Refrigerators and freezers must be cleaned out and fully dried out before
going into storage.
Clothing and lightweight items are best left in the drawers
of chests and dressers. Only liquids, breakables and spillable items
need to be removed. If you have open space in drawers fill them up with
towels, children's games and other light and safe items.
Do not place documents, check books, auto registration
& titles, insurance policies, tax records, school records, prescriptions
and other vital papers into storage if they might be needed. It is difficult
and expensive to search for and remove items like this while your goods
are in storage. Storage companies charge for labor to remove items.
Plan ahead for changes of the seasons, holidays, and
school terms so that you do not place clothing, footwear and sports
equipment into storage when you need them.
If you must place items in storage and there is a chance
you will need some items, discuss this with your storage company. These
items can be separately inventoried and placed in a readily accessible
area for easy access.
Plan for possible extension of your storage period due
to builders being late, realtor delays, title problems, etc.
You, as the depositor of your storage items, must advise
the storage company what the value of your storage lot is. There are
options available for valuing and insuring your goods. Talk this over
with your storage company.
In many cases the costs of renting a storage space or
locker at a Do-It-Yourself warehouse will be as much or more than what
a professional mover charges for storage service.
Be sure to retain the inventory your storage company
provides you so that when your goods are taken out of storage you can
use the inventory to account for all of the items.
Storage companies can release storage lots only to the
owner of a storage lot unless the owner instructs the storage company
in writing to turn the goods over to another party.
Have your mover perform your storage services so the
same company is responsible for both moving and storage. You will have
better results if there is no division of responsibility.
Storage charges are generally based on the weight of
the items. To save costs, reduce weight.
If there will be long term storage, be careful to consider
the total cost of storage compared to the value of the goods stored.
Don't store things if they are not worth it.
It is OK to store cereals and canned foods for short
periods, but not for over six months.
Carefully label all containers so you can find what
you need from the containers after the storage period.
Be sure to give your storage company a mailing address
or some other contact for the time your goods are in storage.
If your employer is going to pay for your storage needs,
be sure you and your employer understand all the possible charges. Have
an itemized estimate made by the storage company.
There are important differences between Storage-In-Transit
(S.I.T.) service performed as part of a long distance move and local
storage of an indefinite time period. Be sure to talk this over with
your mover/storage company. Arranging for the wrong type of service
wastes money.
You must give adequate advance notice to arrange for
any storage services.
Additions or subtractions from storage lots cost extra
for the labor time required. The charges are based on local moving rates.
If you need frequent access to your storage lot you
would be better off to rent a space at a Do-It-Yourself storage locker.
If you eliminate items before going into storage, donate
them to a charitable organization. Make your own inventory of the donation
and have the charity confirm your inventory on their letterhead so you
can use it as a basis for an income tax deduction.
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