Storage Unit Moves in New Lenox, IL
Loading into or emptying out of self storage in Mokena, New Lenox and Joliet, including the in between moves when closing dates do not line up.
Storage is where a move goes when the dates do not cooperate. You close on the sale a week before you close on the purchase, or the apartment is not ready, or the house sold faster than anybody planned and the family needs somewhere to put a household for two months. We do a lot of these runs to the self storage facilities in Mokena, New Lenox and along the Joliet corridor. The job is either loading a unit properly the first time, emptying one that somebody else packed badly, or the two halves of a staged move a few weeks apart. All of it is hourly, and the packing discipline matters more here than it does on a normal move because things sit.
Serving New Lenox, Frankfort, Mokena, Joliet, Manhattan, Lockport, Homer Glen, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Plainfield, Shorewood, Crest Hill and nearby.
Hourly rates posted, two hour minimum
Blankets, wrap, dollies and runners included
Same crew that quotes the job carries it
Card, cash, Zelle or Venmo when the job is done
What Is Included
Packing a unit you will have to walk into later
A storage unit packed for maximum square footage is a unit you cannot use. The most common regret we hear is from people who filled one wall to ceiling, then needed the box of winter coats that ended up behind a dresser and a mattress. When we load a unit we build to the back wall in tiers, keep a walkway down one side, and put the things you are most likely to want within reach of the door.
Everything comes off the concrete. Slabs sweat, particularly in spring and fall, and a cardboard box sitting directly on one for three months will wick moisture up through the bottom. Pallets, boards or even a sheet of plastic under the first row solves it. Upholstered furniture gets shrink wrapped, mattresses get bagged, and nothing porous goes against an exterior wall.
Size matters less than people think. A 10x10 with a smart load holds more usable stuff than a 10x15 stacked like a landfill. If you are not sure what to rent, tell us the room count and we will give you an honest guess before you sign the lease.
Emptying a unit somebody else filled
Half our storage calls are the other direction. Somebody has been paying $140 a month for four years for a unit they have not opened, or a family is clearing out a relative's unit, or a lease is up on Friday and the facility does not do extensions. Those jobs are usually faster than loading, since we are carrying rather than solving, but they can be dirtier and heavier than expected, especially if boxes have been sitting on a wet slab.
Tell us up front what is happening on the other end. Sometimes it all goes to a house. Sometimes half goes to a house and half is genuinely trash, and if that is the case, sorting on the concrete before it hits the truck saves you money instead of paying us to carry things twice.
Facilities have their own quirks. Gate hours, elevator access on interior units, a dock that everybody wants at the same time on the first Saturday of the month. Give us the gate code and the unit number when you book and we will plan the start time around the facility rather than around us.
Staging between two closings
This is the classic Will County scenario. You are selling a house in New Lenox and buying one in Frankfort, and the two closings are eleven days apart. The move becomes two jobs: house into storage now, storage into the new house later. Each one is hourly and each one gets quoted on its own, but the second one is almost always shorter, because a unit we loaded is a unit that comes out fast.
When we know a load is going into storage and coming back out, we pack it differently. Furniture that would normally be reassembled at the destination stays broken down. Boxes are stacked by destination room rather than by origin room, so the second half of the move sorts itself. Hardware bags get taped to the pieces they came off instead of riding in a tote.
If the second date is not locked yet, book us anyway with a rough week. We would rather hold a soft date and adjust than have you calling on a Tuesday for a Thursday move at the end of June.
What It Costs
Storage work is hourly, and which end of the range you land on comes down to the walk from the truck to the door and how well the unit was packed.
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Two movers and the truck | $150 per hour, two hour minimum |
| Small unit, 5x5 or 5x10, loaded or emptied | $300 to $450 |
| 10x10 or 10x15 unit, loaded or emptied | $450 to $750 |
| House into storage, then storage into the new house | Two jobs, each quoted on its own |
| Labor only, you already have a truck at the facility | $120 per hour, two movers |
The flat $50 travel fee applies inside the core area, and it is charged once per job, not once per stop. Interior units on an upper floor take longer because of the elevator, but there is no stair or elevator fee. Give us the facility, the gate code and the unit number when you book. Call or text (815) 763-8200 and we will tell you honestly what size unit your house will need.
Get a Same-Day Estimate
Call or text with both addresses, the date, and photos of the big pieces. We reply the same day with movers, hours, and a total at the rates on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size storage unit do I need?
A one bedroom apartment usually fits a 5x10. A two bedroom needs a 10x10, and a three bedroom house is generally a 10x15 or 10x20. A well packed smaller unit beats a badly packed bigger one, so tell us your room count before you sign anything and we will give you a straight answer.
Can you move me into storage now and out later?
Yes, and it is one of our most common jobs when closings do not line up. They are booked as two separate hourly jobs. The second one is usually shorter, because a unit we packed comes out in order.
Do you need me to be at the storage facility?
Someone with gate access does, at least to let us in. After that, if you would rather leave and come back, we will send photos of the packed unit and lock it back up. Bring your own lock, since the facility ones are usually a purchase.
Will my furniture be safe sitting in a unit through the winter?
Mostly, with two precautions. Get everything up off the concrete, since slabs sweat, and shrink wrap or bag anything upholstered. A climate controlled unit is worth the extra cost for wood furniture, electronics and anything with leather.
Can you empty a unit and take some of it straight to the dump?
We can separate it at the unit and take the keepers where they are going. Disposal we handle by pointing you toward a hauler rather than pretending it is part of a moving job. Sorting before it goes on the truck always saves you money.