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.