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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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In an ideal world where money is not an issue, probably anyone who has to relocate would prefer to leave everything up to a professional household moving company.  Moving is listed as one of the most stressful events for people.  If you could have a household moving company pack, load, transport, unload and unpack, moving would be a breeze.  Most people, however, cannot afford to hand over everything to a moving company and choose various other moving options instead.  Many people hire a household moving company, but do all or most of the packing themselves to cut costs.  Some rent a moving truck or portable storage containers and do all the labor themselves.  And there are many different ways to combine various options to suit the needs of your budget and circumstances. 

Here are some things you need to consider before you come up with your own moving plan:
1.  What can your family handle?  Do not take on any do it yourself option, unless you think you and your family are up for it physically and emotionally. 
2.  What is your time frame?  If you have to move quickly and do not have any time to prepare or take care of logistics, hiring a professional household moving company may better suit your needs. 
3.  How flexible are you with your moving dates?  Do it yourself moves offer a lot of flexibility.  You can rent portable storage containers, for example, and take weeks to load and unload your belongings.  You can have your containers delivered on a day you choose and do not have to worry about the available schedule of a household moving company team.  With a rental truck, you can drive across country at your leisure.  A household moving company will require you to sign a contract and commit to a moving date. 
4.  Do you need temporary storage?  Many moving and storage companies offer temporary storage options along with their portable storage container rental agreements.  You do not have to unload your belongings (or pay a household moving company team to do it) into a storage unit, only to have to load them back up and move them when your home is ready. 
5.  How fragile are your belongings?  You are responsible for lost and broken items with a do it yourself move.  If you have a lot of original artwork, china and antiques, it may be smartest to leave those items to the household moving company team. 
6.  How much are you moving?  If you have a small apartment, moving everything yourself requires much less time and commitment than moving a 4 bedroom house.
7.  What is your budget?  If you plan well, you can save a lot of money doing a move yourself when compared to hiring a professional moving company. 

Figure out what you need and what you and your family can handle all within the context of you budget.  Once you know those things, you can come up with a moving plan that utilizes one, several or all of the various do it yourself and household moving company options. 

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Summer is a popular time to move. The kids are out of school, the weather is more dependable and it is a comfortable season for big road trips and getting settled into a new home. When you plan to take on a do it yourself move on a budget, summer is also a popular time for companies to put out advertisements for moving coupons and specials. In fact, beginning your moving to do list with a search for moving coupons is often a smart place to start. It gives you an incentive to start calling around for deals and the best prices. And often when you call a moving or equipment rental company with moving coupons in hand, they will then let you know about even better offers. Once you are on the phone with a company and they know you are shopping around, they are going to offer you the best deal they can.

Finding moving coupons is, luckily, easy and will give you the jump start you need to get your move in motion. This time of year, the real estate section of your weekend newspaper will usually have advertisements from moving, storage and equipment rental agencies. If you recently sold your home, your realtor will often give you a packet of moving resources that will include moving coupons. If you filled out a change of address form at the post office, that will usually prompt companies to send you advertisements and moving coupons. If you already know which moving, storage or rental companies you would prefer to use, simply visit their web sites. Most companies have moving coupons and deals listed on the main page and are easy to find. If you are unfamiliar with a company that has a great deal advertised, make sure you do a little background research on the company to make sure they are legitimate and reputable.

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