Mobile storage units can ease strain of moving
Versatile system offers many options during what can be a trying experience
If you like to move it, move it — as the song goes — this is your weekend. According to BigSteelBox, a Western Canada-based provider of mobile storage solutions, Canada’s busiest moving day of the year is June 30. “It’s pretty crazy, it really is,” said Joel McComeau, BigSteelBox’s Edmonton branch manager, who points out that they will be busy this weekend as clients have booked in advance. “There’s a couple of different factors why it’s that busy on the June 30th weekend. One is that it is the end of the school year and parents don’t want to disrupt their children’s education. “Another reason we found out is the weather — there is no snow or ice to worry about. “We also found out that property taxes and rental leases come due at that time, and then the Canada Day long weekend gives them an extra day to deal with what they have to.” Albertans, according to a BigSteelBox survey of 500 Albertans conducted using Google Surveys in May 2019, find moving to be more stressful than starting a family or planning a wedding. Meanwhile, 59 per cent of Albertans are moving into homes or duplexes rather than condos. But what are Edmontonians doing? “We are seeing a lot of homeowners moving into new residential areas,” said McComeau. “We’ve noticed a little bit of a decrease of city to city moves just currently with the economy.” Neighbourhoods like Chappelle in the southwest, and Laurel in The Meadows in the southeastern part of the city and new developments in the west end are proving quite popular with BigSteelBox users, said McComeau, as well as moves within the north side. And McComeau notes that Edmontonians are also in step with their Albertan counterparts in terms of moving into homes or duplexes over condos. “We find a lot of our clients are buying new houses, maybe starter homes, that’s a very big section of our clientele,” said McComeau, who stated that there is a BigSteelBox niche for everyone.
“We definitely see a lot of movement with the baby boomers who are retiring and moving to different locations throughout the country so that is definitely a big part of our business, as well.
“With people typically who are elderly, they’re usually downsizing because they have to go into a smaller location and a lot of times they don’t want to get rid of their contents because they don’t have the space for it so they use our BigSteelBox for storage.”
Non Traditional
BigSteelBox is not your traditional moving company.
They will transport your belongings from one destination to another. Or they’ll store your stuff. But that is where the similarities end.
They deliver a storage container in advance — sizes vary depending on your need — and you pack the container. The containers are wind, water and rodent proof, said McComeau.
They’ll then store, move it or leave it in place depending on your needs. For example, during an extensive home renovation, you can move your contents into the container, keep it on site such as on your driveway, and unload it once the renovation is complete.
McComeau notes that they have seen an increase in use and interest in their moving and storage model, pointing out that with a onemonth rental term, BigSteelBox makes it easier for a homeowner to plan, pack and unpack at their own pace.
Catc hing On
It was all about timing. Southside resident Melissa Player and her family were building a new custom home in Windermere; it would be ready in December 2018.
But it was July and while they had found temporary living quarters for the five months in question, they needed a solution for their large furniture and other possessions.
Player turned to social media for recommendations. She did her research, asked questions and ended up selecting BigSteelBox.
“In the end, I was happier with their responses so BigSteelBox won our business,” said Player, who also found that BigSteelBox had very competitive pricing.
Player used another mover to pack and load the container, as well as unload when it was delivered to the new house, noting that professional movers pack vans or containers in such a way — like putting together a puzzle as she described it — so that furniture and boxes were almost interlocked in order to prevent the contents from shifting, falling or breaking while they were transported to BigSteelBox for storage, and then delivered to their new home.
“They were really good,” added Player. “They were really good about ensuring it was delivered on time and dropped off properly. It went as smoothly as a move can go, I suppose.”
Most customers still need some help on the actual moving day, said McComeau.
“It’s usually friends and family, but it’s also common to hire movers to help load and unload the heavier furniture and last-minute items.”