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Self Storage - What You Need to Know

Very briefly, self storage is a service offered by many companies whereby you essentially “rent” a dry, clean and secure, locker, room or container in a storage facility to store your belongings for any period of time.

There are number of reasons you may need to use Self Storage (Toronto or elsewhere); the place you’re moving into is too small for all your belongings or maybe there’s a month between when you move out and when you move into your new place. Whichever way, there’s a range of storage options.

Here are four important factors regarding Self Storage facilities you ought to be aware of:

1) There are heated and unheated storage facilities and most are protected by security alarms.

2)  Your belongings can be stored for a month, a season or even the year.

3)  Most Self Storage facilities base their prices on the amount of space needed. Movers and storage providers tend to move things into crates the size of a small bathroom. The storage fees start at only $50 per month depending on the space required. Half of a 24-foot moving truck usually costs about $100-$125 a month. A completely full truck costs about double. An average house uses about five to eight crates.

4)  When using self-storage facilities, keep in mind that most do not insure your goods against any damage or loss. Some storage facilities offer an optional insurance plan to cover against things like fire, smoke, tornado, hail, lightning, building collapse, water leakage, etc. But not all items are covered like art, stamp or card collections, currency, jewelry, precious stones, furs, financial records and motorized vehicles so you may want to hang on to them or find alternate storage arrangements.

There are many Self Storage options with any city – it really depends on your considerations. A good site to visit is eMove. Otherwise, go to Google, type in “Self Storage” and the location of the facility (i.e. “Self Storage Toronto”) and you’ll find many options.
December 17th, 2007 at 9:51:09 am by the myhood.ca team

Local Moving Checklist

Moving to your new place can be quite stressful. There's a lot to think about when moving and it can often be a lot of hard work. A local moving checklist can keep you from forgetting important things - like turning on the utilities in your new home. You'll likely want to create your own list of to do's that need to be accomplished, but you can start with the suggestions below.

Planning is essential and it is recommended that if possible, you start your preparation eight weeks in advance.

Use the following local moving checklist to help you keep track of your move:

Eight weeks
Give notice to your current landlord (60 days notice).

Start a file for records or receipts that may be needed later for your taxes.

Get estimates for moving companies and/or truck rental. Check for availability and ask about insurance. Don't forget your car if it requires shipment.
Obtain a reference from your current landlord.

Investigate schools and childcare facilities of your new locality (if required).
Seven weeks

Give your new address to your health professionals. Get relevant referrals.

Investigate moving needs for any pets and arrange a check-up for them.
Six weeks

Decide what to take, what to store and what to give to charity.
Cancel, transfer, or sell club memberships.
Investigate car insurance premiums for your new area.

Investigate storage options if required, and collect boxes for packing.
Five weeks
Start planning your moving out party.

Organize a garage sale or sell your items on online classifieds (i.e. Craigslist or Kijiji) or eBay. Contact charities for pick-up of donated items or drop them off yourself.
Four weeks
Arrange transfer of school records (if any).
Decide how pets will be moved.

Notify businesses, clubs, organizations and friends. Remember e-mail contacts.

Start packing! Label boxes every box. Plan to carry irreplaceable items.
Three weeks
Pre-book utility connections if required.

Give a forwarding address to old employer, lawyer, accountant, etc.

Service your car, especially if you are driving a long distance to your new place.

Get hotel reservations if traveling a long way.
Two weeks

If you're moving into or out of a high rise, reserve an elevator.

Get a babysitter for young children on moving day so you can focus on the move.

Close or transfer bank accounts. Empty any safety deposit boxes. Ensure you have cash for the moving day.

Arrange to forward your mail to your new address. Go to Canada Post's smartmoves to make all the necessary changes.
Notify insurance and credit card companies of your move.
One week
Arrange for house cleaning after you move.

Make charity donations as planned previously. If you don’t have one in mind, try Goodwill.

Back up computer files before dissembling and packing your system.

Contact utilities to cancel or transfer accounts after your moving date, and confirm utilities will be on at your new place before you arrive.

De-frost & clean your refrigerator and freezer; clean your stove.

Confirm your travel plans (flights, hotels, rental cars, etc). Arrange rental truck if needed.
Moving day

If moving yourself, pick up rental truck. Load heavy items first.

If employing movers, confirm your new address with the moving company.
Do a final check of cupboards, drawers, etc.

Turn off lights, appliances and hot water system. Lock doors and windows. Leave keys with your old landlord if applicable.
ASAP
Update your driver's license.
 

You will undoubtedly have many more items to add to your personal local moving checklist. Start writing down anything you think of as soon as you know you'll be moving. Will the phone be connected when you arrive at your new home? Will you have to return across the country just because you forgot about a safe-deposit box that has your jewelry? The best way to avoid problems like these is to start early on your local moving checklist.

December 10th, 2007 at 9:46:51 am by the myhood.ca team

12 Local Moving Tips

Moving can be quite an ordeal and can take up a considerable amount of your time around the time of your move. It can be bearable however, if you do a few things to make your life easier. The following are 12 local moving tips to help your move go smoothly.

1) Do your research: Once you’ve found a moving company, it’s wise to double check with the Better Business Bureau to make sure they’re legit. After all, you trust them with all your belongings.

2) The fewer stairs the better: By minimizing the number of stairs the movers have to climb, you could save a lot of time and money. While leaving boxes in the basement might be convenient and out of the way for you, it’s more work on moving day which can mean more money out of your pocket.

3) Find your mover through friends: While the Yellow Pages might be a useful tool in finding a moving company, the best way to find a reliable mover is through word of mouth. Find a mover that others recommend from experience.

4) Keep boxes below 50 lbs: It will save your back and your belongings. If the boxes are too heavy the bottom may open up causing damage.

5) Tape the boxes: Don't fold the bottom of the box by hand, make sure it is flat and then taped securely with packing tape, not masking tape.

6) Pack boxes to the top: Boxes that are half-empty can get crushed. Fill the boxes to the top with newspaper.

7) Mark your boxes: One of the most helpful local moving tips is to specify which boxes are going where. If they're going into a new home, specify the room. If they're going into storage or being shipped, specify that clearly on the box. One suggestion is to prepare a "First Day" box with a few dishes, soap, towels, toilet paper, a lamp, drinking glasses, utensils, first aid kit, paper towels, etc.

8) Watch what you pack and how you pack it: Point cup handles and pitcher spouts towards the middle of the box and never next to the side of the box. Pack dishes on end, side by side on the bottom. Pack books in small cartons so the movers can lift it safely. Remember that when the boxes are loaded on the truck it could end up on their sides so keep that in mind when packing any items that could spill.

9) Empty drawers before moving: Unless your dressers are very light, leaving your clothes in the dresser can make it very heavy. You can either empty the drawers or pull out the drawers and move them separately.

10) Reserve the elevator: If you are moving out of, or into an apartment, don’t forget to reserve the elevator to save time and most importantly, cut down on your moving costs. Pay special attention to this local moving tip as it will save you some heartaches.

11) Plan ahead: If you want to be guaranteed a mover, you need to book at least six weeks in advance especially if you’re moving in the summer.

12) Redirect your mail: Don’t forget to notify the phone, cable, utility companies, banks, credit cards and everyone else that you’re moving. In Canada, contact Canada Post to have the rest of your mail forwarded to your new or temporary address so you don’t miss anything important.

The process of moving is a painful one, but we hope that these local moving tips help ease a little bit of that pain. As with any big project, it can help to break it down into smaller tasks. Move from one to another and before you know it, you’ll be finished. Good luck!
December 4th, 2007 at 11:07:43 am by the myhood.ca team

Hiring a Mover vs. Doing it Yourself

Assuming you don’t own something very valuable or fragile that you wouldn’t move yourself (obviously you’d go with a mover in that case), the two decision factors are cost and time. Professional movers cost more, but minimize the pain of the move in that it’ll take less time and effort. Doing it yourself through renting or borrowing a van will likely cost less, but will take more time and you’ll likely need help from some friends. If you don’t have too much stuff, you’ve got some extra time, and some willing buddies – do it yourself – with some pizza and beer as incentives you can make a day out of it. Whatever you choose, make your decision in advance as most people move at the end of the month, so getting good movers or available vans becomes harder the closer to the end of the month that you book.

If you are moving over a long distance, there are a few more elements to take into account when deciding between hiring movers or doing it yourself. Calculate the cost of travel, which includes gas, meals, tolls, lodging, and so on. Also add into the calculation the costs of renting a vehicle large enough to haul all of your belongings, insuring valuable possessions, hiring additional moving help, etc.

Basic insurance is generally included when you hire a mover and it covers most items. However, if a TV or something expensive breaks, there's a small deductible that the customer usually has to pay to get it fixed. Many moving companies will try to sell you additional insurance, for about $25, which covers everything, and there is a zero deductible. But don't be lured into buying extra coverage if you already have household insurance. With household insurance, all your possessions are usually covered when your possessions are being moved from one place to another.

For local moves (i.e. local Toronto movers), on average, the cost for a mover is $60/hour (range: $40 - $70 per hour) for 2 people and $75/hour (range: $50 - $80 per hour) for 3 people. You’ll also likely need to pay a “travel fee” of at least $50, and a minimum total fee, which ranges, but will likely be no less than $200. If you're doing it yourself, a van will cost you between $20 and $30 for the day, plus a fee per kilometer (approx. $0.50 per km), plus insurance and gas. Overall, if you aren’t going too far then it won’t be a large sum of money. Do note that if you’re renting a van, there are minimum age restrictions. If you’re under 21 (or even 25) some companies won't allow you to rent. In this scenario, U-Haul is your best option, as you only need to be 18 to rent from them.

Whether you’re looking for a mover for any distance (i.e. a local Toronto mover or one that does long distance moves) or to rent a van, step #1 is to ask friends for recommendations. Failing that, there are too many movers to suggest one, so instead we’ll suggest a couple of websites which will give you some quotes. The best site we’ve found is eMove.com. They give instant quotes for both movers, storage and van rentals. Note that the only van rental option is U-Haul so you may want to do some further exploration if you’re going down that route. The other two sites are solid, but require you to enter in your details and they then get back to you with quotes – so nothing instantaneous, but they do the job: Moveit.ca and CanadaMovers. A few other van rental suggested companies: rent-a-wreck, Budget and Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
November 26th, 2007 at 9:55:30 am by the myhood.ca team