Storage in modules vs. Storage in containers

What are storage modules?

Made from treated pinewood, modules are sturdy, breathable, mobile units that can be easily lifted and lowered from our flatbed trucks. The forklift then picks it up and stacks the module in the warehouse, storing it away for later. Because modules can be stacked, space is maximized inside the storage facility, which reduces the cost of warehousing.

Benefits of storing in modules

There are many benefits to storing your belongings in modules over a garage or storage units. One of the biggest advantages to using a module that is stored above ground is that it is safe from leaks and water damage that are not guaranteed with garage storage.

Storage units require loading and unloading at least four times, whereas modules are packed up once and unpacked once at the end of the storage period. Using a moving service means the truck has to be loaded up, driven to the storage unit, unpacked and packed into the unit properly, and then the reverse when you want the items back.

All that double handling increases the risk of damages and the time you are paying for. When using modules, you are guaranteed that what goes into the module will come out again. There is no time in the process when things can go missing. Once locked and stored away, your module cannot be accessed or broken into.

Downsides to storing in shipping containers

You may have been reminded of shipping containers with all this talk of modules. Essentially, they are the same idea: sturdy storage boxes that reduce handling. However, there are a number of ways shipping containers differ from modules.

Shipping containers are designed to be a sealed unit, which can foster mould and mildew. Modules, on the other hand, are designed with ventilation in mind, preventing mustiness. Shipping containers usually come in just two sizes: big and double that. This size can cause issues if your belongings do not fill it up. Nothing will be held in place, which may mean furniture and other items can move and be damaged. You also have to pay for all the space you do not use.

At a smaller size, modules can be filled easily, and if the leftover stuff can only fill half a second or third module, it will not rattle around at risk of breaking. Modules minimize wasted space.

Shipping containers are also too big to be stored in a warehouse and are left outside in the elements. This exposes them to extreme weather, which can cause cracks from expansion and contraction in humidity, and disfiguration from heat exposure.

Outside, just one pin hole in the roof of a container, or a bent door hinge can mean major damage to everything inside. With these small, unnoticeable deformations in the container, you might not see the extent of damage until you open it up again.

Which is better?

The deciding factor between modules and shipping containers comes down to the length of time you require mobile storage for, how much stuff you have, and your budget. Considering the above advantages and disadvantages of each box and the comparing prices for each should make the decision easier.

Whether you are storing your household belongings or business equipment, we recommend using our modules for security, convenience, and price. If you are not moving a whole house interstate on the flatbed of a train or shipping a whole lot of a product overseas, why use a shipping container?

Modules are brought right to your door. They are small enough to sit in your driveway. They are better ventilated than shipping containers because of their design and material. The metal of the shipping containers reacts to whatever temperature it is in, so the container can turn into an oven or freezer in extreme weather.

Shipping containers normally have a longer minimum rental period because of their size. They may be a better option for long-term commercial storage, but to the average person, they are too big and clumsy to maneuver. Modules are convenient and easy to place in storage because they do not take up too much space.

Because modules can be stacked on warehouse shelving, more of them can fit in one storage facility. This also means that they are all monitored 24/7 by the storage house’s security system, not just left in a graveyard of metal containers guarded with a chain-link fence.

The benefits of going with Vmove Storage Module

You have finally decided to start renovating the back of the house. You calculate it will take up to three months to complete, maybe more. The back room is a lounge you are extending to become an indoor-outdoor space, and you will build an additional small bathroom.

This means you have a modular lounge, two small coffee tables, three bookshelves, and an assortment of small items and boxes that you need to put into storage. You don’t have space for an onsite storage box that you pack yourself. Besides, the lounge and bookshelves are too big to move with your partner and no trolleys. The lounge also needs to be dismantled.

You call V-move Removals and Storage to get a quote. You saw on our website that you can get the items loaded into a storage module and taken away to a storage facility. The movers are expert removalists, with all the tools to dismantle and transport the furniture out of the house and into the module.

This experience is essential for the packing side of the job. The removalists know how to stack and fit everything so no space is wasted, and nothing is at risk of breaking. Vmove has calculated you only need one 10 cubic metres module, but they will bring two just in case.

On the day of the job, the movers park the truck and open up one module. They get to work quickly and while one dismantles the modular lounge, the other starts moving smaller items outside. Then, using trolleys they move the bookshelves out, and then carry the separate parts of the lounge.

The whole loading process takes an hour and only one module was needed. The team takes your furniture off to the warehouse facility to stack it neatly away for three months or so.

The price breakdown looks like this:

• $299 for loading
• $159 per month in storage
• $50 for disassembly of the lounge
• $150 call out fee

The module made from treated pine is well ventilated and does not conduct heat like metal would. The removalists packed it so that everything was secure and put moving blankets over the surfaces of furniture that could get scratched. In the storage facility, the module is kept off the ground and is under surveillance 24/7.

Once the renovations are complete in four months, you call Vmove Removals + Storage and request the module to be returned to you. V-move can accommodate returns at least 48 hours in advance. This flexibility allowed you to make sure the builders and painters were 100% finished before you called to arrange the redelivery.

The truck returned the module, and the team unloaded the furniture. The modular lounge was rebuilt and upon inspection you could not find a scratch on anything. Your belongings were only handled once when they were taken out of your home, and once when they were brought back in.

Overall, the expense of having the furniture taken away and brought back without hassle is well worth it. You even recommend Vmove storage modules to your parents who are looking to downsize in a few months.

How big do shipping containers get?

The standard size of a 20-foot shipping container is 33cbm. That’s three and a bit Vmove storage pods. Just getting that out to your house and finding adequate parking is a challenge.

Of course, shipping containers are the way to go if you are shipping things by ship. A 20-foot container can store 10 Australian standard pallets, however if you are shipping overseas, it is best to use standard pallets (1200mm x 1000mm), of which a container can fit eleven.

The standard size of a 40-foot shipping container is 66cbm. There are rarely options between the 20- and 40-foot containers, making the likelihood of getting just the right size storage unit for your items a lot more difficult.

Downsides to storing in a garage

Got a lot you need to get out of the house but don’t know where the best place is to put them? You might consider storing your belongings in your parent’s garage, but this free option can end up costing you your sanity.

How do you avoid arguing over whose fault it was when items go missing? Or when everything gets dirty and dusty or eaten away by rats or covered in bird droppings? Don’t even mention rust from the damp, a cockroach infestation, or a blanket of cobwebs.