Self Storage in 5 Easy Steps

Moving is always a time of transition. This is especially true when that transition involves moving to a place with less storage space. It might be a place with fewer bedrooms, the loss of a basement or attic, or more people living without more room. Whatever the cause, you might be faced with self storage requirements.

Save yourself time, stress and money on your self storage/ mini storage needs with the tips in this article.

Self Storage: The Basic Steps
1. Identify the size of the self storage unit you'll need and how long you'll need it. 2. Make a "Self Storage Feature List" of the features you'll need (climate control, security, location, 24 hour access) 3. Develop a list of potential self storage locations. Check your list against _______. 4. Visit top self storage locations and compare them against 5. Make your final choice and sign the contract.

Self Storage Step 1: Identify the size of the self storage unit you'll need and how long you'll need it.

Just to point out the obvious, you'll save money and time by putting fewer, smaller items into self storage. That means you're better off doing one or more of the following with excess items:
· Sell them at a moving sale. · Donate them to charities such as Goodwill, The Salvation Army or The Purple Heart. · Give them away to people who can use them now and value them. · Store them with family or friends IF it's for a very brief time and they're willing.

Once you've eliminated what you can, it's time to figure out how much space you'll need. Self storage units vary from one location to another, but here are some basic sizes and guidelines, adapted from "The Storage Place Inc" website:

· 5' x 5': holds a small number of boxes or small bedroom furniture. · 5' x 10': holds a few pieces of furniture, including a couch. · 10' x 10': holds the contents of a small, one-bedroom apartment. · 10' x 15': holds the contents of a small, two-bedroom apartment. · 10' x 20': holds the contents of a small, two-bedroom house or a small car. · 10' x 25': holds the contents of a larger, two-bedroom house or a larger car. · 10' x 30': holds the contents of a three-bedroom house, or the contents of a 36-foot moving van. · 10' x 40': holds the contents of a four-bedroom house.
Use this list to narrow down the size of space you'll use.

Self Storage Step 2: Make a "Self Storage Feature List."
After deciding on the size of self storage unit you'll need, to identify what features you want to go with it. Think of it as a "shopping list" for comparing self storage units.
It's a good idea to break down the features into 3 categories based on how important they are to you:
* A - Absolute musts. If a self-storage unit does not have this feature, you won't consider it.
* B - Better to have than not. These are features that would be plusses, but not required.
* C - Couldn't care less. As the name would imply, these features may exist, but don't really matter to your decision.

Here is our list to help you get started:
· convenient location · climate control · 24-hour direct access · monitored security cameras · security guards on premise · sprinkler system · alarm system · insurance available · payment methods accepted
Self Storage Step 3: Develop a list of potential self storage facilities.
Now that you know what you're loking for, it's time to begin the search process. You can kick off the process by investigating five of the most popular self storage companies:
· Public Storage · U-Haul (yes, the same company that offers truck rentals) · ExtraSpace Storage · United Stor-All · U-Store-It
Check your self storage candidates against the Self Storage Feature List that you created earlier. Any facilities that are missing "A - Absolute must" features should be crossed off.
Self Storage Step 4: Visit top self storage locations and compare them against one another.
Yes, I realize that actually taking the time to visit each of your top choices isn't convenient. However, there are things you will discover by visiting that you wouldn't otherwise. How does the location look? Does the neighborhood seem stable? Is the facility as easy to reach as you imagined? What's the condition of the existing storage units? Does the place seem well-maintained?
Take notes at each facility and clearly mark which property you're visiting. Eliminate from your list any of the locations that seem sketchy.

Self Storage Step 5: Make your final choice and sign the contract.
If you've followed all the previous steps in this article, this final step should be relatively easy. Try to order each of your final candidates by how well they did in each category. If you're finding it difficult to choose your top pick, try eliminating your least favorite option first, then repeat the process until you have your final pick.

Please note that the price of the monthly rate is a very important factor, but it isn't the only factor. There's something to be said about paying for peace of mind- if you lay awake at night worrying about the safety of your belongings, you've made the wrong choice.

Speaking of rental rates, be sure to ask your self storage facility manager if they provide any of the following discounts, programs or bonuses that might apply to you:
· First or last month free · Rental discounts for seniors, students, or military personnel · Discounts on related items or services such as moving boxes and supplies, rental trucks or moving companies.

When signing the final contract, you may be offered insurance coverage. Make sure that you aren't already covered by your homeowner's insurance, and be very clear about exactly what is covered, whether damaged or stolen items are reimbursed at replacement cost levels, and what any deductibles may be. Ideally you wouldn't be storing anything of value in an unattended storage unit, but if you are, you want to make certain you aren't paying for insurance coverage that doesn't fully protect you.

These steps should allow you to have a successful self storage rental experience.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Timothy_Clendaniel

Easy Steps For Choosing the Best Local Movers

You are planning to move across the town and it is equally stressful like moving to a long distance. The extremely difficult task lies in packing up your possessions and transporting them safely to the new place. Moreover you would also be constantly worrying about leaving the valuable possessions in the hands of strangers. Finding a reliable local mover would surely make the tension levels soar. So it is better to follow certain simple steps for selecting a good mover and get some peace of mind.

Selecting a local mover is the very first step and this is not a nerve wracking process as it seems to be. You can ask your friends, neighbors and business associates for getting recommendations and even warning about moving companies that they have used in the past. Sometimes the realtors that you deal with can also give you some advices.

Once you have collected some names, the next step is to call the local moving companies and ask for their details like Doing Business As (DBA) names, how long they have been in business, the insurance coverage that they offer and also the DOT (Department of Transportation) license number. It is highly advised to deal with companies that are properly licensed and insured.
The third step is checking the reliability of the company. You can approach Better Business Bureau (BBB) or any other consumer organization in your vicinity for getting the information. Check about the local mover's service history and see if any complaints have been recorded against them. You must also see how they have resolved the crisis. Almost all moving company would experience a complaint but the responsible ones would surely respond to the client's requirements and try to find solutions to the problems.

Then shortlist the local moving companies with good service history and get the physical address of at least three movers who would be having real offices. You can avoid a moving scammer by easily avoiding companies that do not have a real address. Next you can stop by the movers on your list without taking prior appointments. This would help to evaluate their services, facilities and personal dealings in the true form without being modified.

Make sure that the companies moving equipments and building are clean and well maintained. If the workers are also neat and clean, that is a positive sign. Besides if the staff looks pleasant and takes time to answer your queries, it is even better. If they seem to be arrogant or impatient, then it is better to vote out that mover.

The next important step is to find out the estimated cost for your move. It is better to schedule on-site estimates which are generally provided at no cost. Keep in mind that a reputed moving company would never give the estimate over the phone without evaluating the items to be moved. The movers use a wide variety of rates. Some of them would go for an hourly rate while other would charge by total weight or volume. Even more, some others would charge based on the types of furniture and goods that have to be moved.

With the estimate in your hands, it is time to pick the most appropriate local mover that would satisfy your needs. You must equally consider your gut feeling as well as the cost while going for the final choice. Remember to get a written agreement from the movers as soon as you hire them. Now you can relax and plan other things than moving.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Maryfollett_Adams

Excellent Tips to Hire Moving Services.

If you want to avoid a major headache, when you are planning to move from one home to another, hire someone to do it. How do you go about hiring moving services? First, understand that not all moving services are the same, and the differences between them can be significant. Here are some excellent tips to select the best moving services for you.

Most consumer affair experts will tell you that getting a personal reference about a long distance remover from someone who is used them is helpful. Do not necessarily trust the references the moving company supply you. When possible, narrow the field to three companies and then get bids. Do you just take the lowest bid? If one company has a reputation for a quality move, you may want to consider it, even if it means several hundred dollars more. After all, if the company is moving your household goods and treasures that may be worth thousands of dollars, what is a few hundred extra for make sure the move goes as well as possible?

When you are considering a moving services company, be sure that what it is offering is the same as the others. Look at the specifics besides the price. Is one company willing to insure your household goods at their replacement value but the others do not? In a few cases, a home owners insurance policy will cover your goods during a move. Check with your insurance agent. Then ask about the movers insurance. For some moving service companies - especially the Long Distance mover- basic insurance may be only a small number of cents per pound of each item. Larger companies tend to have insurance that is closer to or is the actual full value. Is one company only willing to insure if its people do the packing? Many companies will provide little insurance or none if you do the packing.

How many removal boxes will you need and what type and size of boxes? Get your mover to estimate how many removal boxes you will need, even if you plan to purchase the boxes yourself or scrounge up some from local stores. It is almost certain that you will underestimate the number of removal boxes you will need if you do it yourself.

If you are opting for long distance movers, most moving services companies will give a window of time when they will arrive for pick up and when they will deliver. Remember that your goods may not be the only ones on the truck. Finally, there are some well established and experienced organisations offers these removal services to their customers. For more information and details, please do not hesitate to visit their valuable website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alea_Vacheal

Choosing the Moving Service You Need.

There are a variety of services offered by moving company for a wide range of prices. Before going for a moving company service it's recommended that you compare different ones. Asking your friends about the experiences they had with the moving services they used can be a good place to start. Alternatively, you can get information about companies that offer moving services from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA).

It's recommended choosing a moving company that is a member of the AMSA or the BBB because their members have agreed to abide by a code and give you the chance to compare movers and their moving services.

Members of AMSA are required to provide disclosure of the moving information, written estimates of the charges that may occur and also provide timely service and give a prompt response to any claims or complaints the customer might have.

After you have your list of moving services providers, you should provide them with the destination and timing of the move. Ask for a detailed list of their moving services and an explanation of the estimates they will provide and get a copy. After all information is compiled compare the moving companies you chose to see which best fits your needs and your budget..
If moving to another state make sure you understand the information you'll receive. The moving company is required to give you more then just the brochures explaining the moving services they provide, a copy of a consumer booklet with the title "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move". Besides that, you should also receive information about the mover's participation in a Dispute Settlement Program.

The arrangements for you move should be made in advance, 5-6 weeks before the moving date is a minimum.

Before choosing the mover make sure you understand the following: - rates and charges of the moving company for the services;
- the liability for the belongings;
- the way pickup and delivery will be done;
- the claims protection you have.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ispas_Marin

How to Compare Moving Services and Their Quotes

Nowadays there are many types of moving companies and moving services available to the public in America for local and long distance moves. Each of us wants to make a good and educated decision when it comes to spending all of that money for moving. Each of us has our own specific needs. A college student moving into or out of their dorm rooms certainly has different needs that a senior citizen moving to an assisted care facility! Of course, there are a budget issues and schedules that need to be met as well as different moving services that we will want to consider for our moves.

When we gather information about different moving companies and moving services we are suddenly flooded with phone calls and information. It's so easy to get lost when you are on information overload. Most important of all is deciphering all of that information and putting everything into practical terms that you can understand.

The first step in moving is always advanced planning. Make a list or inventory of ALL of the items in your possession. At this stage of the game, it's worth listing it all and then deleting items along the way. Go room by room listing each item and if you want make a "guesstimate" of how many boxes you will need for each room. (Don't worry about being exact with this, since the point of it is to give you a general idea.) I always recommend doing this in a notebook and in pencil, so that it will easy for you to make changes along the way and keep track of it all.)

Once you have created an inventory with a general box count, you will need to sit down and take a look at it. This will be the" big picture" for your move and help you see the smaller parts of the puzzle! With this list you will be able to get an idea of how labor intensive your move will be and help you to decide what kind of moving services would be of interest you! There are quite a few out there!

Here is a list and a general description of the most popular moving services available for moving in the United States:
Full Service Deluxe Moving Companies-These are the large and well known moving companies. They offer full service moving packages. This means that they do all of the labor for you including packing and unpacking all of your boxes. Their prices will already include all packing materials.

Standard Moving Companies-These are companies that might not be as well known. They offer many different options for moving depending on what moving services you are looking for or might need. These companies can offer large discounts based on your inventory and how labor and material intensive your move will be. They can also supply packing materials for an additional charge.

U Load We Drive Moving Companies-Here you are responsible for everything: packing boxes, preparing your furniture, loading the truck and unloading the truck. The only thing you won't need to do is drive the truck! You are responsible for all packing materials at your own expense.
Truck Rental Companies- You rent the truck and equipment you need, do all of the packing, driving, loading and unloading. You will be paying for everything, including the gas.

Remember that all moving companies must be licensed, bonded and insured, meeting all federal and state requirements for operating as moving companies and moving services. It's also important to note that all moving companies will base their prices on the space needed (in cubic feet) for your belongings, weight of your shipment, additional services required and the distance of your move. (For a local move it will be based on an hourly rate.)

One popular addition for U Load We Drive and Truck Rental moves is moving labor. There are companies that will supply moving labor to assist you with your packing and unpacking or loading and unloading needs. This will of course be at an additional charge above the cost of the moving services fees.

Now that we know what the different moving services are, it's time to think about what you need, what you want, what you can afford and which moving services you want to explore? Do you want to be able to compare the different moving services to each other? Do you want to compare the prices of the different movers and moving services to each other? Which of them do you want to compare?

The simplest way to research any subject is on the internet. It will save lots of time and the expense of making lots of telephone calls. You can research each moving service on many websites. The internet is also the best way to get free moving quotes for all of the different moving services. Let the movers run after you! Let them tell you what they have to offer and send you free moving quotes to your email. There are also moving companies and moving services that offer "in house" moving quotes and moving estimates. It's important to remember that these quotes are estimates. If on your moving day there will be additional services required of you have more belongings that is shown on your inventory, it will cost you move. If you have a U Pack move and use more space, it will cost more.

Now that you have all of these moving quotes, you want to be able to compare them and make a good decision for you move. It's important to compare each of the moving services to each other. See what each moving company and moving service is offering you. Which service is offering you what you want or can afford?

I always recommend printing all of the free quotes. It will make your life much easier when you can sit down and really look at them and not on the computer screen. Separate the quotes according to the specific moving service they are for. This way you can easily compare the quotes from each of the moving services.

Remember, READ THE FINE PRINT! A vague quote of any kind should be considered suspicious. If you are promised something by a moving company or moving service, make sure it is written on the quote. If it isn't on the quote, it will be as if it doesn't exist. A quote with lots of fine print is always going to be preferable to anything vague. You can always ask the movers any questions about that and it's always preferable to having a bad surprise later on your moving day.

One other item that will help you decipher a free moving quote is a moving dictionary or glossary of moving terms. As in any industry, it's very important to know the terminology to understand what you are reading and what you are actually being offered. There are many websites that have good glossaries for moving.

Now you are ready to make a decision about your move. You have all the information necessary to make a good and educated decision.

Here is one last piece of advice that I always offer to customers. Find out from any of the companies that you are in contact with what their cancellation policies are and what you need to do if you need to cancel and how you need to do it. This will tell you a lot about the integrity of the companies you are speaking with. A Company that will make this difficult for you is a company that you really don't want to do business with. Also, remember you can always consult with the moving specialist or consultant at your moving company or moving service and they will always give you their best advice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Davies

Moving Scam

The moving industry in the United States was deregulated with the Household Goods Transportation Act of 1980. This act allowed interstate movers to issue binding or fixed estimates for the first time. Doing so opened the door to hundreds of new moving companies to enter the industry. This forced a increasesd competition and soon movers were no longer competing on services but on price. As competition drove prices lower and decreased what were already slim profit margins, "rogue" movers began hijacking personal property as part of a new scam.

There are many versions to the moving scam but the basic scam takes place as follows. A prospective client contacts a moving company and requests a cost estimate. In today's market this often happens online via moving directories or brokers. These moving brokers are salesmen prone to quoting "low ball" prices with no room for the movers to provide a quality service.
Once the scam "moving company" has secured a move by providing a non-binding estimate, they arrive to pack and deliver the goods. Often the scam movers use deceptive pricing or weight measurements including prices based on cubic feet of space used in the moving truck. After packing and loading, the client is informed that their goods went over the expected cubic foot allotment and "reserved space" in the truck was used which will now have to be paid for at a substantially higher rate. Often rogue movers will not inform a client of these discrepancies until the client's goods are in transit or have arrived . The new price may be four or five times higher than the original estimate. The scam movers know that most people will be forced to pay these exorbitant rates based on their need for the personal effects.

The interstate moving industry in America is regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Only a small staff (fewer than 20 people) is available to patrol hundreds of moving companies, making enforcement difficult.

All text of this article available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License (see Copyrights for details).

American Moving & Storage Association.

The American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA) is the non-profit trade association representing members of the professional moving industry based primarily in the United States. Its 3,200 members consist of van lines, their agents, independent movers, forwarders, and industry suppliers (AMSA does not represent the self-storage industry).

Member companies include national and international firms offering moving and associated storage services for households and businesses; crating and transportation for sensitive freight including trade show displays, electronics, scientific and medical equipment, automobiles, fine art, and equipment for college and professional sports teams; and increasingly, portable on-demand storage and records storage and management. Specialized storage services may include climate-controlled facilities for items such as furs, film, magnetic tape and documents.

Members also handle national and international employee relocation and personal property moves for the private sector and U.S. government agencies (through the General Services Administration) as well as for active duty U.S. military personnel (Department of Defense business represents the industry's largest single customer). AMSA has hosted GSA's Household Goods and Freight Forum at its annual conference since 2008.

Members must abide by an ethical code of conduct and comply with state, and for interstate moves, federal transportation safety and consumer protection regulations. AMSA administers the industry’s ProMover quality certification program for member companies and offers professional training and certification for individuals. It also provides members with state and federal government representation, legal and tax assistance, financial and statistical industry reporting, loss and damage claims arbitration, safety and compliance guidance, government rate filing, professional conferences, public relations, and publications. It publishes a bimonthly magazine, Direction, and a quarterly data publication, Industry Trends.

AMSA's Moving & Storage Institute, founded in 2001, sponsors industry research and scholarships.

Based in Alexandria, Virginia, AMSA is affiliated with 27 state moving associations and several international moving associations.

All text of this article available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License (see Copyrights for details).

Moving Company

A moving company, removalist, or van line is a company that helps people and businesses relocate their goods from one place to another. Typically they use moving vans, but for international moves or where storage is required, they may use special containerised vans or shipping containers.

National companies are typically organized with local branches or affiliated agents. That affiliation may be in the form of a franchise, wherein the local agent is a franchise of a national company, or a cooperative, wherein the local agent owns a share of the national company. There are also many small independent moving companies which operate within any given local area. In the United States, all legitimate interstate moving companies must be licensed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. About half the states regulate local, or intrastate movers.

Embedded within the moving industry are the services of truck/trailer/moving equipment rental companies and companies selling moving supplies for people who want to pack and move themselves. Then they use a professional mover to load a moving van, drive it to the new residence and then unload it there. Rental companies usually offer some training information for DIY movers who will be using their rental trucks, trailers or equipment to relocate themselves.
Some people obtain packing supplies to pack their household goods themselves to keep their moving costs down. They are called PBOs (packed by owner) by their movers. Because they are not trained to properly pack their things, damages are more prevalent with their shipments and invariably they become disputable after the move.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 40 million people have moved annually over the last decade.

All text of this article available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License (see Copyrights for details).