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Since I became an adult, I've moved 15 times and even coast-to-coast twice. I've guilted many friends and family into helping me with promises of pizza, libations, and hugs. After 5 years of accumulating too much stuff, I planned to take a two-month sabbatical to travel and knew I couldn't ask my friends to help again. I needed an affordable storage unit and a moving team that would work with my schedule.

When I called 1-800-PACK-RAT, I chatted with Melissa, their moving coordinator, about all of the details of my two months of storage. It was surprisingly affordable to have everything moved out of my second story condo and into storage with a move into the new place I would choose later. She scheduled the container drop-off and the movers and the movers called to confirm the time and any needed items.

I was worried about some of my larger breakables like my antique stained glass window, mirrors, and large picture frames. They assured me they'd bring extra boxes and tape, plastic wrap for my furniture, and everything I needed to be sure nothing would break during the move.

Although Sandy hit the day before my impending move, 1-800-PACK-RAT made sure it was easy to move things around. They dropped off the container on time and pushed the move off one day due to the torrential downpour. The night before, Melissa called to checked in to be sure everything was ready for my move in the morning.

At 9am, Melissa left a message to let me know she was there for anything I needed and the movers showed up on time at 9:30 ready to start moving. After a quick discussion with me, they started with boxes and odd pieces like my rugs and my bike - they made it look easy. The movers knew just what to put in the container first to balance it out and be sure nothing would break in the move.

Watching my things head out the door on the backs of movers was enthralling. They wrapped my couch, mattress, and chair in plastic wrap so it wouldn't be damaged. Took care of my flat screen TV, mirrors and breakables with ease, and even took apart my dining table.

In the end, the container was secured, packed carefully, and ready for the truck to pick it up. They gave me the padlock, both of the keys, and wished me good luck with my journey. Melissa called one last time to check on how everything went and to let me know the container would be picked up that  afternoon. A few hours later, the truck driver called to let me know my container was safe and secure on his truck and headed for the storage facility.

Although the move isn't completely over, I'm so thankful for 1-800-PACK-RAT and their movers. It was the first move I've ever done without stress. I'll never move myself again.

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No matter how careful you are when you are using a self service mover, things can happen.  Your uncle could  drop a box as he is helping load things into your portable storage container.  You could stack a heavy box of books on top of a glass lamp you forgot to label "fragile."  Your contents could shift during transport.  Or your neighbor could accidentally bump into your storage container while backing out of his garage.  Things happen when you move, whether you are having a professional moving company handle everything or doing the move yourself with the help of a self service mover.  Protecting your wallet and your belongings in the event that mishaps occur is always a wise decision.

Any reputable self service mover will offer you various insurance plans when you inquire about estimates.  Those plans will cover your belongings and the portable storage container during your rental period.  The details of the plans are usually listed on the company web site.  You can choose a plan that covers only damage to the storage container during your rental period, or a more comprehensive plan that also covers damage to your belongings up to a certain amount.  The price of those insurance plans is dependent upon the deductible and plan you choose and is usually purchased on a monthly basis.  The self service mover is responsible for damages that occur beyond your control, such as storm damage, vandalism, fire, etc.  Make sure you do not pack or store items that are not allowed to be packed or stored in your container (usually included on your rental agreement.) 

In addition to insuring your belongings while they are being stored or transported with a self service mover, contact your current renters or homeowners insurance company to see what might be offered.  Many renters insurance policies cover your belongings while you move.  You can also purchase moving insurance from various companies. 

Moving requires a lot of steps, regardless of whether you hire someone to do it all for you or do it yourself with a self service mover.  Insurance is always recommended, because things happen.  It will not cost you much to provide a safety net for your belongings and your wallet. 

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Traditionally, when you had to move you had two choices.  You could either hire a professional moving company or rent a moving truck and do it yourself.  Recently, there has been an increasingly popular third option that frees the do it yourself mover of the responsibility of driving a truck and offers more flexibility than a professional moving company or rental truck agreements.  Self service movers provide storage containers for you and the only thing you have to do is load and unload your belongings.  You can also take your time loading and unloading and combine your move with temporary storage very easily.

Self service movers deliver as many storage containers as you need for your move.  Whether you are moving the contents of a small apartment or a large house, you will find that the various sizes of containers offered by self service movers will suit your needs.  Some self service movers deliver a truck or trailer to you and you are assigned a portion of it, but storage containers are the most common.  The storage containers are weather proof and made of various materials, depending upon the company.  As you are loading and unloading your belongings, you can lock the door of the container so the contents will remain safe.  When you have loaded everything and are ready to move, the self service movers will pick up your container or containers and transport them to your new home.  If you need temporary storage while you move, the self service movers can take your containers to a climate controlled and secure storage facility until you are ready to have them delivered.  Your storage containers will remain packed the way you packed them.  You can unpack your belongings at your own pace and have the storage containers picked up when you are ready.  Given the convenience and flexibility offered by self service movers, it is no wonder they have become a popular option that do it yourself movers depend on. 

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