Moving & Storage Tips Blog

All too often we get in a hurry before taking off. We’re tired of loading and packing, we’re anxious to get to the new place, sometimes hot and tired and stressed. Here are ten important items on your moving checklist to address before leaving.

1. If you were renting, have the powers that be signed off and you have your deposit back? Take photos of the condition you left the place in, return keys, get your deposit and have all utilities out of your name effective the day you leave. While leaving lights on doesn’t significantly change the power bill, certain calls on a phone line can drastically change a phone bill!

It’s also good to know the utilities are off and if they aren’t follow up with the power companies. Don’t let it slip through the cracks and days later it’s still in your name! Lock the place before you leave, insuring no theft or vandalism happens. If you have a digital camera when you take photos of the rooms also take some of the meter readings. Recording what the meter was when you left can save frustration.

2. Have keys, maps and information for the new place all in order and accessible.

3. Fuel up all vehicles, check fluids (oil, transmission, brake, coolant). Double check lights and hitch security on the trailer if you’re pulling one and secure the doors of any trailer or vehicle you’re pulling. You should have checked tires before loading for wear and inflation level but check again now.

4. Before putting the vehicle in drive do a head count that all pets, children, spouses etc are in the vehicle. Don’t count on “he was just here” - one child running in to pee real quick before leaving can come out to find you gone and if you don’t notice for a half hour that’s a long back track (especially with fuel prices as they are) that could have been avoided as well as an hour delay in your trip.

5. Secure all pets and people in the vehicle. Don’t be tempted to unbuckle to sleep because it’s more comfortable. It won’t be comfortable in the event of an accident to be thrown through a window. Safety of living creatures is #1.

6. Make sure your important paper/travel kit is secured in the vehicle.

7. Have enough cash or travelers checks on hand for the trip. Include a roll of quarters and small change for vending machines or toll booths.

8. Have a basic tool kit available - screwdrivers, pliers etc. - in case needed on the road.

9. Give every room a final once over including basement, attic, yard and garage. Look in closets and drawers.

10. Note your mileage before leaving and have an envelope accessible for all receipts during the trip. Remember that moving costs, or a portion of them, may be tax deductible and if someone else is paying for the move they’ll need receipts. Fuel, food, motels (reasonable) and basic expenses add up on a move within a state and more so going to another state.

These quick checks can save headaches. Once these are in place you should be good to go - buckle up, start your vehicle and have a safe trip!

Paul Darden is owner and CEO of Buckingham Storage, the only Richardson public storage facility with a 24/7 on site management team. Get your tape, dust covers, bubble wrap, moving boxes at http://www.buckinghamstorage.com

As the storage rental business has evolved there are more choices than ever for storing your goods. Needs will vary widely, and consider yours carefully before picking a unit.

Remember in renting a storage unit you’re paying for cubic feet. Consider how tall the unit is - you can fit more “stuff” in a unit 10′ high then one 8′ high - but if you have mostly heavy items and few light ones to be safely stacked that high, look at other options.

What are you storing? Household goods? Inside/outside items? A car? How much protection do you want? If you have an older car that broke down and you just want temporary storage until you can fix it, you might be fine with outside storage in a fenced and secure area at a lower rate. However, the classic car that you spent three years rebuilding with your son you probably are going to want a little more protection for!

If you’re storing boxes, books and paper goods remember to account for the unseen. Placing wood pallets down is a good idea - keeping your possessions up off the floor. This can give a few more inches in case of a flood, or if a leak happens in another unit or water drains in where it shouldn’t. Also account for if you need access to them, pack the unit so you can get in and find items when you need them. Arrange it so the stuff you’re likely to need the most - or the soonest - are further towards the front.

Generally speaking you can expect a 10X10 standard space to hold a one bedroom home. A 5X5 unit is more like a small closet, for boxes or files. On the other end is the larger 10X30′, which can generally hold furnishings of a larger home including furniture and appliances. Remember to include any outdoor gear you’re bringing when figuring room needed.

Consider in the what you have to store - are there items that can be damaged by heat or cold? If so you will want to strongly consider a climate controlled unit. For boxes of photographs, for example, extremes of temperatures aren’t advised. Electronic equipment and books or files can withstand temperature changes but takes less kindly to dust and dampness. Reserve a couple of sheets to drape over the entire stack of items to keep dust at bay. This is preferred to plastic, which can hold the heat in even more.

Remember that just as with rental housing what happens in another unit can affect yours. Plan for that. If you have a climate controlled room with books or electronics in it you might use that plastic cover - if there are sprinklers activated due to something in another unit this can greatly reduce the chances of damage to your goods. This is another reason for using pallets. The climate control helps stave off the odor often associated with items in storage.

If, however, you are storing non-sensitive possessions such as living room furniture, a kitchen table, normal kitchen goods and such, a non-climate controlled unit may serve you well. These can be more economical for many items that temperature fluctuations do not bother.

Don’t overlook storage options for campers, RV and other uses. Proper storage of these items protects them and insures a longer life. When you’re done camping for the year, consider cleaning out your trailer, restocking it fresh (except for food items) and checking it into a storage area. Next year you have a clean rig and you can stop at the grocery store, hook up and go.

There are many cases a storage unit may be the best solution for you. Check your insurance, look closely at the space needed as well as what you’re storing. Choose the solution that works the best for you.

Paul Darden is owner and CEO of Buckingham Storage, the only Richardson self storage rental facility with a 24/7 onsite management team, the only Richardson public storage by Plano. Darden specializes in the brokering, marketing, feasibility studies, and developing of self-storage personally brokering over 130 self-storage facilities throughout the southwest to both national and regional self-storage operators. For more storage tips and information, visit http://www.buckinghamstorage.com

This video goes over tips on how to keep your classic car in storage safe and running in top condition after leaving it stored in a unit for a few months or more.

A little effort can go a long ways towards protecting your items while they are in storage. Anything worth paying to store is worth protecting it while it’s stored. For the safety of your items, those in neighboring units and in consideration of the owner/management of the storage facility, it pays to pay attention to pest control. Here are 10 Storage Tips to Keep Bugs, Mice, & Ants Out of Your Unit.

1. Before moving furniture into storage clean it and vacuum thoroughly. Get all the crumbs, debris and stains off sofas and chairs including down in the cracks and crevices. Any “extras” left in here is a calling card for bugs and once started it affects not only your stuff but that in other units too.

2. Thoroughly clean appliances, large and small, for the same reason. Those crumbs in the toaster tray, the food stuck on small appliances or pans invites in problems you don’t want. Clean means nothing to attract bugs or mice and without food and shelter they will not stay.

3. Mothballs work well in boxes of clothing. Be careful though and use cause as they can stain clothes. Putting some in the unit, where they won’t stain the contents, is a good idea however. Cedar scented blocks and sachets can be made or purchased to be tucked into boxes of clothing or household goods like towels, blankets and sheets. A good sachet can last three to four months, enough for short term storage.

4. Don’t be afraid to use contained insecticides - roach and ant baits can be an inexpensive thing to put in the corners as you don’t know what others have stored in their storage sheds.

5. Use mouse and rat baits, or traps with peanut butter instead of cheese. Don’t use the traps if you don’t check it regularly - leaving one sit in the trap doesn’t catch others after the trap is sprung.

6. For additional natural deterrents look to herbs. Catnip is said to repel ants, lavender repels moths, sage repels slugs and mint can be effective against many kinds of pests. Mint and tansy are said to repel mice, although tansy can cause allergic reactions in some people.

7. Stick to canned goods and securely sealed (screw on lids) jars packed to prevent breakage if you absolutely must store food . Because it attracts pests, food is highly discouraged.

8. Buckets from bakeries can be used to store rice or grains. It’s strongly suggested this be for a minimal amount of time in a storage unit. There are so many factors that are beyond our control that it pays to use caution. Boxed foods and plastic bags simply offer no resistance to mice and bugs, resulting in an infestation of pests that no one wants.

9. Make sure up around the top there are not holes that birds can get into. Having a bird trapped in a storage unit can be very messy and unpleasant!

10. Avoid storing candles in warm climates and those with liquid like snow globes in cold ones. Some units are not protected from heat and freezing, and not only can the items become damaged but anything under it also. This, in turn, can attract pests due to the oils or dampness. If you must store items like this go for a climate controlled unit, which better protects all of your items.

Paul Darden is owner and CEO of Buckingham Storage, the only self storage near Garland with a 24/7 onsite management team. Darden specializes in the brokering, marketing, feasibility studies, and developing of self-storage personally brokering over 130 self-storage facilities throughout the southwest to both national and regional self-storage operators. For more storage tips and information, visit http://www.buckinghamstorage.com