How to Pack Portable a Storage Container For a Long-Distance Move

Did you know that Zippy Shell offers one of the most convenient ways to make a long-distance move? Our portable storage containers allow you to pack, transport, and unpack with ease. Even though the units provide a secure and safe way to move your things, it is still important to fill the space correctly. If you are not careful when packing your stuff into the container, you may find some damaged items when you arrive at your destination. Packing your unit efficiently will allow you to fit even more in the unit. Take a look at our handy guide for properly packing your portable storage unit for a cross-country move.

Step #1: Prepare for Packing

Packing your container properly starts before the unit arrives at your home—it begins with making sure you pack your boxes and containers well. You will need packing materials like bubble wrap, sturdy boxes, tape, markers, and special boxes for oddly sized things like your television or framed art. Sturdy boxes or plastic containers to pack your items make it easy to stack them in the unit. When your containers stack well, they are less likely to shift when moving and transporting the unit.

Step #2: Declutter and Downsize

Most households have too much stuff. If your garage looks more like a storage unit than a place for cars, you know what we are talking about. Before packing your things up to go into your Zippy Shell container, take some time to declutter and downsize. Understandably, time is not always your friend when you are getting ready for a move, but you will be glad you took the extra step to go through your things to get rid of what you don’t use or need and sort and organize the rest. It will give you more space in your container and make unpacking at your new home much more manageable.

Step #3: Pack Efficiently

Once you have gathered all the proper packing supplies and decluttered and organized your things, it is time to start packing everything in boxes and tubs. Create a packing strategy before you get started. Some people like to keep types of things together—for example, all fragile items get packed first, or all the books from around the house go together. Other people prefer a room-to-room strategy, where everything from one room is packed up simultaneously, and all the items are together. Whatever method you decide on, just be sure that all the fragile items are wrapped well and all the boxes and tubs are marked with the contents and room they will need to go in when you arrive.

Step #4: Pack Your Zippy Shell Strategically

If you start carrying boxes and furniture to your Zippy Shell unit without a rough plan of where it should go, you could lose valuable space for your things and, worse, allow for unnecessary shifting during transport. Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your storage container:

• Use the available vertical space. You can stack boxes and tubs, but make sure the heaviest ones are on the bottom or have a sturdy base. You wouldn’t want to have boxes of books on top of boxes of towels or fragile items. You can even stack furniture on top of each other. You can place moving blankets between the items to prevent damage.
• Put more oversized items into the unit first. Things like mattresses and large furniture pieces should go into the container so you can stack lighter boxes on top of them or have these items placed against the very back of the storage unit, so they are out of the way.
• Fill as much open space as possible. The more you can put into the unit, the less shifting you should experience. You can use blankets, bubble wrap, rugs, and other items from the home to fill in any gaps that may allow for shifting.
• Secure your things with bungee cords and straps to prevent movement during transport.

Step #5: Lock Your Unit and Wait For Transport

Once you are done packing, place a lock on your container before the driver arrives to pick it up for transport. This will give you the peace of mind of knowing your things are safe and secure while your Zippy Shell container is transported and stored at the destination facility and that you have the only key to your mobile storage unit.

Zippy Shell Is Here for All Your Long-Distance Needs

We hope these tips are helpful as you get ready for your upcoming long-distance move. If you haven’t reached out for your no-obligation estimate yet, please call us at 1-888-947-7974 or contact us online. Our moving experts would love to speak with you to answer any questions you may have about the moving and storage solutions Zippy Shell has to offer.