Home moving pains? The simplest way to choose your rental truck size is to eliminate possibilities that do not exist in your situation. For example, if you have chosen to utilize Budget Truck you will only have three available size options: 10′, 16′ and 24′. In case you’re wondering, 94% of people relocating with a rental truck choose their company based on price or geographical limitations. With that in mind we can assume that most people will have between 3 and 5 truck size options to choose from depending on which company is being used. While using a truck rental company’s estimate when selecting the right size of truck or trailer to rent may be helpful, keep in mind that this is merely an estimate. Some people have much more substantial furnishings, more things, and tons of stuff crammed into every closet and cabinet. Other packrats even have entire garages jam-packed with items from floor to ceiling. A smart way to better estimate a suitable truck size is to attempt to cluster your things together, such as in an unused formal dining room, a garage or another large space. This effort also helps you prep for the move. When you pack a place full of items and measure the area, you will have a better idea about the right truck size for your needs.
I am not an advocate of off site storage, as it usually ends up costing money to store all the things we really don’t need – but when it comes to moving house there is good reason to use it under certain circumstances. Often we want to do work on our new house pretty soon after moving in. If this is the case with you, then why not consider moving some furniture etc.. into storage to make redecorating / re-carpeting etc.. easier? You could use a storage company**, or your removals company can often store your items for you on a rolling monthly basis, which can ease the strain of having to move everything around to accommodate trades people etc. If the rental agency doesn’t provide an estimate of what the trucks can hold in terms of equivalent spaces as in the list above, you can guess using this general guide: one room = 3 cubic feet of truck space. Again, this is just an estimate, and you should always err on the side of caution and rent a slightly larger truck than your estimate.
Does everything fit your new home? Furniture that is in your existing home may well not fit into your new home, and it’s best to know this up front so you can sell it / donate it before you move. Take some time to measure doorways etc. and work out whether the larger items of furniture (your sofa/dresser etc.) will fit into your new space. There would be nothing worse than leaving a sofa on the front garden on moving day! TIP – This is also a useful exercise for working out whether you have suitable space for all your furniture. If you are downsizing it’s worth working out what can and cannot fit into your new home, and sorting these out before moving day If you own items that you want to get rid of but are too valuable to just give away, start selling on eBay, Etsy, or Craigslist at least six weeks before moving. It’s an easy way to make you feel like you aren’t procrastinating, and you might be able to make enough money back to pay for the entire move itself. But it takes time for things to sell on Etsy and eBay, so you’ll want to plan accordingly. Find extra details on Overwhelming response at Grand Designs. Loads of packing and moving tips to help make moving home easier. If you’re moving locally this should be a no-brainer. Truck rentals used for local moves are billable at a per day and mileage rate, the daily price may vary by $10-$20 depending on the size. In other words, spend the extra few bucks and get the larger truck just to be sure. Moving trucks between 14′-17′ are the most common sizes rented. They tend to be the most inexpensive trucks because of the quantity available. Most small moving trucks have rear wheel wells that stick out and reduce the amount of flat cargo space.
Also worth considering is what you actually have in your new home. Is anything being left (carpets/curtains/furniture etc.), is there fitted storage etc..? For example – if you’re moving from a house with all fitted wardrobes, and the new house has none, then you will need somewhere to hang your clothes asap – you may therefore want to invest in some rails for the interim while you decide on suitable furniture etc. Or if you are leaving the curtains in your old house, you will definitely need some sort of window covering at least on the bedrooms windows in the new house (it may be worth asking them if it’s possible for them to leave certain curtains for you). It will be worth making a shopping list and getting things sorted ahead of time, I’m sure you agree! Creating an inventory helps you to keep an eye on all your belongings to make sure nothing is lost throughout the whole moving house process. Your removal company can create an inventory for you if they have been hired to pack your belongings so this is also worth considering.