Besides relationship crises, moving is among the most stressful moments that a person can be exposed to in life. Nevertheless, 23 000 households and companies in Germany undergo exactly this strain every day. Most cite family reasons for the decision to live elsewhere, but professional and financial circumstances, such as cheaper housing, also play a major role.
Experts agree that detailed moving planning can help to reduce stress considerably. One of the most importFant components of planning is storing furniture, in order to keep the moving madness to a minimum.
Storing a household can make sense for various reasons:
- Selfstorage offers the option, when moving, to store furniture, files, and other items temporarily, so that you have more space and time for cleaning.
- When moving abroad, you can store your entire household contents so that, when you return, you do not have to start all over again.
- Storing your inventory gives you the opportunity to carry out the move over several days. This becomes particularly relevant if your employer refuses you special leave.
Anyone who stores their large and small items automatically gains greater flexibility, not only for the move itself but also in planning. Once you have solved the problem of safe storage for your household contents, you can focus on the essential moving requirements, including
- Contracts,
- Finances,
- Authorities,
- Insurance
Below, we provide you with a guide on how best to manage the storage of your household contents or company inventory.
Temporary storage space as a solution when moving
Anyone moving for the first time will soon find out that this is not something that can be done within just one day. Moves require hundreds of smaller and larger tasks, all of which demand your time and attention. One of the most important components of your move is probably not the actual transport of your inventory to the new location, but the proper handover of the old residential or business premises to the landlord or new owner.
The old location must be thoroughly cleaned. In most cases, renovation work is also added so that you get the deposit back. To clean thoroughly and carry out cosmetic repairs, you will need space.
As a rule, it is not appropriate to store sensitive upholstered furniture, items made of wood, or clothing in the cellar, the garage, or in the attic, not even for a short time. Moisture, dust accumulation, and pests can not only severely affect your inventory, but even destroy it and create more work when moving into the new premises.
Selfstorage and Full-Service-Storage offer a safe alternative here for the temporary storage of your items while you work on the requirements for a proper key handover. Your furniture and items are stored and kept here under optimal conditions, even over a longer period of time, and you can concentrate entirely on cleaning and renovation.
Which services does a moving and temporary storage company handle for you?
Many freight forwarders that specialize in moves nowadays offer a more comprehensive service than just transporting your inventory from one location to another. The services of individual moving companies vary, and generally include some of the following forms of assistance:
- Advice and sale of packing materials
- Packing, clearing out, and carrying items when moving out and moving in.
- Collection and delivery of the inventory.
- Temporary storage of containers with household items, furniture, company inventory.
- Consultation and support in planning the move
- Help with administrative requirements, including applications for a temporary no stopping zone or temporary suspension of parking restrictions during the move.
You must note that with a freight forwarding service your entire inventory has to be stored all at once in huge containers. Freight forwarders and moving companies also have peak periods and are therefore up to 30 percent more expensive in spring and summer.
If money plays a major role in your move, you should also be aware that moving assistance such as packing and carrying the items or consultations are charged extra and can cost between € 25 and € 35 per hour.
Full-Service-Storage offers an alternative to moving companies that provides greater flexibility and lower prices. In doing so, you receive the same advantages mentioned above, but you have better control and fewer complications over the course of the move.
With Full-Service-Storage you do have to pack your items and the inventory yourself, but you receive handy moving boxes that you can buy or rent. These are collected from you, transported to the storage facility, and professionally stored individually. This process has the advantage that you can request individual items or pieces of furniture again and again, without having to search through huge storage containers.
Full-Service providers, including BOXIE24, considerably simplify the moving process by having professionally trained staff take over most of the logistics and the carrying of items for a flat rate. Transport and insurance are also included in the price in most cases.
In addition, you should consider whether the huge containers that some moving companies use to transport items and furniture and to store them in temporary storage are really suitable for your needs. The more items are pressed together in a larger space, the greater the risk that they will shift during transport and when the container is set down, leading to scratches or breakage.
How do you plan transport, packing, and the handover without risks and breakage?
A successful move begins with precise planning. If you want to carry out the move yourself, you will soon find that the tasks can quickly become unmanageable. Not only do you have to organize all matters at your old location, but also at your new residential or business premises.
But even if you hire a moving company, unexpected incidents can occur during the handover on moving day that can damage your property. In order to experience as few problems as possible during the move, you should take the following precautionary measures:
- Pack your things safely and responsibly. Do not skimp on packing materials and protect especially fragile items made of glass and porcelain. Attach corner and edge protection to your furniture so that you do not suffer any damage during transport and storage.
- Sort your things properly and pack them in an arrangement that makes sense for you and your family members or employees. Do not mix your kitchen appliances with your bathroom items, and make sure that each family member or each employee receives their own storage boxes to avoid disputes or misunderstandings.
- Make sure that you receive a specific flat rate from the freight forwarder in line with your needs that includes all work processes. Do not agree to hourly payment, because you will soon lose control of your budget.
- Secure access to your location. Keep driveways clear and apply for a no parking zone in front of both places where the move takes place.
- Make sure that your property is sufficiently insured during transport and temporary storage. In addition, you must ensure that your storage provider also monitors your things to avoid theft and vandalism.
- Research moving companies and Full-Service providers thoroughly and consider only reputable companies with good customer reviews. The cheapest is not always the best and can easily lead to later costly damage due to carelessness or incompetence. In customer reviews, pay particular attention to prices, punctuality, and reliability.
How do you calculate the required storage space?
In your planning, at the latest when you call a moving company or a Full-Service company, the question arises of how large your moving volume will be. In an initial estimate to determine the size of the required storage space, you can apply the following rule of thumb:
m² residential/business floor area x 10 % = minimum m² required storage space
In doing so, you must also take into account the area of your attic, cellar, and garage. If you already know in advance that you have particularly many items, pieces of clothing, or bulky furniture, you should calculate with 15 %.
To be completely sure, however, you can use a storage space calculator. Storage space calculators offer you the possibility of individual settings that better meet your needs. You can enter your items and inventory room by room and, at the end, receive an exact storage space calculation.
In addition, you can of course measure your inventory and the associated moving boxes. However, you still have to calculate in advance how many storage boxes you need for your loose items.
With competent packing and thorough preparation, you can ensure that your things can also be stored and stacked vertically. Dismantle your furniture as far as possible and make sure that your boxes are stable and fully packed. In addition to the square meter figure, also ask about the volume, measured in cubic meters (m³), of your future storage facility or storage container.
The size of the required storage space naturally has an influence on the final price that you receive from your moving company or Selfstorage provider. But other factors also play a role here besides the price per square meter.
How much does a moving and storage service cost?
The price per square meter of your storage facility depends on various factors:
- The location of your stored goods plays a decisive role in the rental price. Large cities such as Berlin, München, or Frankfurt are usually far more expensive than smaller cities such as Münster, Wustermark, or Leverkusen.
- The agreed period in your storage rental contract. The longer you rent a storage space, the cheaper the storage price per square meter becomes.
- The way you pay. If you pay the entire rental price in advance, you generally receive a discount.
In connection with freight forwarders and moving companies, you must also expect a surcharge of up to 30 percent if you move during peak periods in spring or summer. bridge days as well as the autumn and Christmas holidays are also generally affected by surcharges. In addition, it is advisable here to book as early as possible in order to secure a place on the waiting list.
If you have not booked Full-Service-Storage, you must also take into account further expenses for services in addition to the storage costs. These include:
- Transport costs. These generally consist of fuel costs per kilometer and the hourly wage for the driver plus moving helpers.
- remuneration for moving helpers. The wages for moving helpers and furniture packers are generally calculated per hour. However, you should negotiate a flat rate with your freight forwarder.
- Packing costs. To ensure a smooth move, you must stock up on enough packing material such as moving boxes, furniture blankets, bubble wrap, and corrugated cardboard.
With Full-Service-Storage, transport costs and the pay for moving helpers are eliminated because these are already included in a transparent flat rental price. You can also save on packing by simply renting sustainable plastic boxes from your Full-Service provider.
When calculating your moving budget, you should also take into account that you can deduct the costs from tax. The tax benefit applies both to a move for professional reasons and to a move for private reasons.
How does storage work for a business move, including files?
Storing company inventory during an office move is basically no different from moving a household. Nevertheless, there are a few points here that you must pay particular attention to:
The security of your files and confidential papers
Many of your business papers in the office contain important, in some cases highly sensitive and secret data and information that are not intended for the eyes of just anyone. Files should be packed separately and only by authorized persons and kept under lock and key, also in order to comply with data protection regulations. Sensitive files also include your accounting and electronic correspondence.
Operational downtime
Moves are expensive and represent a significant disruption to daily work processes. In addition there are stressed employees and orders that, with insufficient moving planning or unforeseen mishaps, must be carried out too late or even cancelled completely. A chaotic move can therefore cost not only nerves but also a lot of money.
The privacy of your employees
While most companies prescribe a strict separation between work and private life, most employees can still keep personal property and papers in their desks. Therefore ensure that your employees can pack their own moving box, or at least receive timely warning about the move, in order to take their personal belongings home with them.
If you do not want or cannot take your files and accounting home with you during the office move, you must place great trust in the moving company. In doing so, you should ensure that your papers are not only secured against access by outsiders, but are always accessible to you and your employees.
It is therefore not sensible to put files and papers that you need for the continued operation of your company into a moving container of a freight forwarding company for temporary storage.
A Full-Service-Storage probably offers the best solution here to ensure both security and proper storage of both your files and the office furniture.
Why Full-Service-Storage is particularly well suited for moves
Moves are stressful and wear on the nerves of all family members and/or employees. With a move that you organize yourself, you not only have to constantly maintain control over the individual steps, but also always keep an eye on your budget and finances. In addition to the administrative requirements and logistical challenges, you also have to function as a human being alongside your work or in your own home.
Full-Service-Storage can take over many of the most complicated steps during a move, including transport, proper storage (without scratches and breakage), and the constant fear that the money will run out. You can also save the bill for the physiotherapist after the move, because professionally trained staff take over the carrying of your furniture.
A moving checklist with Full-Service storage looks as follows:
Determine the moving date
↓
Determine the moving volume (see above)
↓
Call the Full-Service-Storage provider and book the move
↓
Obtain packing materials
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Dismantle and pack household contents, furniture, and personal papers (do not forget to declutter)
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On the booked day, open the door for the moving helpers from your Full-Storage provider
↓
Take care of your family or company. The rest of the move will be handled by the Full-Service company.
If you have forgotten something or need a return delivery, simply call your Full-Service provider and you will receive the items you want back within 24 hours.
In contrast to a DIY move, where each link in the chain has to be booked and paid for individually, reputable Full-Service landlords operate with flat rates that include both the move and the storage. In doing so, you not only receive basic insurance for your inventory, but also the security that your private or business property is guarded around the clock.
With only one service provider for your entire move, you also have the certainty that less can go wrong. If something does happen, you also know immediately who you can complain to.
