Moving and Storage Tips for Military Families
Active men and women in service are always ready to go when duty calls. Once the permanent change of station (PCS) orders are received, it is essential to begin organizing your new housing situation immediately. New assignments can be an exciting time for family bonding and individuals going on new journeys. To keep stress low and excitement high, it’s critical to start the process by gathering information from the housing office concerning your new home and moving options.
No Clutter Left Behind
Once you settle your housing assignment, you can begin to organize what you can and cannot keep. Most PCS manuals recommend the Toss, Keep, Sell (or donate!) method. First, toss out what you don’t need by forming a pile of things you intend to throw away. In a separate area, put items you want to sell, then post an advertisement and have a yard sale.
You can’t take it, but WE CAN keep it!
When you’ve decided what to keep, its time to choose whats traveling with you to the new location or remaining in storage. Here are some factors to consider when deciding what should go and what should stay.
- The square footage of your new home may be less than the previous one
- Extra furniture items like chairs, a love seat or bar stools may not fit
- Downsizing from a two-story to a one story, or from a house to an apartment
- Moving to a warmer climate and wanting to avoid taking up closet space with winter clothing gear and accessories
- Moving to colder weather and wanting to avoid taking up space with summer clothing, activity accessories, and lawn equipment
- New housing could be fully furnished or partly furnished, which will affect which items you choose to bring
Active duty members are encouraged to photograph items and make an inventory to keep organized, but STASH already does this for you. After organizing your belongings into boxes, the stash crew will photograph everything and upload pictures into your virtual storage unit. Once you have the time and have arrived safely at your destination, you can browse your inventory and donate storage items directly from your account.
It’s Time to Leave!
Sometimes you have to move quickly to take advantage of housing availability on or near your new base. If you currently own your home, then you can decide to either rent or sell your property. Depending on what you decide, you may need to remove some or all of your furniture.
Sell
- Hire a realtor
- Remove some things and begin to depersonalize your home for potential buyers by packing up family photos and small mementos
- Remove all furniture. Time is limited, and if you’ve hired a realtor they’ll be working fast to get your home sold
Rent or Lease
- Hire a property manager
- Remove all furniture and use the Toss, Keep, Sell method
- Leave the majority of furniture for tenants and list as a fully furnished property
- Remove some furniture for tenants and list as a partly furnished property
No matter what you choose to do, STASH can help. If you decide to sell, we can hold on to decor and personal items while the realtor shows off your home. If you choose to rent, take what you need to your new home and leave the rest with us for safekeeping.
You’re Finally Home. But You DON’T Have to Wait for Your Stuff!
With thousands of active duty members across the globe, it can often be a long wait to receive items stored by the military after they return from deployment. When STASH clients return from their assignment, they can expect items returned the same week, if not the very same day that they arrive.
By safekeeping the most treasured items of our dedicated men and women in active service, we provide them with peace of mind while they’re away and ensure a pleasant experience upon their return.
To learn more about how STASH can ease your deployment transition, please visit stashstorage.com or sign up for an account today at my.stashstorage.com.
