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BIO ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vivian Cragg is a veteran at moving. She has been left behind by her husband 18 times to move their house while her husband starts his new job. She has used both professional moving companies and done it herself with the help of day laborers. This article is part of the information she learned during the last 30 years of following her husband and taking care of their move.

Portable Storage / Moving Containers

A new concept in storage is Portable Containerized Storage.  The concept is simple and very exciting. The storage company brings a container to your house and leaves it. You

Truck for small containers

pack it with your belongings at your pace and then lock it up. Then the truck returns and takes it to either your new house or to a warehouse for storage. It costs more than renting a truck and moving yourself, but it's cheaper than hiring a full-service mover.

Until this option became available about 10 years ago, we have either had to use a full-

Container forklift

service mover or use a U-Haul truck and do it ourselves. They offer convenience for the move as you usually have ground level access and as much time as you need to load. If you are storing your goods before moving, and use either a professional mover or a self storage unit, your goods will have to be unloaded for storage and then reloaded when you are ready to move. This adds more probability for breakage.

The container units are usually constructed

Hydrolic lift for containers

of plywood over a steel frame. Make sure the vendor has a hydraulic lift system that can pick the box up level so your belongings do not shift when moved to the truck.  If you plan to store your containers before a move, make sure your container is weather proof or stored inside and has proper security.

Advantages of Containerized Storage:

1) Economical method of moving personal or business possessions

2) Eliminates truck rental and driving headaches

3) Convenient ground-level loading capabilities

4) Provides a viable storage alternative for interim moves

5) Cost-effective, long-distance moving

6) Unlike self storage, once you pack the container, you can store and then ship without having to repack a truck.

Potential Disadvantages:

1) No access to your belongings while they are stored as you would have with a self storage unit.

2) Most portable container companies have limited options for size.

3) Often this style of storage is more costly than self storage units.

4) You must use a reliable portable container vendor that stores your belongings securely.  Theft can be an issue.

5) Make sure the container is either weather proof or is stored in a weather proof warehouse.