An estimated 27.1 million Americans moved in 2021. Are you planning to join those ranks in 2022?
If so, you might be thinking about hiring a door-to-door moving team to help you relocate. With this comprehensive service, our movers will take care of all of the work required to securely transition your belongings from one property to the next. That’s right: We’ll pack everything up, take care of transportation, and carefully unpack it at your new address.
On the fence about this service and wondering if you really need it? Today, we’re sharing six reasons why the answer is a resounding yes.
1. Reserved and Guaranteed Services
Let’s face it. Moving is challenging enough.
You don’t need the added headache of wondering when your movers are going to show up, or if they’ll show up at all. Think of all that you could be doing instead of waiting by the window or checking your phone every few minutes for an update.
You need a reliable and efficient team that will arrive at your doorstep precisely when they say they will. With our platform, you can reserve local or cross-country moving services in minutes. We’re ready to help, and we’re respectful of your timeline.
If we say we’ll be there, you can count on us to arrive on time on your scheduled pickup and delivery dates. We won’t give you a broad time window or estimate, requiring you to block off your entire day to accommodate our schedule. We thrive on efficiency, and we can help you do the same.
Plus, you never have to wonder if the price you see will line up with the price you pay. We’ll never tack on hidden fees, upcharges, or surprise expenses. Our quotes are available instantly, and they’re always transparent.
2. Less Stress on You
According to a recent survey of 1,000 Americans, 45% believe that moving is the most stressful event in life. They even ranked this event above having kids or even starting a new job!
We get it, and that’s why we’re here to help. Long-distance moving can be especially challenging (we can help with that too!)
The days leading up to your big move don’t have to be harried and hurried. You deserve the opportunity to catch your breath, iron out logistics, and plan for the future. That can be hard to do when you’re up to your eyeballs in packing tape and boxes.
When you hire our professional door-to-door moving service, you never have to worry about any of those details. It’s liberating to relinquish that control and can take much of the stress out of the situation.
3. Pay-as-You-Go Flexibility
As an alternative to our online move estimate and booking process, we also offer a convenient Pay-As-You-Go service. This option allows you to scale your moving expenses and only pay for what you need when you need it.
Once you choose the number of movers you need, you can let us know what day and time you’re planning to move. Then, you’ll just enter your pickup and drop-off locations, and how much time you anticipate the move will take. It really is as easy as it sounds.
At the end of the day, we can take you where you need to go, but you’re always in the driver’s seat. We’ll make sure you have everything you need, at a price you can afford.
4. Get the Job Done Faster
Chances are, you don’t want to spend weeks of your life moving. You don’t even want to spend days or even hours laboring away at the task! You have important things to do, and other matters to attend to.
If you want to take a partial DIY route, we’re happy to supply you with all of the reusable moving boxes you need. However, we’re also here to take the reins over completely if you want us to. You want to be in your new home or office location as soon as possible, and we have the tools and resources to get you there.
5. Keep Belongings Safe
You might be working with the best materials in the world, but it’s still possible to damage your belongings if you pack them up yourself. This is because packing and moving is a craft, and only experienced professionals know how to do it right every time.
Whether you’re moving from one apartment floor to another or you’re packing up an entire single-family house, we’re here to make sure your items stay in top shape. We can also help businesses pack up and relocate their whole offices, or college students relocate for the summer.
All the while, we’ll treat your furniture and accessories like they’re our own.
6. Dedicated Service
One of the top benefits of hiring our door-to-door moving service? Our team is fully dedicated to your move! When the big day rolls around, you never have to worry about sharing truck space with someone else.
We’ll provide clean, safe trucks that are completely reserved for your specific move. Once they’re all loaded up, they’ll head straight to your delivery location. We’ll never plan any type of truck transfer and we won’t take any detours.
Plus, we’re not just skilled in the art of moving. Our energetic team members also know how to deliver a top-notch, pleasant experience for each client. You never knew moving could be so enjoyable, did you?
Learn More About Our Door to Door Moving Services
You don’t have to dread your upcoming move. When you put the work in our hands, you can rest assured that we’ll take care of all the legwork so you don’t have to.
We designed our door-to-door moving services with movers like you in mind. Whether you’re moving clear across the country or just down the block, we’re here to take the stress off your shoulders. From the first item we pack to the last one we unpack, we’ll treat your move, your items, and you with dignity and respect.
Picture this: you arrive at the fanciest restaurant in town, and rather than spending time searching for a nearby parking space, or attempting to parallel park on the street, you hand the task off to a dedicated employee to park your car so that you can enjoy your meal. When you’re finished and ready to leave, the employee then retrieves your car from parking and delivers it back to you. There is no hassle or problems whatsoever. Valet parking follows a model that is convenient for those that need to park their vehicle. Very similarly, valet storage follows a model that is convenient for those that need to put their belongings into storage.
At Doorage, we provide complete valet storage solutions, meaning we pick up, store, and return your belongings when you need them. Compared to renting a self-storage unit at some facility, choosing Doorage’s valet storage services can save you an unbelievable amount of time and money. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at valet storage and if it is right for you.
What is Valet Storage?
No pun intended, but valet storage (literally) does all the heavy lifting for you. Valet storage companies like Doorage deliver all the packing materials you need, like durable secure lock storage containers. Additionally, they come and pick up the containers when they are packed and ready to go and will transport them to a safe and secure storage facility. When you’re ready to have your items back, they will deliver them right to your doorstep. What does this mean you have to do? Not a whole lot, honestly. Especially when compared to using self-storage services, valet storage does everything for you all while you stay put in the comfort of your home. While this may seem like a service for a luxurious lifestyle, it can actually be more affordable than renting a self-storage unit, too.
Is Valet Storage Right For You?
Self-storage facilities operate in which you get a space and pay a set rate for said space. The problem with this is that people end up paying for storage space that they aren’t necessarily using. Why? Typically it is because self-storage facilities are always trying to maximize the use of your space. Prices of self-storage units vary depending on your location, but in large, the average cost of a standard storage 10’ x 10’ — the most popular storage unit size — is over $100 a month. With valet services like those offered by Doorage, you only pay for the space that you use. Why should you have to pay for an entire storage unit when all you need to store is a set of skis or a couch? You don’t have to with valet storage! Some of the benefits of valet storage include:
An easy way to reduce clutter. Trying to free up some space in your home by reducing clutter can be difficult, especially if you don’t have adequate storage solutions. Valet storage is a quick and convenient way to store clutter that you may not necessarily want to get rid of.
Saves you time. Valet storage is a huge time saver. In addition to the packing, think about what else you would need to do to store your items in a self-storage facility. You’d have to purchase materials, load everything into your vehicle, drive to the self-storage facility, and unload it all. When you’re ready to get your items back, you are required to drive back to the facility, pack up all of your belongings, and transport them home. With valet storage, transportation to the facility, storage, and delivery is no concern of yours.
Keeps more money in your pocket. Using valet storage is a great way to save money. Not only are you not paying for an entire storage facility, but you’re only paying for the space you need — and there aren’t any long-term contracts involved. You also don’t have to deal with cancellation fees or any other hidden expenses. All in all, valet storage is a great way to keep your money in your pockets.
It is very convenient. We already know that self-storage can take a lot of time out of your schedule. Valet storage removes the travel time and the effort taken to move your items from your home to the self-storage unit from the equation, making it an incredibly convenient storage solution. Because the containers are picked up and delivered to your home, valet storage is the most convenient way to store your belongings.
It’s incredibly secure. Valet storage services are incredibly secure. In addition to the secure seal storage containers that you store your belongings in, the containers will be picked up and transported to a state-of-the-art storage facility with the latest security and safety features. Using valet storage is a great way to gain peace of mind in knowing that your belongings are safe and secure.
It’s very safe. You have probably heard more than enough horror stories of people getting burnt by scam moving companies. Valet storage solutions through a reputable storage company like Doorage is a great way to ensure that your belongings are safely stored.
Simply put, if you have things that you need to store, valet storage is right for you. When you work with a valet storage company like Doorage, your experience gets even better. Our process is effortless, quick, and can be controlled entirely through our online platform from the comfort of your home.
Learn More About Valet Storage Solutions
If you have items that need to be stored, whether you are trying to free up some space in your home or simply want to get items out of the way, valet storage solutions are the way to go. When you work with Doorage, you’re getting the best door-to-door storage services available. Get started today by using our free storage calculator to calculate your estimated storage value. Contact our storage solution expert if you have any questions or are interested in learning more about valet storage solutions.
Summer is right around the corner, which means it’s time to ditch the heavy winter coats, sweaters, and hats for shorts, t-shirts, and swimming suits. However, unless you have a spacious walk-in closet, rotating your wardrobe and storing out-of-season clothing can be a struggle. Properly storing winter clothing is essential for an organized and well-functioning space.
At Doorage, our door-to-door storage services are always available when you need to free up some space. Winter clothes take up a lot of space and our storage solutions are an affordable and convenient way to make room for your summer wardrobe. Simply estimate your storage needs and we’ll deliver the number of eco-friendly reusable storage crates you need to put your belongings into. Once packed up, we’ll pick up the storage containers, store them in our secure, climate-controlled storage facility, and deliver them back whenever you’re ready.
If you’re interested in our pick-up and drop-off storage solutions, get started by calculating your storage needs. Until then, our storage experts put together some ideas to make the most of your space as you learn the best way to store your winter clothes when you’re not wearing them.
Preparing Winter Clothes for Storage
Before you begin folding and storing your winter clothes, it is important to take the time to ensure they are first properly prepared so they look — and smell — pristine and are ready to go as the winter season approaches. Here are some great ways to prepare your winter clothes for storage.
1. Create a laundry pile
Even if your winter clothes don’t look dirty, you should make sure to clean them before storing them — it can make all the difference when it comes to keeping your clothes in pristine condition while they are in storage. Many types of winter clothing, such as cashmere sweaters, should be dry cleaned while others will need to be hand-washed. Storing dirty clothes, whether in a storage facility or attic, risks attracting moths and embedding a nearly-impossible-to-remove odor from the clothing after months have passed.
2. Block the stench, use deodorizers
The truth is, no matter where you store your clothes, there’s a chance that they will start to develop an unpleasant musty odor during the warm summer months when temperatures are sky-high. Adding deodorizers into the boxes and containers you will be storing your clothes in is worth the effort and will give you fresh-smelling clothes when you have a need for them again. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil into each box or container. If you don’t have essential oils, a few dryer sheets should do the trick.
Best Method for Storage: Folding or Hanging?
Many people wonder whether or not they should fold or hang certain types of clothing fabrics. As a rule of thumb, you’re safe to fold any pieces of clothing that are of natural fiber fabrics. Synthetic fabrics are a bit more delicate and should be carefully folded with acid-free tissue in between the folded areas. For others, consider the following:
Sweaters. Fold sweaters and place in plastic bins or fabric storage bags. Avoid cramming too many sweaters into one bin or container as mold and mildew could form.
Winter Coats. Winter jackets can take up a lot of space and be difficult to store. Zip up zippers, button up any buttons, and gently fold coats made of materials like leather, wool, or faux fur so they keep their shape.
Delicates. Before placed into boxes or containers, delicate winter clothes should be wrapped-up in acid-free tissue and stored in cotton garment bags to ensure they are fully protected while in storage.
Casual Clothing. Casual clothing is pretty easy to store, simply fold them or roll them up and place them in your storage box, bin, or container.
Shoes and Boots. Before putting boots and shoes of any kind into storage, you want to make sure they will be able to maintain their shape. Shoes can be packed with tissue paper, while boots should have boot forms. Boots should be stored on their sides with an old shirt or pillowcase in between each pair.
What to Store Winter Clothes In and Where
When it comes to storing your winter clothes, there are a lot of options available. Of course, you can use a pick-up storage service like Doorage, but if you have the available space you may be wondering what other options are available. While it’s tempting to use cardboard boxes to store winter clothes, they aren’t the best solution. Cardboard is both acidic and susceptible to water damage — it certainly isn’t the best solution for storing your winter clothes in. Instead, opt for clear plastic totes. Storing winter clothes inside sealed plastic totes that will prevent water damage and other mishaps. The containers can often slide underneath your bed, making it easy to get your winter clothes hidden and out of the way.
If you don’t have space in your closet or under your bed, you’ll need to get creative. Empty wall space can be used to slide and stack containers against or, for clothes that need to be hung, you can use an open or enclosed rolling clothing rack. Keep in mind, this will likely take up some valuable space in whichever room you are placing these items.
Is It Safe to Store Clothes in the Attic or Garage?
Many wonder if storing winter clothing in their attic or garage is a good idea. Ideally, winter clothes need to be stored in a location that is cool, clean, dry, and preferably dark — these are the conditions you’ll find at Doorage’s state-of-the-art storage facility. These are important factors to consider when choosing where to store your clothes for the summer season. The attic and garage, while both seem like great places to store these items, are susceptible to extreme temperature fluctuations which can cause more harm than good to your clothing.
Confidently Store Your Winter Clothes
Use these tips to increase your confidence and peace of mind that your winter clothes will be protected during the offseason and ready to go when the temperatures start to fall once again. Remember, if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of finding storage for winter clothes, Doorage’s door-to-door storage services are the perfect solution. To learn more, click here.
Here at Doorage, we find that some people are unsure of just what door-to-door storage is. After all, we’ve been storing our stuff the same way for 60 years! But in a world full of self-driving cars, ice cream that’s under 300 calories per pint, and smartphones that can do just about anything, it stands to reason that the way we store our belongings should also evolve.
We’ll start with an analogy to help you understand why door-to-door storage is becoming more popular: self-storage is to Doorage as taxi cabs are to Uber.
For ages, if you needed a taxi in a city, your only option was to stand outside and wait for one. Hopefully one would come by and stop as you raised your hand out into the street. Then, when it was time to go back home from wherever you were just at, you would have to repeat the process. While hailing a cab this was is still an option, now there is a more convenient way. You can hop on your phone while sitting on your couch, use an app to order an Uber, and head outside when the app tells you your Uber has arrived. When it’s time to go home, you can spend more time saying goodbye to your friends and family than standing outside in the cold trying to hail a cab.
Also for ages, if you needed a place to store extra stuff, your only option was to pile your items in the car, drive to the nearest self-storage facility, unload your stuff into a dusty storage unit, and then drive all the way back when you need something out of the unit. While using self-storage is still an option, there’s a more convenient way to store your belongings. With door-to-door storage, we will come to your front door, collect your storage items and take them to our warehouse, and drop them back off whenever you want.
While both cabs and Ubers take you where you want to go, and while both self-storage and door-to-door storage let you get the clutter out of your home, one is easier and more convenient than the other in both situations.
The Details
So, you’re probably still wondering how the sausage gets made. Our Chicago door-to-door storage service works in three simple steps.
1. Pickups: First, you will sign up with Doorage, use our storage calculator to determine about how many storage boxes you will need, and then we will drop off those boxes at your place for free. Take up to two weeks to pack, sort, photograph, and document everything that is going into each box (you can do this on our website). Then, at your convenience, schedule a pickup time for our crew to come collect your storage items. At pickup, we will security-seal your containers for added protection, as well as pack up anything that you didn’t feel like packing yourself. We have a simple breakdown of pickup fees so there are no surprises.
2. Storage: After we pick up your storage items, we’ll transport them to our secure Chicago storage warehouse. Our facilities have restricted access and 24-hour security with motion-sensing cameras, alarm systems, and the whole shebang so you know your stuff is protected. Once in storage, you only pay for the exact volume of space your belongings use, and billing happens on the first of every month.
3. Deliveries: When you need a storage container or other stored item back, just let us know by logging into your Doorage account and let us know what you need and when. Deliveries can happen as often as you would like, and we have simple flat-rate delivery fees. In order to make sure your items get to where they’re going, you or your specified doorman must be present at the time of delivery.
Want To Know More About Door-To-Door Storage?
Making the switch from something you know so well to something new and innovative can be intimidating, but we’re here to make the process as easy as possible. Read our detailed FAQ to learn more about our Chicago storage service, or feel free to give us a call at (833) 366-7243 if you have more questions. We look forward to starting you on your journey to better storage!
Here at Doorage, our goal is to make storage as easy and convenient as possible. Partly because we’re well into the twenty-first century and we’ve realized that convenience is better than an inconvenience, and partly because of all the things in your life that might be complicated (family, your career, your social life), storage doesn’t deserve to be one of them. There are things that are worth your time and effort (like nourishing relationships) and there are things that are not worth your time and effort (like driving to your storage unit). As your door-to-door storage service, we want to make sure you’re giving your time to what matters.
With traditional self-storage, you have to drive out to a storage facility (which, many Chicagoans do not have cars, and most good storage units in Chicago are out in the suburbs). Often, you’re storing more than will fit in your car, so you have to make a few trips back and forth. You most likely have a job or two that you spend a majority of your time at, meaning you are about to spend your only free time of the week hauling your stuff to and from a storage unit. Before you know it, your day is gone and you’ve missed out on priceless time with your friends and family.
What Are You Paying For Storage?
When you choose a traditional self-storage unit, you are doing more than just paying dollars and cents to store your stuff there. You’re paying for that Uhaul because your couch won’t fit in your car. You are paying the time that it takes to haul everything there. You’re paying in missed opportunities to hang out with friends or watch your kid’s soccer practice. It’s our job to make storage easier, so let us. After all, you wouldn’t go to a restaurant and then head straight to the kitchen and start cooking, you’re paying someone else to do that for you. At Doorage, you’re not paying for storage space, you’re paying for a storage service that makes your life easier, so we want to do all the hard work for you.
Save Time And Money With Doorage
At the end of the day, you can’t make more time, so you need to decide how you’re going to spend it. Our Chicago door-to-door storage solution isn’t about saving you money on storage (though, you probably will save some money), it’s about saving you time. It’s about saving you the hassle of having to spend a whole day going back and forth between your place and a storage unit, and it’s about ensuring you can spend your free time doing what you want to do, and let’s face it, nobody wants to spend their free time driving to a storage facility.
When it comes to storage in Chicago, we don’t want to toot our own horn, but we think we do a bang-up job of offering good storage. Heck, even great storage! So, when we say ‘storage sucks,’ we’re talking about traditional self-storage units. Because, personally, we don’t think our door-to-door storage service sucks, and once you try us out, you won’t think we suck either. Keep reading to learn about all the ways in which we definitely do not suck.
Reasons Why Regular Self-Storage Units Suck
Storage Units Can Be Dirty
We don’t want to crap on all self-storage units, but frankly, some of them are a little dirty. Because it’s self-storage, there’s no one ensuring the renters aren’t storing trash and rotting food in their storage units that could attract rats and bugs that the storage facility owner might never even be aware of. Then, all of that gets passed down to the next renter. At Doorage, we’re in our climate-controlled warehouse every day. We have rules against storing perishables and other items that could become hazardous, but if someone happens to miss that section and packs a McDonald’s Happy Meal in their storage box, we’ll sniff it out before it contaminates another person’s items.
One Person’s Mistake Can Cost You
People are crazy. What happens if one person’s crazy ex-spouse comes and torches their storage unit in an act of arson that happens to be right next to yours? While you can take out insurance on your items in storage (which you really should if you put stuff into a storage unit regardless of which company you use), you can’t get that stuff back once it’s gone. While we can’t control natural disasters or accidents or crazy people, we can help keep your items safe by only letting authorized personnel into our storage warehouse.
You Need A Car
A lot of Chicagoans don’t have cars because, well, we don’t need them and driving in the city is a pain in the rear. That means if a local resident needs to move some large items or multiple boxes into storage, they have to rent a truck just to do it. Just make your life easier by letting us handle it. Our drivers are on the roads every day and are pros at navigating the heavy traffic. Plus, it’s our job to move your stuff to storage. You already have a job, so don’t waste any time doing ours.
You Have To Pay For Storage Space That You Don’t Use
At a self-storage facility, you pay for a storage unit whether it’s full to the brim or not. That sucks. If the only thing you need to store is one long, oddly-shaped piece of furniture that won’t fit into a 5×5 unit, then you’re going to have to bump up to a bigger unit that will be mostly empty. At Doorage, you only pay for the exact volume of space you use. We don’t make you pay for the air above your futon.
Most Storage Facilities Lock You Into Contracts
You’ll be hard pressed to find a storage unit that doesn’t have some sort of lease. Typically these leases are for six months or a year, with some storage facilities offering three-month leases. So, what happens if you only need to store something for a month? Or a week? Like we said above, you only pay for the volume of space you use. So, it stands that if you have one bin in storage on the first of the month, and have it delivered back to you the next week, that you are no longer taking up space in our warehouse and therefore will not be charged for any storage space. If you’re locked into a long-term contract, that sucks money right out of your bank account, which sucks.
