A Case Study in Portable Storage in Grand Rapids

Portable storage providers have the corner on convenience and here is an example of how portable storage can save you time, money, and an incredible amount of hassle.  This is an actual story about a Zippy Shell customer in Grand Rapids.  The names are not real but the story is.

Heather called some time ago looking for a storage solution.  She and her family had moved to the Grand Rapids area a few months earlier and had been moved through a corporate relocation program.  Since Heather and her family were still looking for a home, the movers were storing all of their belongings at a great expense.  To save money, Heather was looking for a portable storage solution  to store all their stuff.  She had checked with PODs storage in Grand Rapids but was not exactly happy with the quote she received.  She found us at Zippy Shell and we adapted to her exact situation and we were able to save Heather over 30% of the PODs quoted rates. 

 

Since the movers were going to move her things one more time, we decided to have them deliver all of their belongings directly to our heated warehouse and place everything in our portable storage units.  It was incredibly easy.  We continued to store Heather’s things very economically until she and her family found their new home in Grand Rapids.  When she called to ask for her things, we simply asked when she needed them and arranged a delivery according to her schedule.  It was all very convenient, very reasonably priced and extremely efficient.

Had Heather left her things stored with the moving company, she would have spent a fortune in storage fees.  Had she put their things in a traditional storage locker, they would have had to load and reload things a second time.  By the time that they paid a crew to do the additional handling, rented a truck, and put fuel in the truck, they would have spent every penny they may have saved by using traditional storage.  Using Zippy Shell portable storage was definitely the most convenient, affordable and efficient choice for Heather and her family.       

Choosing a Portable Storage Provider in Grand Rapids

As a portable storage insider, I would like to offer you a roadmap for finding the best portable storage option in your area. The steps below offer an evaluation criteria, a decision making process, and a number of must ask questions to consider prior to making your decision.

EVALUATION CRITERIA
There are a number of important factors to consider in choosing a portable storage provider but in general they boil down to a handful of simple concepts:

Price and Affordability - Price is the main objective. Affordability is the combination of all the costs and all your time and effort divided by the amount of storage space you need.

Container Size - Size matters. Different providers have different size portable storage containers. Make sure you compare providers on a per square foot or per cubic foot basis. Do not rely on how many rooms a certain provider claims that their unit can hold.

Security - Your stuff is important. You need to know how secure your container is, how it will be delivered and how it will be treated while in storage.

Customer Service - Honesty and a willingness to serve are important factors. Find out whether you will be well served or treated like another number. Research and references are the only way to find out. I could tell you, but not here...

DECISION MAKING PROCESS
Portable storage is a growing and evolving industry. There are a lot of variations out there. Its important that you spend a little time to make sure you understand your options before choosing your provider.

Determine Your Needs - First and foremost, you need to understand your situation, how much stuff you have, how long you need storage for, whether you need help with manual labor, how far you plan to move if at all, how accessible your home or apartment is, and whether there are any restrictions on PODS type boxes in your area.

Find Local Providers - Start looking for providers in your area. Search the internet using Google or any search engine. Check Google Places. Check YP.com. Ask around. Make a list of 3 to 5 possibilities.

Do Online Research - Check out each provider's webpages thoroughly and understand their system. Get on online quote if their page provides one. Search YouTube or DailyMotion for a video showing their system in action. Search for facebook accounts or other social media of the local franchise. Search review and complaint sites. Keep track of any promotions, discounts, or coupons you find.

Call Several Providers - After researching online and possibly weeding out a provider or two and possibly adding a couple more to the list, call them directly. Try to talk to someone local. If someone local can't talk to you, be aware of future poor service potential. Ask them lots of questions. Explain exactly what you are trying to do. Find out how willing they are to adapt to your specific needs. If they are rigid, be aware of future unwillingness to work through any issues.

Get Written Quotes - Provide your email address and get at least 2 or 3 WRITTEN quotes that include EXACT DETAILS of your expected services. Be careful to solicit quotes on a per container basis for future evaluation or provide the same size or quantity information to all providers so that quotes can be fairly compared later. These quotes should include EVERYTHING, initial rent, delivery, ongoing rent, future deliveries, taxes, fees, property protection and so on. If the written quote includes only an initial charge and a monthly rent, be skeptical about other charges that they may not be sharing with you yet. Most importantly, make sure you are very specific about your future delivery location as this has a potential for significant costs that are not commonly discussed up front during initial booking.

Compare Costs Per Square Foot - Once you have several quality quotes, establish a likely duration of your storage needs. Extrapolate each quote to that duration including all delivery fees. Then divide each total cost result by the square feet provided to get a total cost per square foot of storage. This is the best way to get an accurate picture of what you are paying and getting in return. You may find that the cheapest quote is not actually the most cost effective.

Final Evaluation - Now you understand the cost per square foot of each provider. After talking with them and doing online research, you understand how their system works, how secure their system is and how they stack up on a customer service perspective. Its up to you to weigh each of these factors in choosing your provider.

MUST ASK QUESTIONS - AND WHY YOU NEED TO ASK THEM

What is the interior size of your portable storage unit?

• This is critical in determining how many units you will need.
• Don't rely on estimates of how many rooms they claim to hold because their estimates are entirely subjective and unreliable.
• You may also need to know the door size if you have some larger items.
• Keep in mind that a single larger unit may be easier to pack than several smaller units, especially if you have large items.
• If they can't tell you the exact interior dimensions of their units, then move on to another provider or do some research.

What is the ongoing monthly rental fee for the unit?

• This is not always as clear as it should be. Be very specific and make sure you understand the recurring charges.
• Get all quotes in writing and be specific about all of your intentions including your final destination location.

What are the delivery fees for the unit, including transfers and final deliveries?

• Delivery fees can sometimes be buried in the quotes and difficult to determine.
• Make sure you understand there are commonly 2 trips per delivery. Some providers charge per trip not per delivery.
• Make sure you understand EXACTLY what the final delivery will be based on the location of your new home. Some providers include enormous fees if you move a certain distance or move to another franchise's territory. But they don't like to tell you this up front, only after they have your stuff and you want it back and they have your credit card number.

Are there taxes on the delivery or storage?

• Some states allow use taxes to be paid when the storage provider purchases the storage equipment that you are effectively leasing. In turn, they do not charge you a tax when you lease the equipment. This saves you, the customer a significant amount and can vary from provider to provider in the same location. Make sure you know what the entire cost will be before you compare providers.

Are there any other fees that you haven't told me about?

• Some portable storage providers have a number of fees and charges that they don't like to tell you about. They include such things as fees for snow removal and fees for placing a board under their unit to protect your driveway. Do you really think a customer should have to pay extra to have a company that is in the business of delivering something to your house actually charge you extra to not damage your property while doing so. I would think that a system prone to damaging property should not be considered. Be warned.

How much notice do you need to get my unit back?

• When you want deliveries, you typically have a timeline you are working with. Your schedule is normally related to your job and getting time off to handle your transition. Or your schedule is more likely related to your real-estate transaction. Closing dates and occupancy dates mean something to you and are obviously very important. You need to make sure that your portable storage provider will be responsive to your schedule and to your needs. Some providers need a significant amount of time to arrange deliveries. Even then, some of those providers are not entirely responsive to meeting the schedules desired even after booking them with you. This can be a MAJOR inconvenience to you and effectively eliminates the value inherent in portable storage in the first place. Do some checking online for reviews and complaints about your possible providers and ask for recent references of actual customers to discuss this issue.

Do you pro-rate our final month?

• In general, self storage is not pro-rated. If you are in storage a day past your anniversary date, you just bought another month. But it doesn't hurt to ask. But you have to ask up front, not at the last minute. My best advice is to plan your move-out a month in advance and inform your provider a month ahead of time and ask then about pro-rating. Your best result will likely be to get a 1/2 month pro-rated payment. Don't expect any better than that.
• In addition to asking about pro-rating, be advised that some providers will bill you for the next month after your requested move-out date even if you requested to be moved-out but they couldn't deliver or pick up the container on your requested schedule. In other words, you end up paying them extra because they cannot stay on your schedule. Their delay costs you more money. Again research online reviews and check references for this problem.
• Also you need to understand that you are not renting storage or paying for a storage service, you are leasing storage equipment. Your lease doesn't end on the day that your unit is delivered back to your home, it ends after you have emptied it and after the provider is scheduled to retrieve the empty unit. Do not assume that scheduling a delivery a day before your anniversary date, that you will not be charged the following month. If that "equipment" is in your driveway after your anniversary date, you are most likely going to pay for another month.

Is your facility heated? Air Conditioned?

• Heated or air conditioned facilities can make a big difference to your belongings. However, don't assume that "climate controlled" means what you think it does because it probably doesn't. Climate control can mean keeping doors open to keep the space cooler in the summer. If you are looking for portable storage in Grand Rapids Michigan, you probably care more about heat than keeping the doors open in the summer so don't be fooled into thinking that climate controlled means heated. Ask specifically what is done heat wise and ventilation wise in their facility. If you have concerns, ask to see the facility for your self.
• Also, you should consider the storage unit container itself. There are a number of factors that can negatively affect your belongings. Air flow through your unit is advantageous because it keeps things from getting stale, musty, or moldy. Providers that offer fully enclosed steel boxes will have an issue with this. Although some claim that plywood construction allows the box to breath they can also be susceptible to mold and mildew because of the presence of moisture in the wood especially if the unit has been stored outside. Again, ask specifics about the unit construction and research online for reviews about this issue.

I hope this helps you make a good decision for your storage needs. If you have any more questions, just hunt me down, I'm always glad to help.

PORTABLE STORAGE PACKING PLAN

After you have made a reservation for a storage unit or 2, the next step is to prepare a packing plan.  Following a clear packing plan will help you stay organized, save you time and money and help make the unpacking process easier. In addition to gathering boxes, newspapers and packing tape, several other important steps can help assure the process runs smoothly.
 
Get rid of what you don’t need
A large part of packing is first deciding what you do not need any more and therefore should not be packed at all.  If you have things that are still packed from the last time you moved, there is a good chance you don’t need them any more.  Packing and moving fewer things will not only save you time, it will also save you money on supplies as well as help you avoid the need for a larger, more expensive storage unit. Here's how to do so:

Reconsider moving large and heavy items
If you are considering moving large and heavy items such as refrigerators, washing machines, freezers, or exercise equipment, consider how difficult they are to move and how much room they take up before deciding to move them.  You may be better off leaving them or selling them.   

Have a yard sale
Yard sales are a great ways to get rid of the things around the house that you no longer have use for.  A yard sale will also help raise money for expenses related to the move, and give you a chance to share your relocation plans with neighbors. 

Donate your items
Whatever does not sell at your yard sale can be taken to one of numerous organizations that except donations. Donate clothes, bedding, sporting equipment and even old mattresses and couches. Many of these organizations often provide a pickup service for larger items and can help you find a center close to you. Beware that many of these non-profit organizations have strict standards for the items they except. Donating is not an approach to getting rid of junk.

Toss them
If you still have a few unneeded items laying around, do not be afraid to throw them away. Be conscience of the size of the items you are dispensing of, and utilize city dumps and hauling companies when necessary.

Items that should not be stored
Keep in mind that dangerous and perishable items are prohibited from portable storage units.  Find an alternative for your propane tanks, gas cans, lighter fluids, firearms and so on.  Also remember that animals, food and plants should not be packed.  In addition to these items, it’s a good idea to keep important documents out of the storage container.  Keep items like passports, birth certificates, marriage certificates, vehicle and home titles, tax documents and other personal items out of your portable storage unit.   

Keep items together
Now that you know what will stay, you should keep like items together when packing. This will help speed up the unpacking process  - not to mention eliminate confusion.  

Go from room-to-room
Pack each room separately, marking all boxes accordingly. Be sure items heading to the same room are boxed together, and stay together. Do not mix bathroom towels with the sheets, or silverware with sporting goods. You will save yourself valuable time while unpacking by keeping like items together now. 

Label everything
While you are packing boxes, be sure to label the top and sides of boxes with contents, location (room) and any special instructions such as "fragile" or "open first." This will help assure all boxes find their way into the appropriate room and help identify delicate items.

Make a list
Consider keeping a complete list of the contents on the outside of each box. This will help you save from digging through several “kitchen” marked boxes just to find a water bottle. This process may add a bit more time to the packing process, but it will save you a lot of time when unpacking – especially if unpacking is not done right away.  You may even want to make a comprehensive checklist including all boxed items. This checklist will help identify any belongings that your moving company happens to misplace.

PODS Storage Rates got you looking for Coupons?

Its pretty obvious that PODS rates for self storage here in the Grand Rapids area are a little shocking.  So much so that you might be looking for a discount or a coupon or a code of some type to make things a little cheaper.  Well we have great news!  You don't need a coupon, discount code or referral.  What you need is a different storage container provider.  Zippy Shell offers the some service for more affordable rates.  Portable is now Affordable!  Look no further than zippyshell.com for your portable self storage solution in Grand Rapids.  No need to search for pods rates or pods coupons or pods discounts.  Zippy Shell has better prices - no discounts needed.

Actual Dimensions of our Portable Storage Unit

I have noticed that most of the Grand Rapids area storage providers out there pushing a potable storage container are a little vague about the actual dimensions of said storage unit.  I have already documented the differences between U-Haul's advertised size and the actual interior dimensions of a U-Box in an earlier blog.  I believe in being a transparent as possible for those who really want to know what size our Zippy Shell unit is.  We commonly refer to our unit as 15' x 7' and 100 square feet.  This is fairly accurate.  However, here are the exact measurements:

interior wall to wall dimensions not including structural framing:
 - - - 6'7" x 15'4" = 100.94 square feet
 
There are 2" framing members at the corners and at 2 places along the long wall.  These framing members reduce the measurements at several places to the following:
- - - 6'3" x 15'0"

Subtracting the 8 vertical framing members at 2" x 2" each accounts for .22 square feet, we get a resulting area of 100.72 square feet.
 
The ceiling is 6'8" above the floor.  Again there are several 2" framing members resulting in a height of 6'6" at several places.

By multiplying 100.72 square feet by the overall height of 6,8" we get a capacity of 671.46 cubic feet.  This ignores several horizontal framing members.

The door dimensions and minimum dimensions throughout the unit are 6'3" wide by 6'6" tall to the inside of the framing members. 

So, If you are looking for an honest and reputable company to provide a portable storage container in Grand Rapids, look no further than Zippy Shell.  We would be more than happy to help you find the best storage and moving solution for your needs.  Call us at (616) 298-8494.  

Grand Rapids Portable Storage Unit Comparison

In case you are looking for a good cost comparison of the available portable storage providers in Grand Rapids and West Michigan, here is a chart that compares them all based on the common denominator of cost per square foot.  As you can see, Zippy Shell portable storage leads the way at a price of $1.29 per square foot per month.  In fact, although this chart doesn't show it, the cost of 15 foot storage container from Zippy Shell is the same price as a 12 foot PODS storage unit.  And Zippy Shell deliveries are also cheaper!  Facts are facts - Choose Zippy Shell!

Grand Rapids Portable Storage Unit Prices

West Michigan Building Permits on the rise

This is another good indication that the real estate market is improving in West Michigan.  http://www.mlive.com/jenison/2011/07/allendale_jenison_top_building.html

Grand Rapids in top 100 places to live

You can help put Grand Rapids in the top 10!
http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/grand_rapids/Grand-Rapids-listed-as-a-Top-100-Place-to-Live

Housing Starts Up in Kent County!

This is very optimistic news about real estate trends in West Michigan.
http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2011/07/west_michigan_home_builders_ar.html

Declutter today and get even more for your home

Home prices are on the rise along the West Michigan lakeshore.  Time to consider decluttering or hiring a home stager in the grand rapids area.  Call Zippy Shell today!

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2011/07/good_news_for_real_estate_mark.html

Local business looking for diaper, baby wipe donations

Local business looking for diaper, baby wipe donations

U-Haul U-Box Dimensions

U-HAUL U-BOX Dimensions 

                       

I went on a mission today to study the U-BOX portable storage unit.  My goal was to determine what their exact dimensions are and how they are constructed.  This is a simple account of what I found:

Measured Size:    Interior – 4’8” wide x 7’8” deep x 6’9” tall

U-Haul advertises 5’ x 8’ x 7’6” and a capacity of 300 cubic feet.  The actual square footage is 35.8 square feet and the actual capacity is 242 cubic feet.  In other words their “approximate” sizes are overestimates of 11.7% in floor space and a whopping 24% in capacity.  OUCH!!!

Here is their advertising so you can see what they actually claim.

You make the call whether you want to trust a company that embellishes the statistics about the size and capacity of their portable storage unit that much.  If they didn’t use the word “capacity” it wouldn’t be that bad.  But come on, it is painfully obvious that the extra height provided by the feet under the unit don’t add in any way to the capacity.  I think we are all smarter than that.

As for the construction materials, these boxes are made of and exoskeleton of 2x4 lumber and plywood walls, floors and ceilings.  Other than a few screws holding some of the structure pieces to each other, the vast majority of the fasteners are staples and adhesive.  Around this plywood box is a fairly heavy duty tarp screwed to the top and kept tight with Velcro attachments.  That’s pretty much it.  Imagine trying to build a plywood box as cheaply as you could and this is pretty much what you would come up with.

Economical to build? Yes.  

Water tight?  Secure?  You make that call.

Here are some pictures of the U-BOX portable storage units in Grand Rapids:

U-BOX Portable Storage Unit

Mobile Storage Unit

Self Storage Unit

Grand Rapids Portable Storage Comparison

GRAND RAPIDS PORTABLE STORAGE COMPARISON

           

Since many customers are somewhat unfamiliar with portable storage as a whole and even more unaware of the differences between portable storage providers, I am going to try to offer an evaluation of the providers available in the Grand Rapids area.  Of course there may be some bias here because I am partial to one of the providers, but the facts are the facts.  I will try to keep the opinions to a minimum.  

Let’s assume that we have already discussed what portable storage is and how it compares to traditional storage.  We discussed that in our last post and we now know that portable storage offers a level of convenience that is impossible with traditional self storage.  Now let’s look at the local Grand Rapids portable storage unit providers and evaluate them against each other.

Because I am assuming you don’t have unlimited time to read my arguments in depth, I am providing the summary below. 

		Large Box			Small Box
	Zippy Shell	PODS	United	GoMinis	MyWay	U-Box
Container Size *most similar size - based on advertised dimensions	100 sf	128 sf	128 sf	128 sf	40 sf	40 sf
Rental Cost *based on advertised rates of warehouse storage	$99/ month	$149/ month	$174/ month	$130/ month	$49/ month	$60/ month
Cost per square foot	$0.99	$1.16	$1.36	$1.02	$1.23	$1.50
Container Construction	Steel container with plywood floor inside steel cargo trailer	Steel, aluminum and plastic	Fiberglass reinforced plywood and steel reinforcement	Steel and plastic with plywood floor	Plywood with a poly-tarp cover	Plywood with a poly-tarp cover
Container stays level	YES	YES	NO	NO	YES	YES
Anti-theft alarm system	YES	NO	NO	NO	NO	NO
$5,000 Content Protection Cost	$15/ month	$35/ month	Not Available	Unknown	Not Available	$18/ month
Long term leave behind	NO	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES
Monthly cost for 100 square feet of storage	$99	$149	$176	$130	$147	$180
Zippy Shell Savings		33%	43%	24%	32%	45%

PODS

First in the industry was PODS.  They created the concept of bringing a shipping container to your front door.  For that, those of us who follow them in the industry are thankful.  They gave birth to the concept of portable storage.  Being the first obviously gives them tremendous name recognition.  In fact, the storage pod has almost become the generic for the whole concept, similar to Kleenex and Xerox.  Unfortunately for them, their boxes and their delivery system are incredibly expensive and fairly labor intensive.  Their operating costs are tremendous, and they pass that onto you, the customer.   Their boxes are made of steel, aluminum and have a plastic roof.  I know their website calls it a translucent polymer material but come on, we all know it is just plastic.  On the positive side, they provide a couple sizes from medium to large, they deliver the containers in a level fashion, they offer long term leave behind box rentals and they provide long distance moving services.  On the negative side they obviously store full containers outside in the elements and potentially susceptible to vandalism, they are expensive, and their company size has apparently turned them into a customer service nightmare.  That’s my opinion based on my research into many customer review sites that discuss billing issues and missed delivery schedules which are generally not handled appropriately.  If you don’t agree with this, I encourage you to search for reviews yourself.  There is a definite theme with them.  One other negative to the PODS offering and all box drop providers is the growing distaste for boxes remaining in driveways.  Associations and municipalities are now creating rules limiting the presence of such boxes.

PACK-RATS

1-800 Pack Rats was the first major clone of PODS.  They are nearly identical to PODS.  However they do not service West Michigan.  So I am not going to discuss them.

UNITED

Get-a-SAM or just SAM was purchased by Mayflower and now operates as United.  They are similar to PODS in that they offer large shipping container size boxes, however there are a few more negatives with them.  First, their boxes are made of fiberglass reinforced plywood with some steel reinforcement and again a plastic top.  I for one am not in favor of storing my stuff outside in a plywood box, especially when there are better alternatives.  The second negative, and this one is big, the delivery involves tipping the box and all the belongings inside similar to the way a flat bed tow truck picks up a car.  If you want all your stuff piled up against the door when you get your unit back, then this is the way to go.  If you’re like most people and prefer your things to remain as level as possible, then avoid these guys.  United tends to be the most expensive of the bunch, so that is another reason to avoid them.

GOMINIS

GoMinis are again very similar to the above large box providers.  And similar to United, they tip the boxes at delivery.  This means that your things potentially get shifted back and forth at least twice.  I am going to give them the benefit of doubt here and assume that they pick the boxes off the truck without tipping them when they are pack at their storage yard.  I believe the GoMinis units are all steel.  They tend to be the cheapest provider of large boxes.

U-BOX

U-Box is a small box provider.  Owned by U-Haul, U-box provides an 8 foot by 5 foot plywood box.  You may have noticed them.  They are the ones that have an orange tarp over them.  I will let you make an assumption whether that is for marketing purposes or whether that is to keep the elements off of their plywood containers.  U-Box delivers their boxes on a flatbed truck that includes a forklift, similar to a lumber company delivery truck.  On a positive note, if you are looking for a small amount of storage, one of these boxes just might be big enough.  On the negative side, if you are storing anything large, you will see the space inside these boxes disappear quite quickly.  Adding more boxes makes the ultimate storage cost soar.  On a per square foot basis, U-box is the most expensive option.  I will let you make whatever assumptions about safety and security of storing your stuff outside in a tarp covered plywood box.

MYWAY

MyWay Storage is very similar to U-box.  The portable storage containers appear to be nearly identical.  Same plywood.  Same tarp, only white.  Everything else about MyWay appears to be similar as well, except for the price.  MyWay tends to be a little cheaper than U-Box.

ZIPPY SHELL

Zippy Shell does things differently than all the rest noted above.  Zippy Shell is the first portable storage provider to actually put the storage on wheels, as in a licensed vehicle.  With Zippy Shell, our portable storage unit is delivered to you inside of a high tech cargo trailer, called a Zippy Shell.  The container itself is made of galvanized steel with a plywood floor.  The Zippy Shell is made of steel and is water tight.  The Zippy Shell also has an anti-theft alarm system, protecting your unit while on your site.  On a positive note, let’s talk about weather resistance.  Compare a plywood box with a tarp over it to a steel cargo trailer.  Then consider the fact that with Zippy Shell, your unit is never stored outside.  After several days of loading inside the Zippy Shell at your site, your unit is delivered directly to a heated warehouse for secure storage.  Now let’s talk about security.  Consider how long it would take someone to break into a plywood and plastic box.  Now consider what it would be like trying to get into a locked steel cargo trailer and then into a galvanized storage unit inside that trailer.  And don’t forget, that there is a deafening alarm sounding the whole time.  Now that sounds secure to me.  Now about price.  Zippy Shell is the most economical of all the current providers mentioned when based on a price per square foot basis.  I know that some of the small boxes are cheaper per month, but you would need 3 small boxes to provide the same space as a single Zippy Shell.  Multiply the small box price by 3 and then compare that to Zippy Shell’s pricing.  If you only need a very small amount of storage, then maybe a small box might work best for you.

YOUR CHOICES

In the end you have a simple choice.  You can go with a large box or small box, or go with Zippy Shell, the first provider to take the box out of the equation.  Zippy Shell offers the best combination of convenience, security and affordability.