions at a garage sale to boost your moving budget. If you have expensive things like camera or sound gear, sell these on eBay to get the best deal. Chances are you won’t be able to sell everything, so whatever is left over donate to your local goodwill store.

When done well, decluttering can save time and money. After all, you’ll have less stuff to pack which also means less moving supplies you’ll need. It might seem like a lot of work upfront, but you’ll be happy to have decluttered. After all, you’ll have to pack and unpack less stuff!

Plan Your Packing Process

Most people don’t really like packing. So unless you’re one of the few people who enjoy it, chances are you’d prefer leaving this part of the moving process to the last minute. However, that’s the worst thing you can do! Even if you live in a studio apartment, you want to set aside at least a few days dedicated to packing. When you don’t feel rushed, you’ll have more time to actually pack everything properly. This, in turn, means your belongings will have more protection for the long road ahead.

The very first thing you should do when planning is to choose color labels for your rooms and/or items. For example, you can assign orange to the living room, blue to the bedroom, and pink for the kitchen. Once you’ve come up with a labeling scheme, stick with it. You can always add extra colors to denote different things. For example, you can use red to also mark fragile items or maybe purple for things like seasonal items. The clearer you are with labeling, the easier unpacking will be.

For long distance moves, you don’t want to cheap out on things like packing materials and boxes. After all, your stuff will be in a moving vehicle for miles on end, which means constant vibrations and the occasional pot holes. With that said, if you have a tight budget, only buy the premium supplies for your expensive and/or fragile items. For non-breakable items try to reuse any old boxes you might have on hand or ask your friends, neighbors, family members, etc. if they have any they no longer need. While you’re at it, see if they have any packing tape. You don’t want to use duct tape or masking tape as both won’t properly stick onto cardboard boxes.

If you want something sturdier than boxes, consider getting heavy-duty plastic bins. Not only can they handle more stress, they are also easy to stack and you can see the contents inside if you use clear bins. Plus, you don’t need to mess around with tape. They’re also reusable and you can use them as storage containers around your new house. If you don’t want to buy plastic bins, many CT moving companies offer plastic bin rentals.

Keep a Detailed Inventory

When you’re moving long distance, there’s a greater chance of your items getting damaged or even lost in transit. While you can reduce the chances of your belongings being delivered to the wrong place by springing for the exclusive express long distance service, this option tends to cost a lot of money. That’s why many people go with the cheaper option – consolidated shipping – where multiple people share a single truck. While proper labeling can prevent potential mix-ups, there’s still a possibility it can happen.

A good inventory provides a comprehensive breakdown of everything in your home, what room they come from, their value, and even their condition. You can even add a column for the box number and color label you’re using when packing. That way, you can quickly see if a box is missing when the movers deliver your belongings.

It might seem tedious, but make sure to keep track of every single item and take pictures from every angle. You want to have a record of what everything looked like before the move. If anything gets damaged, you have visual proof that it was damaged in the move. Speaking of pictures, take some of your home entertainment system and home office setup before you start dismantling it. It can take up to 10 days for your belongings to arrive at your new home. By then, you might have forgotten what wires go where so you’ll be grateful that you had the foresight to take a picture.

Avoid Unnecessary Packing

Not everything needs to go in a box. Depending on what other storage items you own and how much stuff you have, you might be able to get away with fewer boxes than you think. For example, if you already have a lot of clothes in a dresser, don’t pack them into a separate box. Instead, shrink wrap the dresser tightly so the drawers don’t open during transport. For hanging clothes, keep the clothes on the hanger! Many moving companies provide 2-3 wardrobe boxes for free so take advantage of them.

If you have suitcases and backpacks, use them for essentials that you’ll need on day one such as change of clothes, toiletries, bedding and pillows, pet supplies (if you have any), kitchen supplies, and so on. The last thing you want to do after a big move is to rummage through a bunch of boxes to find what you need.

Most importantly, try to keep related items together. For example, keep all power cables, chargers, and peripherals together with the correct electronic device. That might mean putting all of the charging components in a bag and taping it to the device. If you disassemble your furniture, keep all the nuts, bolts, screws, etc. in a plastic bag and tape it securely to the largest piece. You’ll also want to tape the legs together and attach it to the piece of furniture. The same goes for anything else that requires reassembly at your home. Avoid packing related items separately as you don’t want to sift through all the boxes to find the right screws.

Hire Professional Packers

Not everyone has the time or ability to pack. If you have the money, many professional movers also offer packing services. You can work directly with the moving company to figure out your needs and choose the option that’s right for you. For example, if you have already started packing, but need extra help, you can choose the partial packing service and specify which rooms you need help with. Or you can go for the full-service option. It’s up to you!

There are several benefits of hiring professionals to pack for you:

  • They use quality moving supplies so you know your belongings will be safe during transport
  • They have years of experience and can pack quickly and efficiently
  • They know all the secrets to packing fragile items so they don’t get damaged during a move

Plus, if something that the packing crew packed gets damaged during the move, the insurance claim process will be that much faster. Of course, not everyone can afford this service, but if you can it can be a huge stress reliever. You can also hire the crew to unpack your belongings as well so you can get settled into your new home.

Get Ready for Your Cross Country Move

Making a cross country move can be anxiety-inducing, but it also can open you up to new experiences and adventure. If you’re ready to make the move, you’ll want to have a trusted moving company by your side. That’s where we come in! We are the movers CT residents trust and recommend as evidenced by our almost 5-star reviews on Yelp and Google. So give us a call or email us and we’ll walk you through the entire process.

FAQ

What happens if I’m missing a box after delivery?

Call the moving company immediately and let them know. They might be able to locate your missing box and deliver it to you.

Are my belongings covered by any kind of insurance?

Reputable moving companies all provide free released valuation protection. This only protects your items for $0.60 per pound, per item. For long distance moves, movers can also offer you the option of full valuation protection, but you will need to pay extra for it. How much depends on the company so ask ahead of time.

Do I need to provide any moving supplies if I hire professional packers?

Nope! They will bring everything they need. All you need to do is provide them with your inventory list and be present while they are packing.