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protecting furniture in storage

tracey_b
14 years ago

We just moved from IL to NC and are renting until we find a house to buy or build. Our stuff is going into storage--climate-controlled. The sofas and such were wrapped in plastic wrap by the movers....should I remove this plastic, or will it be okay since it's all going to be in a climate-controlled unit?

Thanks!

Tracey

Comments (6)

  • gbsim1
    14 years ago

    Tracey,
    Would you mind sharing details on your storage and moving agreement. I'm thinking that we'll be doing the same thing next year (renting while construction is going on) for about 6 months or more. I've been curious to know how this is handled and also how much it costs.

    Will your things be where you can access them or are they at a facility owned by the moving company?

  • tracey_b
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Hi gbsim: Well, it was a company relo, so they've paid for everything so far.....they packed, moved it here, and have had it in the moving company's storage for 2 months. Two months is all the company pays for, and since we still haven't decided on a house (or lot to build), now we have to put it in storage that we'll be paying for. We only have the bare minimum in the apartment and don't wish to try and move anything else here (2nd floor) because we have heavy furniture and too much stuff from 3700 sf of house.

    While our stuff has been in "company storage", we've not had access to it, but we will after it gets to "our" storage. The moving company charges by weight and per day for their storage, which is why we're moving it to another place. If we leave it in past what the company pays (the 2 mo.), we'd be charged $63/day! I about choked when I saw this amount....that'd be $1890 a month!

    Since it's hot and humid in NC right now, we need to use a climate-controlled storage (which the company has it in, too) for the most of the furniture. A 10' x 30' unit costs $239/mo. Anything that won't fit (or doesn't need A/C) will go into regular storage. If we end up building, we'll probably move some of that "regular" storage to a garage unit here at our apartment (about a 12 x 20' space for only $40/mo., compared to a 10 x 15' for $102/mo at the storage place).

    A co-worker of my husband and his wife live here in our apartments while they build a house following the same kind of relocation. They moved as much as they could into the apartment and then rented 3 of the garage units for their over-flow. I think they managed to fit the "best" of their furniture into the apartment and aren't that worried about the rest.

    I just realized today that they'll be unwrapping all the moving blankets and taking them. We'll still need to protect the good wood furniture, so I scoured the area's thrift shops for old quilts and comforters to use. I didn't find very many. I've since learned that U-haul will rent furniture "pads" (you can buy them, too, but that'd get expensive). They also have paper padding that will suffice. I recall the movers using that on some of the stuff. I wish I'd thought about it when they were packing us up and had them wrap everything in the paper pads (and then the moving blankets) so I wouldn't have to worry so much about it now.

    Good luck with your build.....
    Tracey

  • gregdill
    14 years ago

    Thanks for give the information about furniture.

  • gbsim1
    14 years ago

    Thanks Tracey..... Aaaack to hear that they go on weight is pretty worrying. I'll be moving about a 3300 sq foot house contents with loads of heavy things.

    I'm so afraid of the garage style storage places after one of my sons had his things in one and the roof got a leak and ruined 3 boxes of his favorite books.

    I was hoping to just let the moving company pay to store everything til they could move it in for good, but that would probably be more than the rental we'd be paying for us to live in!

    Whatever you do, I'd recommend putting some mouse poison in the corners of your unit. I had my mothers things in storage for about 5 months at a nice indoor climate controlled place. When I went to get things out, mice had been having a great time in the cushions of her love seat. Also our hardest part of packing the storage room was getting our full use out of the height of the room. We couldn't go UP very far. Wish we had thought of some easy and cheap ways to have some shelving and upper storage.

    Not sure about leaving the plastic on. I think I might take it off and throw a few fabric softener sheets here and there in the room.

  • graywings123
    14 years ago

    Clarify with the storage company what their definition of climate controlled is. One place I went to considered climate controlled between 40 and 80 degrees. Find out what the humidity levels are in the building.

    I would be concerned about moisture within the plastic if left on. Old sheets might be a better choice to cover them with to keep off dust.

  • tracey_b
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Oh, I never thought about mice! Thanks for reminding me.

    Moisture is why I was asking for recommendations on whether or not to keep the plastic on. Guess it'll be coming off. Maybe I'll get a bucket of Damp-rid for extra humidity control.

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