Partnering with Labor Services

In an effort to save money, more and more Americans are opting for do-it-yourself relocation options such as mobile self-storage. While happy to be saving big bucks on their move, some still are not willing or able to actually perform the labor-intensive process of moving and end up hiring moving labor providers.

As some mobile self-storage agencies have already found, forming strategic partnerships with these labor providers has provided an opportunity to further service their customers by offering a more complete relocation experience at a cost lower than a traditional moving service typically charges.

Have you considered or actually entered into such a partnership? What have you learned?

Using mobile storage to unpack

One usually overlooked part of a move is the unpacking process. Upon arrival at your new home, it is nearly impossible to know where all your items will "live" in your new home. For many, it can take weeks, or even months to figure out exactly where everything will go--especially for those already busy with work and other obligations.

Rather than cluttering your new home with boxes of unpacked belongings and hastily-placed furniture, consider unloading the non-essentials into a mobile storage unit. Conveniently located in your driveway, a mobile storage unit will allow you to place furniture and store items in a more deliberate fashion without the added eyesores of cardboard boxes and awkward furniture scattered about every room.

Tips for Loading Your Mobile Storage Unit

Preparation is key to properly loading your mobile storage unit. The following is a list of tips for easier and safer loading:

Safety

• Lifting Heavy Items: Lifting heavy items improperly may cause injury to your back, shoulders, and/or arms. When lifting an item off the floor, make sure to bend at the knees and come to a squat position instead of bending over. This allows you to rely more on your leg strength to lift items therefore avoiding back injury. After you have picked up the item, hold it as close to your body as possible. The farther you extend your arms when holding an item, the more likely it is to cause injury. Also, make sure to not twist your body when lifting a heavy item as this may strain or injure muscles. Finally, if you do feel strain when lifting an object, have someone else help you to lift the object.


• Using a Dolly: Using a dolly, a hand truck used to move objects, can minimize strain and ease the process of loading a mobile storage unit. Keep the blades of the dolly centered and completely under the object when in use and make sure to walk and always keep the dolly in front of you. Also make sure to have the object securely strapped when using the dolly. These tips will ensure you do not drop the load when using the dolly.
  

Preparing to Load Items

• Prepare Your Home: Set and secure flattened cardboard on all hardwood surfaces where you will be moving furniture. This will prevent damage to the floors. Remove doors in the home to provide more room to move furniture. Make sure to cover walking areas with inexpensive rugs to minimize dirt accumulation and to also prevent floor damage.


• Preparing Items to Be Loaded: Disassemble and remove shelves from furniture and keep hardware in a separate place for later reassembly. Defrost refrigerators 24 to 48 hours in advance of loading them. Make sure refigeratos are clean and dry before loading to prevent leakage in the unit. Cover items with plenty of padding to prevent breaking and scratching.
  

Loading the Mobile Storage Unit

• Try not to slide heavy items on any surfaces. Sliding these items may cause severe damages to the home's floors.


• Do not use dollies to move furniture. Usually, dollies are too small to accommodate furniture and may also damage the furniture being moved.
  
• Place your heaviest items at the bottom of the storage unit and build your way up with the lightest items on top. Also, keep the fragilest items at the top of the load. Fill any gaps of the load with small items to keep the load as "tight" as possible. This will prevent shifting of the load.

These tips and using a little common sense will help you safely and more easily load your mobile storage unit.

Bringing Work & Equipment Home? Put it in Mobile Storage

Is your job requiring you to bring home an increasing amount of work-related materials and equipment? With the recession still in full swing, many employers are putting more demands on their employees. If you are overwhelmed with products, equipment, and documents related to your job, why not rent a mobile storage unit? This way you can accomodate your boss without cluttering your domestic life. Even better, find out if your employer will pay for the rental of the mobile unit, as well as mobile storage insurance. Don't let your job invade your personal life--take control and breathe easy with mobile storage.

Don't Trust Your Local Movers? DIY With Mobile

Struggling to find suitable laborers that have both the experience and the trustworthiness to enter your home, help you pack, and carry out your move? If so, do it yourself without the hassle with mobile strage. Your portable storage company will deliver your unit to your property, which you pack yourself at your own pace. When you are ready to move the packed unit, the storage company will load it (carefully) onto a trailer to be delivered to your new location. Then you unpack the contents at your convenience before the storage company removes the unit from your new home. You'll never have to worry about being a victim of a rogue mover scam again, although you may want to seek mobile storage insurance to protect yourself from damage or loss during the use of your mobile unit.

Keep Yardwork Under Control with Mobile Storage

Summer is the perfect time to tackle yardwork projects that you may have been putting off for a while. Do you have an extensive project planned, such as a new patio, garden, or lawn? Avoid sprawling all of your yardwork equipment over your property or cramming your garage by renting a mobile storage unit for the duration of your project. Improve the value of your property without creating an eyesore at the same time by storing rakes, tools, large equipment, and more. Once your project is complete, your mobile storage company can pick up the unit, leaving your yard open and clutter-free.

Too Much Stuff on Moving Day? Go Mobile.

If you are unpleasantly surprised on moving day by how much stuff you have--so much that it does not all fit on your moving truck--you may want to consider last-minute rental of a mobile storage unit. Hopefully, you are able to leave your spillover belongings at your old location until the mobile unit is delivered. Once it arrives, you can pack the extra items into the mobile unit and have them delivered to your new location, most likely for much less than the cost of renting an additional moving truck.

Mobile Storage for the Home Office

Has your home business grown recently? Are the papers, equipment, and supplies related to your business taking over your home office? If you need a convenient way to store work-related items outside of your home, but still keep them handy, consider mobile storage. A tidy home office will allow you to be more productive, but if you lack a garage or basement space to keep the growing amount of items for your business, put them in mobile storage. You can keep the mobile unit on your property (for how long depends on whether or not you are the owner), or you can have the mobile storage company pick up the unit once it's packed to be stored at a local warehouse. The growth of your home business is a good thing, but don't let it turn your home into a messy nightmare.

Mobile Storage for Charity

Are you planning a charity event that will gather unused belongings to donate to the less fortunate? Use mobile storage to easily contain the donated items and have them shipped to the location of the charity. For example, Seattle-based Door To Door Storage Inc. recently partnered with Loyola University of Chicago for its second annual "Think Green & Give." Since college students are notorious for trashing unwanted items when they move out of dorms at the end of the school year, this program allows gently-used items to be delivered to those who could use them, such as a service for the disabled and a food pantry. The mobile storage containers were left on campus for the last couple of weeks of class, allowing students to give items at their convenience.

Avoid Hidden Costs with Mobile Storage

Most of us are more price-conscious these days, and when it comes to budgeting a move, hidden costs can become a nightmare. Unlike most full-service movers, with mobile storage, your price is based on the amount of space or number of containers you use rather than the weight. Some moving companies reweigh your goods after the moving truck is loaded, resulting in an increased price. With mobile storage, you'll never have to worry about your belongings being reweighed or surprise charges. All fuel and transportation costs should be included in your quote.

The Art of the Move

Do you have a lot of artwork to handle during your move? Are you worried about protecting your art from damage? A mobile storage unit is a great place for art that needs to be stable and secure. Most likely your art is as valuable as some of your most prized belongings. Having a mobile storage unit delivered to the place you are moving out of means that you can control how your artwork is packed. You will want to wrap your artwork in protective parchment paper, glassine, or fabric, and then pack it inside a specialized box (such as a mirror box) with bubble wrap or packing foam. Carefully store the artwork upright--never place it flat, as it can collapse. Then you can have your mobile unit delivered to either a storage warehouse (opt for climate-controlled) or to your new home. Hopefully you will have finished painting your walls and your artwork will provide that final touch to brighten up your new home.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Is your lease about to run out? Are you happy with where you live now, but wondering if there is a better deal out there? Not sure if you will be moving down the block or across the country? Is your significant other moving and and forcing you to decide whether to relocate or not? Perhaps you are a reluctant mover, and are confused about where you want to live. One decision that should be a no-brainer is to get a mobile storage unit so that you can start packing for wherever life brings you next. Pack away all of the items you don't use on a daily basis--off-season clothing, books, or sports equipment that has been collecting dust, for instance. When you have finally made up your mind, you'll have the bulk of your move packed and ready to go. Or, if you decide to stay, call the mobile storage company and have them bring your nonessentials to a storage facility. Hopefully, the more you pack away, the more you will realize what decision is right for you.

Party Time? Excellent!

Are you planning a big event, such as a wedding or family reunion? Are you wondering what to do with all of the decorations, equipment, and supplies needed for the big day? Mobile storage is an excellent solution for moving and storing party items. Imagine the ease of having a container delivered to your home, filled with all of the items needed for the party, moved to the location of the event, and then picked up once the event is over. Party planning can be a big production--choose mobile storage for one less thing to stress about.

Use Mobile Storage to Save Money on Your Move

Moving is one of those expensive necessities in life. Given the sluggish economy, many people will be looking to spend as little as possible on their move this summer. If you can afford the convenience, hiring a full-service moving company is the best way to go. Otherwise you are probably looking at renting a moving truck and hiring an extra hand or two. Cheaper options include borrowing a friend's pickup truck or van and doing the heavy lifting yourself, which will probably require multiple trips. One affordable option that has become more available in recent years is to use a mobile storage company to handle your move. Using a flatbed truck, the storage company will deliver a container to you, which you (or hired packers) fill at your own convenience. Most containers will hold about one and one-half rooms' worth of stuff, so you may need multiple containers. When your containers are packed, the company will deliver them to your new home, handling the transportation from door-to-door. Most companies will offer this service for about half of the price of a full-service moving company, depending on how far your stuff is going.

Use Mobile Storage to Sell Your House Faster

Selling your house? Almost every home sells better with less furniture, and staged homes sell twice as fast as those that are not staged. Cramped homes make buyers feel uncomfortable and nervous. One quick and easy way to clear out clutter while your home is on the market is to rent a mobile storage unit. The unit is delivered to you, you load it at your own pace, and when it's full, you can either leave it onsite or your storage provider can bring it to their warehouse. Once your house sells, you can have the unit delivered to your new home. Here are some tips for decluttering a home on the market:

• Depersonalize: remove any items (photographs, mementos, books) that tie you to the space.


• Remove pieces of furniture that are bulky, shabby, or block pathways.


• Remove excess shelving and storage cases—these kinds of items signal that the house does not have enough drawer or closet space.


• Likewise, make sure closets and drawers appear neat and organized, not stuffed and messy.


• Remove extra leaves from your dining room table, or choose a smaller dining room table, to make the room appear larger.


• Leave just enough furniture to define the room's purpose.


• Make sure curtains are open and windows are clean—bright sunshine and fresh air can make a big impact.