Everyone knows that moving home can be a stressful as well as an exciting experience. Making sure all your dates line up, your logistical plans align, and everything gets securely packed away in time can feel like something of a military operation. Amidst all this, having to arrange and pay for a professional moving company to help you manage the crucial day of transit can be an added headache.

This is where PODS can help. They offer a greater level of flexibility when it comes to storage and home moving services than many traditional moving firms. They have a range of temporary or longer term storage solutions that can suit anyone in metropolitan areas looking for straightforward, customizable space to ship or house furniture or home belongings, meaning that your move can take place at your pace, rather than at the pace of the professionals you’ve booked in for a specific day or time.

Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at how you can utilize PODS’ range of moving and storage solutions to help smooth the transition from one home to the next, or just to give you a bit more space to store stuff while you rearrange your belongings.

Who is PODS?

PODS started out in 1998 as Portable on Demand Storage, a storage firm operating out of Tampa Bay, Florida. After more than 25 years in the business, they’ve now evolved into a pan-national company helping home movers store and ship their belongings across states by providing flagship PODS storage containers that customers can use in various ways to suit their specific needs.

The company are proud of their strong customer service record, having recently been recognized by Newsweek as one of the ‘Best Customer Service’ companies within the moving services industry. Following their national success, the company have even expanded into international markets, providing moving and storage services in Canada and Europe.

How can you use PODS to help you move?

The cornerstone of PODS moving service revolves around their recognizable shipping containers. You can book for one of these containers to be delivered direct to your home within a 3 hour delivery window. Delivery and installation can be contactless, meaning you don’t even need to be in when your PODS driver drops off your container.

Once your container has arrived, you can then take as much time as you need filling it with belongings in preparation for your move. You are the only one who has key-access to the container and you can book to have it available for as long as you want, with easily extendable schedules. This allows you to pack, load, rearrange, and repack at your own pace. If you would like help with moving furniture or heavy items, PODS can liaise with local tradespeople and moving companies to assist you, although they do not provide a bespoke packing service themselves.

Once you have your belongings packed and ready to be shipped, simply arrange for PODS to collect and deliver the container to a new location. Using their advanced PODZILLA® level-lift system, PODS certified drivers can ensure that your belongings get loaded and moved via truck without the container being tilted or jolted, helping to protect whatever you have inside.

One of the great advantages of PODS’ moving service is that you can very easily reschedule when and where you want your container, changing delivery dates, delivery locations, and other logistical arrangements with a few simple clicks. This means that if your house moving dates fall through, or plans have to change at the last minute, you won’t be left with nowhere to store your stuff. Additionally, you won’t have an expensive delivery company charging you for a day’s labor that you don’t end up needing.

How can you use PODS if you’re in a metropolitan area and don’t have a driveway? 

PODS also offer a moving service tailored specifically to the needs of urban residents and those without a permanent driveway in which to store a container. If you’re looking for a way to move your belongings from one home to another, but don’t have the space to hold a container overnight, you can arrange for a PODS City Service delivery driver to arrive with a container that stays on the truck while you load it.

The hydraulic lift system means the driver can lower the container to street level without needing to separate it from the truck bed, so PODS can simply pull up outside your apartment block or city home, no driveway required. The driver will also make sure they wait in the street with the vehicle while you load your belongings to ensure your stuff is safe. As part of this service, you will as standard receive four hours to load or unload your container, with the ability to book extra time if needed for an additional charge.

As with their other moving and storage services, you can then have PODS deliver your container to a new residential address or have it shipped to a PODS storage center for you to access or relocate at your convenience.

How big are PODS storage containers?

The storage containers provided by PODS generally come in three, easy-to-understand sizes.

Their large, 16-foot containers are ideal for small families and two-bedroom homes.

Their medium, 12-foot containers are advertised as being well suited for one-bedroom homes and couples.

Their smallest, 8-foot containers are perfect for college students or studios.

Of course, you can always order a combination of containers depending on your storage and moving needs. What’s more, since PODS pride themselves on their flexible booking system, it’s very simple to have an additional container delivered swiftly if you find that the storage you’ve booked isn’t going to be big enough. Similarly, if you find you might have overdone it, simple have PODS come and take away any additional containers you no longer need.

How can you use PODS to help you store home items?

If you need somewhere to store your possessions for a longer period than just a house move, PODS also offer a flexible self storage service accessible across the country. Just as with their moving service, you can arrange for a POD container to be delivered directly to your home, where you can then pack it at your own leisure.

Once you’re ready for your belongings to be taken away, PODS will deliver them to a storage center of your choice, where your items will remain securely stored in their container and accessible by you at any time. If you want the container delivered back to your home, or to a new location, you can have PODS ship it without you having to lift a finger, once again using their advanced PODZILLA® technology to move your belongings safely from A to B. 

Since the PODS storage containers are weather-resistant and secure, you can also opt to have them on your property if you need temporary storage that’s accessible from your own backyard. The company also offer storage solutions for businesses who may need larger amounts of space and more long-term arrangements.

Are PODS storage containers safe?

The company are widely trusted and have prided themselves on providing safe, secure storage solutions for homeowners and house movers for more than 25 years. Their storage containers are advertised as being weather resistant, with a tough steel frame and locking doors. The PODZILLA® level-lift system is an advanced hydraulic system enabling PODS drivers to lift the containers on and off their trucks whilst keeping the contents level.

That being said, PODS do require their customers have insurance covering their belongings as well as the container they are stored in. This is similar to many removal and storage companies operating across the United States, the majority of which require customer items to be covered by insurance policies in case of accidents.

Insurance can be arranged through PODS at the time of booking, with customizable policies to cover a range of contents values and generally low excesses. Cheaper insurance to cover only the container can also be arranged through PODS for customers whose contents may already be covered by a pre-existing home insurance.

How much do PODS containers cost?

The price of PODS removal services depend on a range of factors, including shipping destinations, duration needed for the containers, and much more. For that reason, the company advise that you fill out an easy-to-complete quotation form in order to get an estimate tailored to your specific needs. Quoted costs usually include a month of container rental along with any shipping costs. There are many promotional codes available to save up to 10%.

Storage solutions are more transparent in their pricing, though the company still recommend that you request a specific quote in order to see location-specific estimates. As a general guide, storage prices start at around $149 a month for the smallest containers. Delivery and pick-up fees are usually $74.99, but in many instances can be waived depending on the duration of the container rental.

For many PODS services, your credit card will not be charged until 7 days before your desired storage period, allowing you to make changes to your booking at relatively short notice. The company recommend checking their full cancellation policy for further details.

Where does PODS operate?

PODS are proud to operate across the United States, with offices in almost all major metropolitan areas. There are currently more than 240 PODS storage centers spread throughout 46 different states. The company are also willing to work alongside local moving and storage firms to help find a solution to any moving needs you might have that fall outside of their usual areas of operation.