Have you seen a ''PODZILLA®?''

The first time I heard of a ''PODZILLA^®'' I thought it was the title of the latest Marvel Comics flick. Turns out, it's a powerful piece of equipment that can literally carry you house. Ok, well, the contents of your house. In a PODS^® container. You know, one of those portable moving and storage containers you see around town on the back of a truck or in your neighborhood? I have seen plenty of them, but never one in action. Imagine my luck when a few days later a PODS® container was delivered two streets over from my house. I know, right? Jackpot!

The PODZILLA didn’t scale two-story houses in a single bound but it was expertly lifted off the trailer by the PODS driver who used a wireless remote to maneuver the container. He told me the process was a patented hydraulic lift system that minimizes shifting by keeping the container level during loading and unloading and was affectionately known as PODZILLA.

It was a Saturday so kids from the neighborhood (and my sons, too) watched in awe. Even grown-ups were amazed at the delicate balance of this big rectangular storage container. Dork that I am I can’t even work my Wii controllers so this was cool to watch.

It was parked in the driveway for about a week until PODS came back to pick it up. Turns out the homeowners are renovating their entire downstairs and used the PODS® container to store all of their furniture to keep it clean and dry. I'll bet there are a million uses for PODS, and I’m sure I will think of 999,999 more (okay, maybe less) to entertain you.

It Moves, It Stores, It Delivers! It’s PODS®!

I drive about 12 miles to and from work. There is a FedEx distribution center halfway between. So yesterday, out of nowhere 6 – count them 6! FedEx trucks are sharing on the highway with me. No UPS or DHL trucks – all FedEx trucks – each following the other to deliver the goods to homes across the city.

With FedEx, little packages are delivered on time. With PODS^®, big things are delivered on time and on your schedule – across town or across the country. 

But if you’re not ready to receive Suzy’s princess bed, Dad’s workbench, Christopher’s BMX bicycle or your entire collection of Rachael Ray cookware, remember PODS can store all of your precious belongings in a clean, bright, secure PODS Storage Center until you say “Bring it!”

Let PODS move, store and deliver all the good things your home is made of. There are three sizes of PODS^® containers to fit the contents of your home. The largest, 12×16-feet, will transport an average 3-bedroom home. Learn more at mylocalpods.com

There may be 192 uses for soybean pods but there are countless ways to use a PODS® container!

I read recently that the American Soybean Association counts 192 edible or non-edible uses for the soybean.

Soybeans are apparently everywhere! Once pounded out of the flesh and pressed for oil they add substance to some of our most common food items and other everyday products such as soy-based ink used in newspapers.

PODS^® containers are everywhere, too, with countless ways to move, store, relocate and provide onsite storage for charitable events and so much more!

PODS^® is the perfect ingredient for the perfect move every time – without the help of Julia Childs.

What Not To Do With Your Luxury Sedan In 2012

 

Ok, is it just me, or is it a little strange to see a luxury sedan pulling a moving trailer filled to the brink, riding super low on the back axel springs.

It happened, and it took a moment for my brain to comprehend this ghastly sight. Then I took a picture, because, well – I was there!

At the max, this was a 6-cylinder engine pulling this monstrosity of a trailer, changing lanes right smack in front of me. A tall oak television cabinet was balanced between two mattresses, lamps toppled back and forth outside the rails and there was an overstuffed chair for grandpa to take a nap in.

Yeah. I rolled my eyes. Did you think I wouldn’t?

Two words: PODS^® container.

That is all.

Email your moving pet peeves to me at movingdiva@gmail.com.

It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood with PODS®

I have new neighbors. I know because the house down the block has been vacant for at least one year and this morning there was a big, white PODS^® container in the driveway with a half-dozen people unloading home furnishings and personal belongings from the back of it.

Although I haven’t introduced myself with my famous fiesta chili beans as a welcome gift in hand, I feel like we already have a common bond – we both used PODS to move!

So really, how bad can they be?

Tell me your story. Do you take new neighbors a welcoming gift?

Email it to movingdiva@gmail.com.

A Perfect Cup of Coffee, Courtesy of PODS®

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

How did you flip your house? Tell PODS your story.

Although PODS offers service to more than 250 million people in 48 U.S., 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 1-800-776-PODS (7637) or visit the Web site at http://www.PODS.com

–The Moving Diva

movingdiva@gmail.com

Short of parking space, my neighbor parks his Triumph in a PODS® container

One of the rising stars of car storage today are car pods, large cargo trailers delivered to your home and placed on the property.

A bit of an eyesore, don’t you think? I think so too.

That’s why my neighbor Walt came up with a brilliant solution to keep his classic 1965 Triumph convertible save and secure – and off of his driveway.

Walt took a few measurements of his little red beauty and determined it would fit quite nicely in a PODS^® moving and storage container. Indeed, it did.

Since PODS are only about 7 ½-8-feet feet wide, large cars or trucks will not fit inside. However, the Triumph is a smaller European car, so this scenario works.

Off of his property, Walt’s little red Triumph is safe and secure at a local PODS^® storage center a few miles away. When the sun returns he will drive it out of the storage center and cruise around the village with his comb-over blowing in the breeze, smiling ear to ear.

Another classic, brought to you by PODS. Visit our website at mylocalpods.com and get a quote today.

The Moving Diva

movingdiva@gmail.com

Out of Room? Consider Long-Term Storage As An Option

Many people today are in need of options to store excess belongings, whether downsizing to a smaller home, transferring to new location, decluttering to make a home ready for sale, inviting family to visit or just have too much stuff and not enough space.

To get the most out of long term storage, here are 5 tips:

1. Plan ahead to reduce chaos, relieve stress and ensure the process goes smoothly. Keep a list of items you are storing and clearly label each box.

2. Take advantage of PODS^® storage containers. These clean storage containers are delivered directly to you so you can take your time packing the container before PODS transports it back its local storage facility.

3. Determine the size of storage space you need. PODS^® containers come in three sizes: 8x7x7, 8x8x12 and 8x8x16. A small unit is great for storing contents of a one-bedroom apartment or office, where a larger unit can hold the contents of a larger home.

4. If you need to dismantle furniture, keep all hardware, nuts and bolts in a clearly labeled plastic bag or container and keep with the item for easy reassembly.

5.  PODS^® is ready when you are. The beauty of storing your belongings with PODS is they can deliver all of your belongings right back to your door  a week, a month, a year or more!

Got a helpful tip? Send it to me and we will feature it on our Facebook page. Email tips to: movingdiva@gmail.com

5 Essential Open House Tips

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 that servicesVentura and Santa Barbara counties, 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 800-776-PODS or visit the local website at www.mylocalpods.com