With so many self storage options available to Calgarians, how do you know what to choose? What will work best for you and your family? What steps do you take next? Oh gosh, where do you even start?
How to prepare for moving? There are a lot of things to keep in mind for a move, and if you haven’t moved in a while, you may be rusty on the things to remember. We’ll get you on track.
Luckily, you have stumbled upon this article which will provide in-depth moving prep knowledge and suggestions to help you on your way.
At this point, you may or may not know exactly what a self-storage unit is and what situations may even warrant looking for an option like this.
It’s probably very obvious that this service is for the sole purpose of storing your belongings. In fact, there are many reasons why people search for self storage in Calgary.
You may be leaving the country temporarily and will return at some point. You may need extra storage if space in your current home is limited. Or, perhaps you need somewhere to store your belongings while you wait for your new home or renovations to be ready.
Whatever the reason, self-storage is definitely convenient, and sometimes it’s the only option for an individual or a family, as replacing personal belongings is quite costly and simply not feasible for some.
So let’s get started with steps you should probably consider while preliminary planning. We will go over all the points listed below:
- Inventory- What to keep, throw out, sell and donate.
- Shop around and create a budget
- Prepare for children and animal care
- Last minute to-dos
- Alternative options
#1 – Determine what you will keep and what will be discarded, sold or donated
As soon as you know that a storage unit is needed, you should probably take a look at what you will be taking to the unit, and what you will be discarding, selling or donating. That way you have a better idea of how to plan out your next steps.
#2 – Call around to determine what your moving budget should look like
Now that an inventory check has been conducted, it will be much easier to focus on getting the most out of your time and money. Budgeting is essential for the steps to come. No one wants to throw money out the window. But how do we accomplish getting the biggest bang for our buck?
#3 – Choosing the right location
It would be incredibly inefficient to drop off your belongings at a location that is not easy for you to access even if the prices are competitive. You will need to take into account the amount of fuel and mileage used up, especially since that is what a moving company or rental truck company will more than likely charge you for. This is especially crucial if you need to access the unit several times.
This is when services such as mobile self storage comes in handy. You don’t need to worry about taking your belongings far from home. Just walk to your driveway and there will be a storage unit waiting for you 24/7.
#4 – Choosing the right size unit
By now you’ll know how many items need to be stored away until needed. If you have little to no experience with self storage, your best bet is to give the location of your choice a call and have the specialist help you determine what size unit you will require.
But be careful with some storage companies that will recommend smaller units when you need something larger. When things don’t fit you’ll be forced to either move everything out into a larger unit or rent another unit, costing more in the end.
#5 – Rental truck or moving company
Movers can be quite pricey, so it’s no wonder most people choose to gather up friends and family members to help out instead. However, if hiring movers is no big deal, make sure you call ahead of time to reserve your spot.
Much like reserving your spot with a moving company, it is very important to reserve the truck you will need if you and the troops will be handling the move on your own. Even if you aren’t quite sure what size you will need, it’s probably best to reserve a larger sized truck as soon as you know you will be moving your belongs, to ensure you are not left truckless on the day you plan to move your items.
This will also help you to keep your mileage and fuel costs down if you can manage one trip. Your friends and family members will also thank you.
#6 – Animals or children to be looked after during move
At this point, all the necessary reservations should be completed, but for singles and families with children and pets, it is important to make sure the kiddos, catnip’s and pupperoni’s are looked after by a responsible person or daycare facility.
Unfortunately, having them around may prove to be very difficult through no fault of their own, of course. Small children want to help out (bless their little hearts) or want to run around and play, while heavy objects are being moved, tools are being used and doors to the street are propped open. Needless to say, this can be a very dangerous scenario.
Pets do not understand what is happening, which can cause high amounts of stress even if they are crated.
Keeping them at home is a recipe for disaster on such a hectic day. It is much better to let them run around and have fun safely with someone who can watch them properly.
Alternatively, you can go with services that allow you to store at your own pace such as MI-BOX. A portable storage container is parked on your driveway giving you easy 24/7 access to your unit.
Moving day
The moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! We have our budget figured out, we have our truck and unit reserved, and the kids and fur-kids are looked after.
Make sure you have everything you will need for the day: Wallet, purse, charged cell phones, cash on hand, cars are fueled up, and don’t forget to place an order for pizza as a thank you to the moving team!
Once everything is moved to the unit, ensure the rental truck is fueled back up before dropping it off on time to avoid let charges and hassle and stress.
Alternative option
That is quite the breakdown of steps to keep in mind when moving to a new home, or relocating belongings that do not fit in your home.
What if there were a better way? An anxiety and stress free way with a fraction of the steps mentioned above?
MI-BOX will more than likely be the answer for you. We know, we know… bold words. However, our service is so problem-free, we guarantee you’ll agree that we are easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Once you figure out what you want to move, all you have to do is give us a call or send us a quick email. From there we will help choose a storage container that works best for your needs.
Because MI-Box offers 3 accommodating sizes, you can mix and match as needed.
Sizes:
- Small- 8’ x 8’ x 8’ This is a fitting size for seasonal belongings, garage belongings or even dorm belongings.
- Medium- 16’ x 8’ x 8’ This storage box will work quite well for a small bedroom apartment or up to 4 rooms of furniture.
- Large, 20- x 8’ x 8’ Our largest storage unit will fit the contents of a large apartment or up to 5 rooms of furniture.
From here, we will deliver the storage unit(s) straight to your driveway with our state of the art lift system! Yes, you read that correctly. No need to hop into a large truck to pick up your unit. Our expert drivers will deliver to your home and carefully place the unit wherever you desire (as long as it is safe) with the assistance of great technology.
Furthermore, we can even deliver to a commercial area, as we can handle residential or commercial container delivery. We will even level out the container so it is easy to enter and exit. This will also ensure your belongings are loaded safely.
Now you have 24-hour access to your storage unit, and all you had to do was pick up the phone and give us a ring. The best part is that you can keep the unit as long as you need, so you can work at your very own pace, stress, and hassle-free.
When you are all packed up, just give us a call and let us know where to drop off the unit, or if you prefer we store it in our clean and secure storage facility until you are ready.
Let’s recap the perks of choosing MI-BOX.
- No need to go over the top researching storage facilities near you, gas prices, rental truck fees including late fees, and no need for a child or pet sitter.
- No need to drive to the truck rental and hop in a giant truck and drive around the city going to and from your destination.
- No need to worry about multiple storage units that may or may not be near each other. Let’s face it, sometimes storage facilities can be a maze. You can keep your unit at home, or we’ll store it at our facility and keep them together.
- You literally can work at your own pace without any pressure. Heck, you don’t even have to book any time off of work if you plan to have your unit delivered early.
- You can be at ease knowing your belongings will be safe and sound.
- Keep your children and pets safely and happily at home while you work away.
- Our team is amazing and we genuinely care and want to help make things as easy as possible for you and your family.
- And the best part is you save time and money. It makes sense to save all that for things that really matter.
I think it is safe to assume that our service has two thumbs up so far. Now all you have to do is give us a shout or conveniently click here for a quote from our friendly and knowledgeable experts.
We are here to help you every step of your moving and storing journey because you and your family deserve a stress-free move.
