The first reaction all of us have when our homes are not closing at the same time is probably panic. You have already scheduled professional moves, and planned every detail, and now your move needs to go upside down. But don’t worry, there are storage units available all over Chicago, so you won’t have to worry about a thing. And your professional movers are skilled to move you in and out of a storage unit. No matter what the reasons are to move your items in the storage unit, there are many movers Chicago that can help you out. Storage units are quite handy, no matter if you need to use them for a short or long period of time. Storages will keep your belongings safe (if your professional movers place them inside properly), you will have more space in your home, and the items will be close to you. Many people hire professional movers to move a part of their belongings into the storage unit because they are looking to change the furniture they have or they are downsizing. On the other hand, moving to or out of a storage unit is not the same as residential moving. You will have to prepare for the arrival of your professional movers properly, in order to have a stress-free moving day.
- Finding the right storage unit
First things first, even before your professional movers arrive, you will have to find a storage unit that will meet your needs. Firstly, you can check with your professional movers if they can help you out with this because there are furniture movers that have storage units in their possession. If not, you will have to do this on your own. Most of the professional movers will recommend finding a storage unit that is close to your current home or your new home. The reason for this is the flexibility to go there in case you need something during the process, and it will also save you some money. Some professional movers have additional charges when there is a bigger mileage, so maybe this makes sense for you. Considering there are numerous storage units around Chicago, you won’t have any issue to follow this advice from professional movers. Besides that, you want that unit to be clean and well maintained, so the best would be to go there personally to see the conditions of the units. This is especially important when you are planning to leave your items inside for a longer period of time. The number one priority is to keep your items safe, that is why you hired professional movers after all. Double-check the temperature conditions inside of a storage unit, because this is also important for maintaining your belongings safe and sound. The rule for finding a storage unit is the same as finding professional movers – you need to do research. Make sure to read the reviews and to see what other clients have to say about the storage company. When using the storage unit provided by professional movers, they will decide what size of the unit you will need based on the size of your move. When looking for a unit on your own, you will have to determine this on your own. There are online calculators that might help, and if not, feel free to ask your professional movers for advice.
Now, after you have found a storage unit, it is time to figure out how to prepare your belongings for the move.
- Packing materials
When it comes to moving to a storage unit, you will have to find the right packing materials in order for your professional movers to safely stock up your unit. For packing your miscellaneous items, you should use strong cardboard boxes and moving paper. Furniture movers always like to say that packing boxes should have no empty space. This doesn’t mean that you should pack them up with heavy items, but with packing papers. Professional movers will bring plastic wrap and tools to disassemble your furniture, but this is not enough to keep your items completely safe. Furniture movers that take their job seriously will always advise you to purchase moving blankets for extra protection. You can get those separately, or you can ask your professional movers to sell you the blankets they use. Of course, this is completely up to you, if you feel that you don’t need moving blankets, you are not obligated to buy them. Some professional movers can also offer you renting moving blankets, it is more budget-friendly than purchasing them. Be sure to ask your furniture movers about this. Bear in mind that fragile items, such as TVs, mirrors, computers, and anything of that sort should be wrapped with both plastic wrap and moving blankets.
- Learn about storage restrictions
Every storage unit has its own restrictions, and your professional movers will always ask you about this. That is why you should be prepared to answer this question. This is important so you can know how to coordinate the arrival time of your professional movers, and to get the access key or the gate code to your unit. You can always go to your storage unit, but you will need access to your furniture movers with a truck. Besides restrictions for access, you will have to learn what is allowed and what not to be moved into the storage. Some of the restricted items might be food, medicine, gasoline, fertilizer, paint, chemicals, explosives, propane tanks, and narcotics. On the other hand, these are the items that professional movers won’t move either.
- Create the inventory list
The inventory list is helpful for a couple of reasons – your professional movers will be able to help you decide on what size storage unit you need. And this will also help you keep all of your belongings organized once everything is stored. Keep this copy until your furniture movers move you out of a storage unit.
- Label boxes clearly
Since you will have to pack up all of your belongings and put them inside of a storage unit for a time being, you want them to be labeled clearly in case you have to get something from there. Not to mention that it will be easier for your professional movers to handle them when labeled properly. Be as specific as you can when labeling, just in case you have to take something from it. Instead of having dozens of boxes labeled as ‘kitchen items’, rather specify ‘pots, pans, dishes’. Firstly, your professional movers will know based on the label how fragile and delicate items inside of the box are. Secondly, if you need something, it will be easier for you to access it.
- Protect your belongings
No matter how careful your professional movers are, once they put your items in the storage unit they will be exposed to dust, mildew, and sometimes even mold. After you clean your belongings, make sure they are dry. After that, you should always apply a protective spray on items such as furniture and leather goods. When your professional movers arrive, they will make sure to wrap up your belongings with plastic wrap and blankets, if you have decided to purchase them. This is the best way to keep your furniture pieces safe. When it comes to boxes, furniture movers recommend sealing your boxes tightly to keep moisture out. Electronics should be placed into plastic bags to prevent moisture damage. In case you have some clothes that should be stored, you can ask your professional movers to sell your wardrobe boxes or hanging garment bags. Furniture movers might also have mattress covers in case you need to store that item as well. No matter how long you keep your items inside of a storage unit, when they are protected like this, once your professional movers move you out, everything will be the same as you left it.
- Disassemble large items
Large items should be disassembled prior to placing them in the storage unit. Professional movers are offering this service free of charge, and if you get some moving company that doesn’t – there are many movers Chicago, and you should find the one that will help you with this. Disassembly done by professional movers will keep your items safe because they know how to disassemble each piece of furniture properly. On the other hand, by doing this, you will be able to save space in your unit and keep the items protected from potential wear and tear. Tip by professional movers: wrap the individual legs of bed frames and table legs in towels and blankets to prevent damage.
- Don’t store anything too value
As you shouldn’t have professional movers moving something irreplaceable, such as documents, jewelry, and similar, you shouldn’t put them in the storage unit. No matter how trustworthy your furniture movers are, or how reputable your storage company is, you shouldn’t play with fire. Things can happen, your budget movers might have some employees that are not background checked, or someone can break into the storage unit, and you don’t want to think about it. You will see in the agreements with professional movers and storage companies that they are not responsible for valuable items. To be on the safe side, find an alternative way to store jewelry, family heirlooms, and other valuable items you don’t want to take any chances with losing.
- Insurance
When moving with professional movers you will have the moving insurance included in the price, if the company is licensed. Don’t worry, even the budget movers have it. If you are not sure, do check with the company you hired. You should always hire only licensed professional movers for your upcoming relocation. Now, let’s go back to the subject – moving insurance. Most professional movers have basic coverage, which is 30 cents per pound. The best-case scenario is to find furniture movers that are offering 60 cents per pound. That is why you should purchase the additional insurance in case you have something valuable, for both – moving with professional movers and staying inside the storage unit. Having storage insurance can provide peace of mind just in case of a worst-case scenario. Besides, you probably wouldn’t be storing items that you didn’t care about anyway, so might as well have them insured if the need should ever arise.
- Packing the unit strategically
When it comes to placing your items inside of storage, you should instruct your professional movers how you want to pack up your unit. Furniture movers are skilled and they know how the unit should be packed up, that is the fact. But on the other hand, if you are placing the items inside and you know that you will need something in the middle of the process, you should either label the boxes that way or inform your professional movers how you want to organize your storage unit. The rule professional movers are following is to store large and heavy items on the bottom of the unit. Another reason why you should make the inventory list, show it to your professional movers and you can coordinate together how everything should be packed up. When preparing your items for storage, your goal is to ensure that your possessions will be in the same pristine condition upon removing them from storage as they were when you first stored them.
After you have learned more about preparing your items for a storage move, and you are looking for the best movers in Chicago – you are in the right place. Chicago Best Movers is the moving company where you will have the help of skilled and experienced professional movers that will keep your items safe and sound. On top of that, we are one of the budget movers who will make sure that your relocation is done safely, efficiently, and without the need to spend a fortune on it. Our customer support is at your service 7 days a week, and ready to help you out with any question or concern you might have. Give us a call and get a free moving quote from our professionals! We are looking forward to working with you!