Recently, the moving and self storage industry has seen an enormous influx of portable self storage units. These units are delivered to your home, so you can fill them up with your belongings. The company comes and picks it up when you are ready, and transports it to your new home or into storage.

Some of the company’s that offer these services are SMARTBOX, PODS, the Mobile Attic, and BoxCart. While there are several factors to consider when deciding which service to go with, the size of the shipping container is very important.

SMARTBOX offers one container size. Each of these 5’x 7’x 8’ Smartboxes holds 1 - 1.5 rooms of furniture, with a capacity of 2,000 lbs. The size was chosen because of it’s advantage in helping prevent damage. It is easier to securely pack belongings in several smaller containers than one large one, yet the box is still large enough to accommodate big pieces of furniture, like a king size bed or an oversized armoire. The smaller size also makes the units more affordable so you pay for only the storage you need.

To ensure your items are safe from damage during the moving process make sure new and high quality packing materials are used.

• Newspaper, tissue paper, bubble wrap and foam peanuts
• Permanent markers
• Paper & pen to inventory items
• Packing tape
• Scissors or box cutters