Now is the perfect time to get a jump start on spring cleaning and get ready for warmer weather, because when the temperatures begin to climb out of winter, you will want to be outside enjoying Spring and all it has to offer.

Here are 5 tips to streamline the process:

1. Declutter first, clean second. It’s a fact, we all collect “stuff.” Stuff we use, stuff we don’t. Stuff we want to keep, stuff we can do without. Organizing your belongings is really the first step in BEFORE you can even begin to clean.

2. Make no mistake, organizing takes time. Don’t take on too much at once or the process can be overwhelming. Try tackling one room at a time. Some rooms may take longer than others and that is to be expected. Perhaps clean out all the bathrooms first. Go through medicine cabinets and toss any expired medications and move on from there.

3. Tax season is here, are your files organized? The home office is one area where junk often piles up. While this space is used perform our duties we often are so busy we don’t have time to organize everything. Consider revamping your filing systems to ensure you can locate important documents at any time during the year. A few preventative steps can make a huge difference at tax time.

4. There are certain chores around the house that are done annually, often the tasks we dislike the most but know these need to be completed for the overall upkeep of our home. These may include replacing heating and/or air-conditioning vents and filters, removing and cleaning blinds or window treatments, emptying the refrigerator/freezer and cleaning each shelf, taking stock of your pantry and removing expired goods or power-washing the exterior of your home.

5. Pace yourself to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Rome wasn’t built in a day and your home doesn’t need to be cleaned top to bottom, inside and out in one day, either. It may take a few hours, days or even weeks but eventually the accomplishment of a clean home that is ready for Spring-time fun will be yours.

Dear PODS,

When moving my family of 9 (including 7 children) from one Upstate New York town to another, in the middle of winter, PODS® was the most logical choice.  The PODS® container was delivered, clean, on-time and gave us the ease of packing over a one month period.  About a week or so after receiving the container, I was sent an e-mail survey regarding my PODS experience.  I completed the survey and to my surprise WON a television.  It was the absolute best timing as we were moving to a much larger home and were in need of another television.  I hope to never move again...at least in the near future, but if I do...I would definitely use PODS again.  Who knows...I could be another survey winner!!!

Sincerely,

Carrie McIntyre

888.730.7637

Enter to Win

A $50 Gift Card to Lowes!

Comic George Carlin was right in his sketch about people having too much stuff. If you’ve never seen this particular routine, search for it on the Internet and you’ll get what I’m saying: We have too much stuff. I’m guilty of this sin and no matter how hard I try, it keeps piling up. I’m out of closet, garage and attic space. Stuff is overflowing and it’s creating chaos.

I need to donate or sell or trash (I mean, recycle) a lot of my stuff but I’m not ready for that yet. What I am ready for is extra storage, but I live in a private condo community and there is no extra garage or space to install a portable shed or anything like that.

Recently, I came across an advertisement for PODS®. These portable containers can be packed and stored in a local warehouse and not on my property. What a great solution!

When I called my local PODS office a nice lady explained how PODS works. Apparently, I am not the only person who has too much stuff. The technical term used in the industry she said is “de-cluttering.” There is a term for having too much stuff? Apparently! Great, more guilt.

In a nutshell, PODS provides a hassle-free solution to short or long-term storage that begins with the delivery of a container. The customer is responsible for filling it up and calling for back-up (I mean pick-up) and it’s off to the storage center for safe-keeping until I want all of my old stuff back.

Imagine my surprise and delight when my friend Darlene, who works at our local PODS^® Moving and Storage franchise, showed up to my office with a coffee caddy in hand filled with delicious goodness to get my day going… rich, bold coffee!

The PODS wrapping around the cardboard carrier gave me a giggle and is so ingenious for sales calls I just had to write about it because it looks like a PODS^® container! Darlene told me this is another cool way PODS caters to its customers and expresses appreciation for their business.

Sometimes attention comes by way of customer service representatives and sometimes it arrives on my driveway with helpful drivers of PODS trucks.

Today, it arrived in a coffee caddy.

No matter how people order their PODS^® container, (there are 3 sizes) it provides the perfect solution to moving and storage.

OK, time to bounce!  It’s time for my coffee break!

--The Moving Diva

Showing a home for sale is not as easy as it seems with many logistics to consider when placing it on the market. The goal, after all, is to make the move as smooth as possible. An innovative company called PODS Moving and Storage can help eliminate any clutter by safely storing belongings in a secure storage center.

Potential buyers have a tendency to look in every nook and cranny – in closets, cabinets, and under beds. Staging the home, and making it clutter-free, is now easier than ever with PODS. Follow these 5 steps to achieve home-showing success!

1.  Create more space. The bottom line when selling a home is to create the illusion that living areas are more spacious. Since buyers often envision their own furniture in homes they visit, showing plenty of floor and wall space to make the home feel bigger is a priority. You may love those two overstuffed recliners near the fireplace, but how does placement effect floor space? Place any large, bulky furniture in a PODS® container for safekeeping during this interim process.

2.  Spic and span. Clean the house from top to bottom and clear the clutter from countertops. It may be worthwhile to hire a cleaning company and keep your focus on other parts of the moving process. Are hallways filled with hanging picture frames? Keep a select few to highlight and pack the others carefully in a box for retrieval at a later date. Minimize items on display in other areas of the home as well – in the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living areas.

3.  Don’t forget the garage. While women tend to look at a kitchen first, men will head for the garage. Essentially another room, do not neglect cleaning up and de-cluttering the garage. Load all of the sports gear, motorcycles, bikes and seasonal décor in a PODS® container until needed again.

4.  Make an outstanding first impression. Lawns should be freshly cut, gardens weeded out and landscaping neatly manicured. It is always a bonus to have bright flowers or plants near the front door and fresh-cut flowers in vases around in rooms on open-house day.

5.  Let there be light. Light equals space. Open curtains and

blinds and clean windows, screens and skylights. Remove large furniture or wall units that block window views to a PODS® container and make sure all light fixtures have new, brightly burning bulbs.

PODS is the perfect solution to get ready for an open house. Store away  furniture, nick-knacks, and other items that make the home look cluttered.

PODS delivers a sturdy container conveniently to your home; pack on your schedule; PODS carefully stores the container in climate controlled storage facility; and when ready, we move the container to any location across town or across the country.

For more information, or to reserve a PODS® container, call 800-770-PODS or visit the website at www.podsus.com

Although PODS® service to more than 250 million people in 48U.S.states, we want to know how this innovative moving and storage solution has helped you.

Using PODS is the right way to store or move for homeowners, renters, business owners and realtors who are staging, decluttering or remodeling a home or office and need additional space short or long-term.

Here are a few tips to get started:

1. Staging and Decluttering. An essential process when placing a home on the market and may help to capture a higher selling price on the property. A PODS^® container can securely store belongings removed from the home until ready.

2. Downsizing. Need to downsize and don't have space in your new home? PODS^® solves this problem with safe and secure long-term storage solutions. Simply pack the PODS^® container and your precious belongings will be transported to a local climate controlled PODS Storage Center.

3. Building a Bridge. Many people find themselves in a period of transition, leaving one residence before another is ready for occupancy.  In these cases, PODS serves as a real estate bridge. Have a short escrow yet your new home has a longer one? This gap of time is where a PODS^® container comes in handy for Realtors and homeowners - storing belongings securely until the move date.

4. Local Moves

Realtors and homeowners count on PODS for quick, hassle-free local moves. No more worries about renting a truck and rushing on moving day because PODS allows you to pack and move at your own pace.

5. Long-Distance Moves. Packing an entire residence takes time. With PODS, there is no time limit, allowing containers to remain onsite as long as needed. PODS will transfer the container to your new home, anywhere in the country – on the day you need it!

To reserve a PODS^® container and schedule delivery to your door, call us today!

--The Moving Diva

movingdiva@gmail.com

Photo credit

Moving and storage methods have come a long way through the ages. Think about it, cave men stored their stuff in damp, dark caves. As a result, a Neanderthal‘s belongings had a short shelf life and interesting smells accompanying their stuff.

During the Middle Ages, stone was the name of the game. Large stone castles, churches and fortresses rose up in the center of every European town.  Again, cold and mold were problems for our medieval ancestors.

On to the Industrial Revolution. Metal was a game changer as builders discovered that steel, the world’s most versatile iron, makes things that last a lifetime.  Steel columns and beams were used to build railroads, train depots, factories and yes, even storage sheds. These huge sheds, designed to house trains, may have been the precursors to our modern PODS® moving and storage containers.

Fast forward 200+ years to 2012. Thanks to the innovations of our forward thinking ancestors, PODS® containers are still constructed using a steel frame.  We figure, why mess with success?

On top of that, they are versatile and come in three handy sizes - 7-by-7-by-8 feet, 12-by-8-by-8 feet and 16-by-8-by-8 feet. And talk about strength, the two largest sizes can withstand wind gusts of more than 110 mph when partially filled.

Whew, that blast from the past really wore us out. The solution is simple. Move and store with PODS!

Photo credit

Giving back to the community isn’t just good for business; it’s good for the heart. As the world’s largest provider of moving and storage services, we’ve made supporting our local communities a major part of our business model. Why do we do it? Because  the satisfaction we receive after helping an organization or family in need is worth much more than a bigger bottom line.

PODS Syracuse

This outstanding franchise knows what it takes to leave make a difference in the community. Ed O’Donnell, territory manager, regularly donates to events and organizations locally like the Syracuse Winter Fest, the North Syracuse Little League and many more! Check out the great thank you he received below on Facebook.

           “The North Syracuse Little League (NSLL) sends out a BIG thank you to Ed O'Donnell and P.O.D.S. of Syracuse for their support in our Skyway Park project. They donated a POD for storage for us. We are building bathrooms for the 350+ kids of the NSLL. Without his/their support, and others like them, we could never complete this project. Highly recommended, a class act, and they absolutely understand what it means to give back. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

PODS Boise

Alex Olson, territory manager, has worked with many nonprofits throughout the greater Boise area like the Meridian Valley Humane Society and the Idaho Food Bank. Alex is just one of many great PODS leaders that show others how easy it can be to give back to others.

So, what’s the point, you ask?… when we hear that because of our PODS^® containers, an organization was able to further its mission, or help more people, or we helped lessen someone’s stress … we know we’ve done our jobs. You see, we don’t donate our services for the recognition; we do it because we know we have a great product that many can benefit from, even those less fortunate.

So, the next time you drive by a PODS^® container or one of our many storage centers nationwide, remember there is a lot of pride in those 4 letters.  

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Let’s face it. Moving is stressful. The clutter, the cost, the boxes, the heavy lifting – it all adds up to what many experts consider to be one of life’s most stressful events. Although moving isn’t at the top of the list with death, divorce or losing a job, it is still enough to make us squeamish inside.

The experts know the same thing as anyone who has ever moved – that packing up and transporting your life from point A to point B is a challenge.  Even if you take the physical part out of the equation, moving disrupts your daily routine, separates you from family and friends, can upset the kids and oftentimes transports you to an unfamiliar place filled with unfamiliar people.

The Solution

At PODS, we do our very best to take the stress out of moving. From the first time you pick up the phone and call our customer service center to the last time we pick up and haul away your PODS® storage container, PODS is on your team.

Finding Your Perfect Match

Whether you are moving from a one bedroom studio or a multi storied mansion, we’ll help you choose the PODS® container that best suits your needs. Once delivered, there’s no need to rush. PODS is flexible - you pack at your own pace and on your own time.

Safety and Security

There’s peace of mind with PODS. You lock up your PODS® container and you keep the key.  When we deliver it to you, rest assured that everything is just where you left it – safe and secure.