Storage in transit occurs whenever goods must be temporarily stored before being unloaded at the final destination. Ideally, a moving company loads everything up and quickly gets your items to your new home and unloaded without any hiccups. However, not all moves are made equal. Maybe you close on your home sooner than you thought and need to quickly leave your old home, or your new place isn’t ready for a few days or even months. For many reasons, some moves require storing items for a period of time before they can be delivered to your residence.
Reasons to use storage in transit
There are a couple reasons you may find yourself using storage in transit. For most people, the decision to store items during a move is a thought out choice made well in advance of your moving date. It may be that you need to get out of your old home, but aren’t quite ready to get your items delivered to your new home. Others may be renovating or staying in temporary housing for a time and it is more convenient to have most of your items kept in storage while your new home is getting set up. The option to store items can put you at ease knowing that your belongings can be held in safekeeping and out of the way. Once you know you will need to store items, you will have to make some decisions. When people think of storage, they often think of large facilities that you can rent a unit for a certain amount of time. This is a good option if you need to hold items indefinitely. Another great option is to utilize your moving company. Many have warehouses that are specifically used to hold items in transit. Your belongings will still be safe and when you are ready for them to be delivered, your movers already have possession of your delivery. While storage is an extra charge, some find it easier to store items with their movers than securing outside storage. If you do not need long-term storage, sometimes it is more cost effective to store items in the warehouse of the moving company.
How to avoid additional fees
Sometimes storage in transit is not requested but is still implemented. If you cannot pay for your move, or you are not present to accept your belongings, your items will be placed in storage by the moving company. You will be informed of the location of your goods but will need to facilitate the delivery of them from the storage facility to your home. Additionally, you will be responsible for the cost of storage as well as any additional fees incurred by the delivery of your goods. No one wants to incur these extra costs when moving. As such, it is important to be prepared for your movers. It is suggested that you have enough money on hand to pay more than the quoted price if you did not take advantage of a binding moving estimate. If you have received a non-binding estimate, you will not be charged more than 110% of the quoted estimate. Having this amount on hand, as well as any amount you want to give in a tip, should prepare you for moving day. Carefully planning out your move and travel plans can help ensure that you, or a representative for you, are present when the moving company arrives to make the delivery. Making sure that you can accept your delivery will help save you money, as well as the headache of trying to reschedule a delivery.
Other considerations
There are many things to consider when moving. While everyone ponders whether to hire movers or not and what date to move, other aspects of moving may not immediately come to mind. The need for storage, or lack thereof, should be considered in your moving preparation. If you do not require storage, you will simply need to prepare for moving day and make sure that you can accept your belongings and pay your movers when they arrive. If you do require storage, you will want to know in advance so that you can research your options and plan accordingly. Talking to your movers about your need for storage and the options they can provide you will help you prepare for your move, and feel confident that all your stored items are safe while you prepare your new home.
