The last time I moved, I collected boxes from the cardboard recycling dumpster outside a Family Dollar store. As I was digging through the dumpster full of cardboard, I thought about how many places all these boxes had probably been and how dirty they were. There must be a better way to move, I thought. It seems I wasn’t the only one thinking that!
A new Chicago start-up is providing an alternative to cardboard boxes for moving day. Redi-box rents plastic bins for your packing and moving needs. Although currently only available in the Chicagoland area, I can see this concept growing to a wider market.
Renting the boxes from Redi-Box seems fairly easy. First, you estimate how many boxes you think you'll need to pack up all your belongings. The boxes are approximately 27”w x 17”d x 12.5”h and there's a guide on the Redi-Box website to help you decide how many boxes you might need based on home size. Once you place the order, Redi-Box will deliver empty, clean plastic boxes to your door. You then use the boxes to pack up your belongings and then move them to your new home. After the move, you unpack like you normally would and then Redi-Box will come to your new home and pick up the empty boxes.
There are a couple of great side benefits to using this service. First of all, with the great return of the dreaded bedbug I'm not as willing to dig empty cardboard boxes out of dumpsters. Secondly, knowing that Redi-Box will be back in two weeks to pick up the plastic bins would give you initiative to unpack everything. You'd be far less likely to shove the boxes into the corner after moving day.
For more information on Redi-Box, check out their website.
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We got our boxes off freecycle. We would have freecycled them again afterwards but they were pretty ratty by then, so we recycled them.
In our small london flat, having all the plastic boxes hanging around would have been pretty annoying, but I can see this working for some people. Maybe they should also have the option of collapsible ones.
I used to have a couple boxes similar to those - if they're the same, then they easily stack inside each other when empty. So even a ton of boxes wouldn't take up much space when you're done.
I bet you can call them to pick up the boxes earlier too.
Anyway, I think a lot of cities offer this now, so don't feel left out if you're not in Chicago.
Bins like these usually stack tightly.
If you're not lucky enough to live in a city that does this, you can often borrow or buy the exact same boxes from grocery or convenience stores. They stack together when you're done for easy storage, or you can just bring them back or drop them off to a thrift store.
I've used these crates for a commercial move and they are awesome!! The next time we do a residential move, I'm adding a little moving budget to rent these...a little extra money, but better than scrambling around for boxes!
In central Ohio, you can try: http://www.ecopackrental.com/about.html
We had a similar service for our office move in DC a couple of years ago, so I bet there are other companies in this business.
Every time I've moved in the last few years I've bought myself a couple of the big Rubbermaid bins, I've been lucky enough not to need to have everything packed at the one time and moved on the same day, so I usually just pack and unpack as I go back and forth between places. When I'm not moving they double as laundry baskets and pet beds.
Does anyone know of a service like this in NYC? I'm moving soon and would love to use these instead of cardboard.
I have used Rent-a-Crate several times and they are awesome - http://www.rentacrate.com/
To me, the best part is that because you have to give the crates back, it is a huge incentive to get them unpacked fast and get yourself settled. For others, this may be a drawback. Consider crating only the things you will open right away - for storage type items, put them in plastic bins that you own.
I'm moving this summer and would love an option like this. Does anyone know of a similar company in Minneapolis?
I think this is a great idea. But I just looked up a company that does this in my area and the total would be $109 for a single bedroom's worth of boxes for one week! That seems...umm...excessive.
If you're in Vancouver, BC; Toronto, ON or Seattle, WA - I thoroughly recommend a company called Frogbox. Great service, no making up boxes or breaking them down after...then they collect them. Saves lots of time.
These look great! (Although I am hunkered down in my new house, hoping never ever to move again!) (Meanwhile my partner keeps saying "in our NEXT house, we should do this or that..." )
We used a mix of free boxes (mainly form the local liquor stores) and purchased boxes from Home Depot (cheaper than the U-Haul boxes.)
The good ones were reused by other movers to whom we passed them on, and the liquor store boxes were recycled.
One of the most scary things about our move was watching some "College Bound Movers" pick up too many liquor store boxes (which don't have sturdy tops) in a stack! I (being puny) could barely life one of those full of books, but the men would lift three or four -- and they were way too squishy for that! So I don't recommend those boxes unless you are hauling stuff yourself and just need containers for lifting, not for storage or stacking.
I don't like the idea of paying for boxes I don't get to keep or reuse. This would be something useful for a moving company to offer as part of their service though.
My family invested is some rubbermaid tubs that stack nicely. When anyone has to move (like my sister and I to college) we borrow some and return them to the bunch when we're done. They travel better in a pickup truck and work better for long-term storage in a unit or a shed than cardboard boxes.
maybe i am in the minority here, but i like unpacking like, the weekend i move, for the most part. i've never lived in a place where i straight up leave packed boxes for weeks on end untouched.
I used to have about 16 of those totes that I "borrowed" from retail management job many years ago. They got me through four moves (especially great for things like china). After my move into a 380 sqft studio, I had no place to store them, and they had to go. I wish I had them back.
We did our entire move with Rubbermaid totes we got on sale and a dozen file storage boxes. We have not thrown a single one away, and I think we may have spent about $100 on moving supplies for our three bedroom abode. No tape needed!
jenawithonen, I'm also an unpacker right away. I often pick one room and unpack until it looks like itself, and then spend the next few unpacking like crazy.
I typically get all my boxes undone within a week. I'd consider boxes like these if they were offered by the movers, and if they weren't too expensive.
Backpacks. Especially if you have to move a short distance from a stairs-only building or dorm.
We borrowed a bunch of Peyton containers from my husband's work when we moved. I LOVED them. They're pretty much exactly like those containers. I would suggest them to anyone and everyone.
I'm in the process of moving and highly recommend karmaboxes in the Seattle area.
Me and my dad have moving down to a science using Rubbermaid tote type containers and paper bags.