Moving and Storage

Not PERSONAL experience. however, our neighbors used PODS when they were getting ready to move and said a lot of great things about them!!

I would hunt around for storage places - ask to see their insurance paperwork and ask how many loss claims have been filed - you can also check with your local police station to see if they have any police reports of theft...

If you have things that might be weakened with heat - check into an AC/Heat unit...not sure if they are more expensive or not but worth the look!!

GOOD LUCK!! I hope things work out for you!!!

We just went through something similar- moved out of our house and in with the in-laws, had to use a PODS unit. I gotta tell you, I wouldn't do anything differently. The best thing about the PODS unit is that you can have it delivered whenever you want then picked up whenever you want, then redelivered whenever you want. Being able to spread the packing over two weekends was a huge benefit, not to mention it was on ground level and therefor easier to load. The unit itself is stored in a secure, climate-controlled location- another huge benefit. When we finally closed on our new home, we had the PODS unit delivered immediately and spent the next few days unloading it. WAY easier than a moving van/ storage unit combo, and probably comparable in price.

One thing to keep,in mind--not sure if weather is a factor, but make sure they are in a climate controlled area all that time...

We are getting ready for a massive move (again) and I just compared the PODS to renting a truck. The PODS come in 16 X 8 X 8 feet. It was almost $3,000 to move my stuff 600 miles with that or $1000 for twice the space in a truck (Penske).

Compare storage places and really ask all the questions (rodents, pests, climate control, insurance, etc.).

But honestly, sell everything that you don't personally LOVE or have sentimental attachment to. You have to compare what it would cost to keep it and store it for a year compared to selling it now and buying something else later. Craigslist is a great way to sell large items and later buy items. It might feel like you are totally giving up, but it could also be very fulfilling to get "new" items for the new you when you are ready to move forward. It's just stuff!

Good luck with your move and good for you for realizing what you need to do and biting the bullet to do it.

A friend of mine is having some renovations done to her house and has a POD in her driveway for the furniture. It's a great idea but it can be expensive and because it stays at her house it is a giant box that's in the way all the time. It only has to be there for about 2 months so it's no big deal. They only put furniture and things that they wouldn't need during the remodel. It it was going to be longer she says she would have gotten a storage unit. But if they will move it to your new place it might not be a bad idea. I know they can take it away and store it at a warehouse but I've not had much experience with that and what if you needed something out of it in the meantime.

When I went from a college dorm to an apartment I had a 2 month break and ended up using a storage unit so I wouldn't have to move everything back home for 2 months and them back to school. I like this because I could go to the unit anytime I needed it. The unit was in a gate enclosed, key card entry area in the busy part of the town but I made a point never to visit alone.

You need to just google them for your area. When I checked around us, Pods was more expensive than a traditional storage unit, but they do delived it to your door so it's more convenient for you. We went with a traditional storage unit.