You’ve been doing your research and you’ve decided that a storage pod (also called a moving pod) is the best solution for your move. But, how long can you keep the storage pod on your driveway? If it’s on your property, you can keep the pod there as long as you need to – but if it’s on the street, you may need to get special permits from your local government.
Knowing how to prepare for a moving pod can reduce the amount of time necessary for you to have the container on your property. Here are some of our best tips for getting ready for your moving pod to arrive at your home for loading.
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Start Packing Before It Arrives
One of the best ways to prevent spending way too much extra on moving pod fees is to go ahead and start packing as soon as you know that you’re moving to a new home. More often than not, you’re going to want to sort and purge during this process anyway, so starting early will help with that.
The more you have packed up in boxes and sorted out, the simpler it is going to be for you to start loading up the moving pod. It’ll take less time to complete everything and then you can get it on a truck and on its way to your new home as soon as you can.
Get Proper Permits, if Necessary
If you get a pod on your property and it’s temporary, you likely aren’t going to need any sort of permit to keep it there. If it’s going to be there several months, then you may need to check with your locality or neighborhood association in order to ensure that you don’t need some sort of permit to keep it there.
Don’t own your current home, or do you live in an apartment? Then you are going to need some sort of permit from your locality unless it’s only going to be there a day or two. Go to your local city hall (or whatever other government office is there) and talk to them about what you’re going to need to do.
Your permits may or may not have a cost associated with them, so be sure that you include that in whatever budget that you’re putting together.
Be Aware of the Costs
The cost of renting a moving or storage container is going to vary upon a number of factors, but many moving pod companies are going to use the same pieces of information in order to give you your quote and/or your final costs.
The total cost of your rental is going to depend on 30 days rental cost for the unit (which can be between $100 and $200, depending on the size of the unit). They will also have a drop-off fee, and a fee for them to pick it up afterwards.
The variable fees that may be involved in between are related to how long you have the unit and how far the unit needs to go. If you don’t have it any longer than 30 days, then you won’t have to pay any extra of rental fee. The delivery fee, on the other hand, is based on how far the moving pod will have to go – local moves can be as low as $100; long-distance moves can be up to $3000.
Also, be sure that you calculate the cost of moving insurance and the cost of a padlock into what you’re going to have to spend, as well. These will ensure that everything is protected as possible before and during your move.
Get it Ready to Go
Now that you know everything about moving containers, it’s time to look at getting it ready to go. You can start to prepare everything as needed and make sure that you are loading it like you would a moving truck. Heavier items should be on the bottom, with lighter items on top.
Be sure that you’re using items like moving blankets on your larger furniture, and that item are disassembled as necessary. Loading up will take some time, but if you’re aware of what is necessary and how you want to do things, you can fit as much as possible and make sure that everything is going to be safe and secure during transport.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can’t you pack in a storage pod?
Your moving pod company will have set rules based on their company polices. Typically, you cannot put any sort of motorized vehicle in a moving pod. Nor can you put hazardous materials, living things (including plants), and/or combustible liquids. Look over your contract to ensure that you are following the rules of the company.
How much can you fit in a 16-foot moving pod?
A 16-foot moving pod is, typically, going to be able to fit items from a 3-4 bedroom home inside of it. 16 feet is, typically, the largest size you can find for a moving pod. If your home is larger, you may need to rent multiple moving pods to ensure that you’re able to fit and transport all of the items that you wish to.
Is there a weight limit for a storage pod?
The capacity depends on the size of the pod, but you’re going to be looking at a weight limit of 3,500 to 5,200 pounds. Your moving pod company can better answer that question because they have more experience with their moving containers and with the tools they use in order to haul them.
Scheduling Your Moving or Storage Pod
Now that you know how to best prepare, you want to take some time and get the ball rolling. See what you can find and make sure that you’ve got what you need in order to best plan for your move. You’ll be glad that you scheduled a moving pod as early as you could.
