Getting the Guest Room Back Before Thanksgiving: A One-Weekend Plan

Thanksgiving is the deadline that finally gets the guest room dealt with. The boxes from the move, the exercise bike, the file cabinets from the old office — all of it has been living in the one room the in-laws are about to sleep in. Here is the version of this job that takes one weekend and no rental truck.

Friday: book it

Call or get a quote and tell us one thing: what is in the room. A bedroom’s worth of boxes and furniture is a 5x8 at $109 a month. If the garage is coming along for the ride, an 8x12. We deliver next day in most of Los Angeles and Orange County, and we place the unit by remote control — the mule walks it up the driveway and sets it where you point, so a tight driveway or a sloped one is not a problem.

Saturday morning: sort, don’t pack

Before anything goes in a box, make four zones on the floor:

• Stays in the house — things you will actually use before January.
• Goes in the container — everything you want back, just not now.
• Donate — a pickup from a charity is usually a week out; book it today.
• Trash — be honest. The broken printer is not coming back.

The rule that makes this work: if you have not opened it since the move, it goes in the container unopened. Sorting it is a January problem.

Saturday afternoon: load

Heavy and flat things first, along the walls — the file cabinets, the desk, the bike. Boxes next, heaviest on the bottom, labeled on two sides. Soft things last, filling gaps. Leave the things you might need near the door. The method is in how to load a storage container so nothing breaks.

A 5x8 is a two-hour load for two people. An 8x12 is an afternoon.

Sunday: make it a room

Vacuum, make the bed, put a lamp on the nightstand. You will be surprised how much of a guest room was already there under the boxes.

After the holidays

The container sits in the driveway month to month, locked, dry, with 24/7 access. When the family has gone home and you have the energy, sort it — or call us and we come get it, as is, and take it to our Gardena warehouse until you want it back. No second move, no rental truck.

What it costs

• 5x8 — one room’s worth. $109/mo at your place, $149/mo in our warehouse.
• 8x12 — a small apartment. $199/mo at your place, $269/mo in our warehouse.
• 8x16 — most two- to three-bedroom homes; first month 50% off at your place, then our standard rate.
• 8x20 — a full house or a commercial job. $299/mo at your place, $379/mo in our warehouse.

Delivery is a one-time fee quoted up front, the damage waiver is $10 a month, no contract. Two months of a 5x8 is less than a hotel room for the in-laws.

Book before the 15th

The week before Thanksgiving is one of our busiest. If you want a Saturday delivery before the 22nd, call this week and we will hold the date.