Packing and moving, UGH, the job everyone hates. But moving doesn’t have to be the worst. With the right tools, the task of moving can be one of the last things you stress about when transitioning to your new home. I mentioned last week how we chose to move with U-Haul®, and I wanted to share a little about the use of U-Haul’s U-Box® containers and the moving supplies that made moving far less daunting for us.
What is a U-Box?
A U-Box is a portable storage solution, constructed of plywood and wrapped with a weatherproof cover. Each U-Box container has a latch that can fit a padlock, keeping your items safe and secure. U-Box containers measure 95″ x 56″ x 83.5″ (LxWxH)* and the interior dimensions are 257 cubic feet, and can store a room to a room and a half of household goods. One thing that I felt was a major bonus too, was that each U-Box came with 24 free furniture pads!
Why choose U-Haul U-Box Containers?
Convenience and flexibility was a major necessity for our move. Unlike typical moves, where you move out of one home and directly into the next, we knew that due to our gap in our housing, our options were pretty slim. We could have rented a truck, loaded it, unloaded it into a storage unit, then reloaded a truck when we were ready to move in—and then unloaded AGAIN— ugh I’m exhausted just thinking about all of that work. Utilizing the U-Box containers was definitely a “work smarter, not harder” solution.
Other uses for U-Box Containers:
- Staging Your Home
When you are staging your home to sell, use a container to keep your belongings out of the way. - Emergency Moves
If you have to move out immediately and don’t have anywhere to store your belongings, U-Box portable moving and storage containers have you covered. In case of a family or work emergency, we can help you. - Military Moves
U-Box containers allow you to ship your belongings to wherever you move, even internationally. You can also use a container to store your belongings when you are deployed. - Storage Pre / Post Move
When you are between homes, use containers to store your belongings. Have them delivered to your new home when you are ready to move in. - Disabled / Injured
Have a smooth move by hiring Moving Help® to load and unload your U-Box containers right at your home. - Home Renovation or Repair
Protect your furniture and belongings during home renovations by storing your items in a secure U-Box portable container at your home or at a U-Haul facility. - Business Event Storage
When hosting a business event, such as a marathon, golf tournament or trade show, use U-Box containers to store your supplies and keep them safe.
How does it work?
Scheduling your U-Box containers is easy. You can schedule them right on the U-Haul website. They give you an estimate of how many you will need based on the number of rooms in your house, and the best part is if you order too many, you won’t be charged for the additional ones.
We ordered 6 for a 4 bedroom home (with bonus room), but probably could have used 1 more, (or packed better). The U-Box containers were delivered to our driveway on Monday, and we scheduled for them to be picked up 2 days later, but you get to choose when they are picked up, allowing you to load them at your own pace. And since there will be about a 1 month gap in between our move, when we were done loading them up, we had them stored at a local U-Haul facility, so we can gain access whenever necessary. Once we’re ready to move into the new house, I’ll call to have the U-Box containers delivered.
I also need to mention that the customer service for U-Haul was amazing! Every person I dealt with through this process was super helpful and put our minds at ease, knowing our possessions were in good hands. I’m not sure if it’s standard with U-Haul delivery, but we were assigned the same delivery driver for all parts of our order, which made us feel very comfortable.
U-Haul’s Moving and Storage Supplies: Tools to get the job done right
U-haul offers several products for moving and storage, including customizable moving kits that provide all the supplies needed to pack, organize, protect, and cushion all of the items in your home. We chose the 3-4 Bedroom Household Kit®. One mistake I made was underestimating how many boxes and rolls of packaging paper tape we would need: it’s *always* best to order more than you think you’ll need, and then whatever supplies you don’t use, you can return, no questions asked!
Here are a few of my favorite moving supplies from U-Haul:
U-Haul TV Packing Kits:
The TV packing kits are a great investment when it comes to protecting your televisions. They consist of telescopic two-box design along with foam padding, that creates a snug fit around your television screen, keeping it safe and secure.
Sealable Mattress Bags
Storing a mattress might be one of the items people are most weary about. But have no fear, because U-Haul offers sealable mattress bags with Microban – an anti-microbial additive to the plastic that reduces the risk of mold and mildew growth while packed. We were able to fit two average sized twin mattresses in one mattress bag.
Wardrobe Boxes
There’s nothing worse than doubling your work. Typically when moving you take your clothes off of the hangers to pack them away, but with a wardrobe box, you can move your clothes straight from the closet to the box’s hanger bar in minutes!. There’s also extra space at the bottom to store shoes and other items.
Dish Saver / Glass Pack kits
I have to say, before I used these kits, I definitely underestimated their value. They’re very easy to use with their foam pouches which offer superior protection. No worrying about broken glasses or dishes, or having to wrap items a million times for protection.
Kraft-Paper Box Tape
I really should have listed this first, because this Kraft-paper box tape was definitely the star of the show. It’s so, so easy to use, as it tears by hand, but is still strong and durable to keep packages securely closed. With this tape there’s no need for tape dispensers or scissors, which makes the packing process go so much faster and smoother.
Moving with Convenience and Ease
Overall I never expected this move to go as well as it did—if you are looking to move with ease and convenience, U-Haul is the way to go. They have truly made this process a breeze, allowing me to put more energy and time into thinking about our future renovations! I cannot wait to share more about our next chapter with you all very soon!
