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Moving Made Easy: Tips from a Storage Expert

You’ve decided to move. Whether it’s across town or across the country, we can all relate—it’s just plain stressful.

Just about a year ago, my wife and I made the move from the capital city of Lincoln, Nebraska, to Omaha. Though we were only going 50 miles away, there was still a lot to do.

The first thing we knew: we were going to need help. I tried asking 20 guys from church if they were available—even offering free pizza—and all were busy. We resorted to finding movers because there was just no way we could do it ourselves. After all, we had one week to get it done.

Can moving be made easy? Here’s how we made moving work for us:

Find a Mover Who’s Trustworthy and Competitively Priced

Reviews will tell you a lot about a moving company from first-hand experiences. Your local StorageMart expert can even recommend a couple places to start with because they’ve had lots of moving companies come through their property. Customers will always tell the manager if they found a gem or if it’s someone they would never use again.

Our moving company took great pride in making sure our furniture was wrapped in blankets and stretch-wrap to keep drawers shut and reduce the risk of damage from another item. It was awesome because we didn’t even have to empty our dresser drawers into a box and then unpack them again.

Investigate Your New Home

If you’re moving to an apartment complex or an off-street residence, check out the best route and parking situation to make moving easier. Will you have stairs, wide doorways, narrow halls, etc.? Will your furniture fit through these spaces, or will you need to remove the legs off your couch to make it through the entrance? For that matter, do the legs even come off your couch? Will you need any tools to remove them, or do they simply unscrew?

Have a Plan

Think through ahead of time where your big pieces of furniture will go and the pieces you’ll need to assemble. For us, we moved our bed into the master bedroom and had the tools and bolts set aside so we could put our bed frame together as soon as we moved it. This saved time from looking through bedroom boxes trying to find bolts or the wrench.

Keep a Separate Box with Items You May Need Right Away

Nobody likes to go to bed smelling like moving day, so pack a box or tote so you can grab a towel and soap along with your toothbrush and toothpaste, and you’ll save yourself lots of time and headache.

Stay Hydrated and Don’t Forget to Eat

We all want to just get the moving process over with and keep going, but our bodies need fuel just like the moving truck. Take time to drink plenty of water and eat some fruit, veggies, or even a meat sandwich to keep your body going.

Load the Moving Truck Strategically

If you’re storing in between at a storage facility, place the items you’ll need first or more frequently toward the front of your unit. Label the boxes or totes and place those labels out to be read and grabbed quickly if need be. That means these items should also be placed near the front of your truck to make them the last thing you put away. If you’ve hired movers, communicate with them how you want things placed in your unit for convenience, not necessarily theirs.

If you are going to use a storage unit, protect your items by using the right size box for the right size item. Use mattress or sofa covers, packing paper for your dishes, and bubble wrap for breakable items. Most (if not all) of our locations have a variety of moving supplies to help you get started.

StorageMart is Moving Made Easy

Thankfully, with StorageMart, moving is made easy. Each of our facilities are equipped with professionals to help you find the right unit at the right price, wide driving lanes that are well lit, and access gates with extended hours. Drive-up, interior, and climate control are just a few options on our storage units. (Note: Not all options are available at each location.)

We have locations in the US, Canada, and the UK. With more than 200 facilities, you are sure to find storage near you!

May your move be successful and stress-free by following these tips. Reserve your unit today!

Updated February 10, 2020