New place, new people, new surroundings, and another opportunity to start fresh. Relocating may seem like a major change in our lives but it also offers us a chance at a new beginning. Whether you are moving for work, business, family, or other personal reasons, it is recommended to plan ahead before you start packing up your things. Regardless of whether you are hiring a professional moving company or doing things by yourself, organizing and planning things months before your target date helps avoid the additional financial burdens and unnecessary stress.
What is a Moving Container?
There are plenty of ways to ease your relocation journey, one of which is to get yourself a moving container for the long haul. A moving container is a form of storage where you can place all your belongings. Long distance containers vary in size, materials, and price range. There is a moving company which rents out these steel-made containers and has them delivered to your location. You can either fill it out yourself, or you can get some professional movers to help you pack your stuff and place it inside the container. Depending on your plan, you can either have the moving company drive the container to your new place or you can drive it yourself. There are several reasons why getting a moving company to take care of your container could be a great option.
Advantages of getting professional help with your moving container
- Security. The containers are usually made of strong metals and weather-proof materials to withstand change in temperature and weather conditions during travel. It could be left outside in extreme weather conditions but you can be assured your things still remain intact. Long distance move or cross country relocation could be a huge challenge. It is important that your valuables remain undamaged, protected and could not be stolen. If you hire a professional moving team for your container, you don’t have to worry about making the necessary stop to rest, take a comfort break, grab some snacks while looking after the truck where your things are. You just have to wait for the container to be delivered on the agreed date.
- Adheres with schedule. Moving companies will follow your set schedule. You just have to set a date and a time as to when the moving container should be ready for pick up and when it should be delivered to the new location. In the event of any delays caused by them, you can either ask for a discount or other forms of compensation.
- Customer service. There are moving companies which provide you updates as to the whereabouts of your belongings. You can either receive an email or phone notification telling you of the location of the truck. Most companies have their hotlines which you can also call to verify the truck’s exact time of arrival at its destination. GPS and satellite navigation apps are always helpful but with a moving company, you don’t have to worry about getting lost. You also don’t have to think about your container being ransacked or items being stolen.
- Less stress. Moving to another location is a huge challenge for most people. Packing, alone, already seems like a huge task to hurdle. Getting yourself a professional moving company to relieve yourself of the pressure of thinking about a lot of things. With professional help to assist you, could help reduce your stress.
- Freebies. There are companies which offer freebies such as t-shirts, mugs and other marketing collateral as part of their effort to advertise the company.
- Flexible Payment Options. There are moving companies which offer flexible payment options. Some do not require their clients to pay the full amount upfront and could either pay in installment or once the items are delivered.
- Additional storage. This moving container could serve as your additional storage. If there are any mishaps with your moving plans, you can always talk to the moving company and ask them to store your belongings inside the container while you sort things out. If ironing out moving plans could take weeks or months, you are still assured that all your belongings are safe and in one place – inside your moving container.
If you decide to go for a long distance move, there are several things that you need to consider to make sure the travel is less stressful.
Traveling Tips for Long Distance Move
- Decide on a Budget, Schedule, and Container Type. Relocation is costly and you need to be financially prepared for it. Decide on the budget that you are willing to allocate for the move, the target date when you want your items to arrive, and the type of vehicle/container that carries it. Moving companies will offer you a different price rate depending on several factors such as the mileage or distance to be covered, how many containers are required and their sizes, and even the season when these containers would be traveling. High peak seasons are pricier as compared to seasons with low demands.
- Clarify terms. Shop around moving companies and clarify with them what is considered as long distance travel. There are companies that consider more than 100 miles mileage as long distance drive. Only then, you can start negotiating with the price rate. According to hire a helper’s website, moving to another state is coined as interstate while moving within the same state is considered an intrastate move. However, if the move requires the company to travel across several states, it is already considered a long distance move or a cross-country trip.
- Compare long distance moving containers. There are several companies such as U-PACK, PODS, SMARTBOX which offer a variety of container types. Depending on your needs, check their price rate, customer feedback, and customer service. You can also check several options offered by them. There are companies that offer packing/unpacking options, full service, driving options, and labor only. Cross-checked this with your working budget. You can also make use of the free quotes offered mostly by them on their websites.
- Learn about prohibited items. Hazardous materials are strictly prohibited to be carried by moving containers. There is a misconception that you can store everything inside a moving container. This is not true. You have to know which items are not allowed to be stored otherwise you will be held accountable. Some of the things which can not be transported are flammable items, poisons, fertilizers. There are those which also prohibit certain medicines to be transported. It is critical that you understand which are allowed and which items you can’t put inside the containers.
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