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How to Get Your Belongings Back

 
This is the part of your Box-n-Go journey where you get your belongings back. Depending on the service you’re using, there may be slightly different options and steps to follow. Here are the services you may be using — click a service name to jump to the specific instructions for your option:

Box-n-Go Storage & Moving - as Easy as 1-2-3

1

We Deliver

2

We Pick Up

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We Store or Move

Store on your driveway or inside our secure facility. Load/unload only once. Ground level access.

Facility storage using our storage containers

When you’re ready for your belongings, there are two ways to get them back: we can deliver your storage container(s) back to you, or you can come pick everything up at our warehouse. Either way, plan ahead — our service is first come, first served and schedules book up. For a return delivery, reserve it about 7 to 10 days before your preferred date to be sure we have availability. You can schedule online at boxngo.com/my-account/ or by phone at (877) 269-6461.
 

Most Popular Sizes

Box-n-Go - XXL

20’ Container – all weather.
Perfect for 3-bedroom residence.
5-7 rooms, furniture, appliances, etc.

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Outside:

20’ L x 8’ W x 7.5’ H

Inside:

231” L x 90” W x 83.5” H

Door Opening:

68” W x 74” H

Capacity:

1000 Cu. Ft. or 7,000 LBS

Clear Req’d:

22’ L x 8.5’ W x 8’ H

Box-n-Go - XL

16’ Container – all weather.
Perfect for 2-bedroom residence.
3-5 rooms, furniture, appliances, etc.

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Outside:

16’ L x 8’ W x 7.5’ H

Inside:

189” L x 90” W x 83.5” H

Door Opening:

68” W x 74” H

Capacity:

821 Cu. Ft. or 5,800 LBS

Clear Req’d:

18’ L x 8.5’ W x 8’ H

Box-n-Go

8’ Container – all weather.
Flex – works for any need.
Each fits 1-1.5 rooms.

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Outside:

8’ L x 5’ W x 7.3’ H

Inside:

93” L x 57” W x 78” H

Door Opening:

47” W x 78” H

Capacity:

240 Cu.Ft or 2 ,000 LBS

Clear Req’d:

8.5’ L x 8.5’ W x 8.5’ H

 
A few important things to know:

• Think about where you’d like your storage container placed. It’s the same as when we first delivered it to you, so when you reserve, give us clear notes on exactly where to set the storage container(s) and which way the door should face.
• Heads up: any outstanding balance and fees are charged 1 to 2 business days before your delivery.
• Lost the keys to your padlock? We may be able to help — just ask your driver at the time of delivery. A fee applies, and you’ll need to show a photo ID.
• Need to put some items back into storage? We can help with that, too. Box-n-Go offers discounted long-term storage plans and five storage container sizes, so we can fit almost any need.
• Before we pick up an empty storage container, please make sure it’s completely empty, broom-swept, and unlocked — take your padlock off, since you hold the only key. Don’t leave any belongings or trash inside, as anything left behind may be subject to a fee, and keep the path to the storage container clear so our driver can reach it.

• Once we’ve picked up your empty storage container(s), we’ll remove them from your account and close it out, if that’s the last of your storage with us. If your account isn’t subject to a minimum charge or a term commitment, we’ll prorate it and refund any remaining balance back to you.
• Need a hand unloading? We can schedule a moving crew to help you — learn more here.
• Want to make unloading easier? We rent hand trucks — just ask when you schedule and we’ll have one ready for you.
• Want our professional tips for settling into a new home? Read more here.
• Prefer to come to us? You can pick up your belongings at our warehouse instead of waiting for a redelivery — or just stop in for a few things. It’s by appointment: book online or by phone, and schedule as far ahead as you can. The shortest notice we can take is by noon the business day before (for next-business-day access). We’ll have your storage container pulled out at ground level and ready when you arrive.

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On-Site Storage using our storage containers

With on-site storage, your storage container has been right there at your place the whole time — so when you’re ready to wrap things up, start by scheduling the pickup. Because our service is first come, first served and schedules book up in advance, reserve your pickup date about 7–10 days out to be sure you get the day you want. Then simply unload everything in time for that date, so the storage container is empty and ready when our driver arrives. You can schedule online at boxngo.com/my-account/ or by phone at (877) 269-6461.

A few important things to know:

• Lost the keys to your padlock? Give us a call — we may be able to help. A fee applies, and you’ll need to show a photo ID.
• Need to keep some items in storage? We can help with that, too. Box-n-Go offers discounted long-term storage plans and five storage container sizes, so we can fit almost any need.
• Before we pick up your empty storage container, please make sure it’s completely empty, broom-swept, and unlocked — take your padlock off, since you hold the only key. Don’t leave any belongings or trash inside, as anything left behind may be subject to a fee, and keep the path to the storage container clear so our driver can reach it.
• Once we’ve picked up your empty storage container(s), we’ll remove them from your account and close it out, if that’s the last of your storage with us. If your account isn’t subject to a minimum charge or a term commitment, we’ll prorate it and refund any remaining balance back to you.
• Need a hand unloading? We can schedule a moving crew to help you — learn more here.

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Local self Moving using our storage containers

With a self-move, your steps are usually scheduled up front when you book — including the redelivery of your loaded storage container(s) to your new place. To check on or change that delivery, just give us a call at (877) 269-6461. If your move included a storage period (we held your loaded storage container between homes) and the new-place delivery still needs to be set, scheduling it works just like a storage return: because our service is first come, first served and schedules book up in advance, reserve it 7–10 days ahead of your preferred date to be sure we have availability — online at boxngo.com/my-account/ or by phone.

Our Services

Personal & Business Storage

Student Storage

Local & Nationwide Moving

Packing & Loading Help

Moving Boxes & Supplies

A few important things to know:

• Think about where you’d like your storage container placed at the new address. When you confirm your delivery, give us clear notes on exactly where to set the storage container(s) and which way the door should face.
• Heads up: any outstanding balance and fees are charged 1 to 2 business days before your delivery.
• Lost the keys to your padlock? We may be able to help — just ask your driver at the time of delivery. A fee applies, and you’ll need to show a photo ID.
• Need a hand unloading? We can schedule a moving crew to help you — learn more here.
• Want to make unloading easier? We rent hand trucks — just ask when you schedule and we’ll have one ready for you.
• Before we pick up your empty storage container, please make sure it’s completely empty, broom-swept, and unlocked — take your padlock off, since you hold the only key. Don’t leave any belongings or trash inside, as anything left behind may be subject to a fee, and keep the path to the storage container clear so our driver can reach it.
• Once we’ve picked up your empty storage container(s), we’ll remove them from your account and close it out, if that’s the last of your storage with us. If your account isn’t subject to a minimum charge or a term commitment, we’ll prorate it and refund any remaining balance back to you.
• Moving into a new home? See our professional tips for settling in — read more here.

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Student storage — A la carte valet service

With A la Carte, you don’t lift a thing — when you’re ready, our crew brings your belongings to your new address and carries them inside for you. Just log in and schedule the delivery to your new address; you can update the address any time, right up until delivery. Because our service is first come, first served and schedules book up — especially around the busy back-to-school season — reserve your delivery 7–10 days ahead of your preferred date to be sure we have availability. You can schedule online at boxngo.com/my-account/ or by phone at (877) 269-6461.

A few important things to know:

• Someone needs to be there. On delivery day, you (or another adult you trust) should be at the new address to let the crew in and point them to the right rooms.
• Heads up: any outstanding balance and fees are charged 1 to 2 business days before your delivery.
• Need something before then? You can arrange access to your belongings at our facility by appointment — book online or by phone, and schedule ahead. Because your items are stored inside our vaults, we need at least 2 to 3 business days’ notice to pull the vault and sort out your items, and a warehouse handling fee applies.
• Once your belongings are delivered, we’ll close out your account. A la Carte service isn’t prorated.

Need your belongings shipped somewhere instead? If you’re not staying local, we can ship your items rather than deliver them — it just takes a few extra steps:

1. Tell us what you’d like shipped and where it’s going.
2. We pull your items from the vault and weigh them.
3. We send you a quote based on the weight and destination.
4. Once you give us the go-ahead, we ship everything out.

This shipping option is subject to a warehouse handling fee.

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Local full service moving (via a third party partner)

With full-service moving, our partner’s crew does the heavy lifting — they deliver your belongings and carry them right into your new home. For a straight move (with no storage in between), the delivery happens the same day as your pickup, so there’s little for you to do beyond showing the crew where everything goes.

A few things that help the day go smoothly:

• Be there — or have an adult you trust there — to let the crew in, point them to the right rooms, and check your belongings as they come off the truck. Note any damage on the delivery paperwork before you sign it, while the crew is still there — signing clean can waive a later claim.
• Tipping the crew is customary and always appreciated, though never required.
• Settling into your new home? See our professional tips — read more here.
• Floor and door protection is available from the crew on request — an optional add-on some customers like, for an extra charge.
• Local moves are charged by the hour, so payment is collected when your move is complete — the total depends on the hours worked and how many boxes are used, and can’t be settled until everything’s done. The crew may ask for payment before they unload.

What the crew does — and doesn’t do:

• They’ll reassemble the furniture they took apart, and they take their moving blankets and wardrobe boxes back to re-use. If you’d like to keep any of them, you’ll be charged the retail cost of each.
• They can pack your boxes for an added cost — but unpacking is usually left to you, which is a simple way to keep costs down.
• They’ll take your TVs down, but won’t mount or reconnect them.
• Appliances need to be disconnected before the move and reconnected afterward by a professional — this is called appliance service, and the moving crew doesn’t do it.

Did your move include a storage period?

If we held your belongings for a few days or months between homes, you have two ways to get them to your new place:

• Have your storage containers delivered to your new address. This works just like a storage return above — reserve 7–10 days ahead, send us your placement notes, and we’ll bring them to you.
• Have the movers pick up from our facility. Our partner’s crew collects your belongings from our warehouse and delivers them to you; this pickup is scheduled according to our warehouse rules. Because your storage containers are emptied at the facility, each emptied storage container is subject to a cleaning and sanitation fee.

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Long distance self-moving using our Flex containers

Moving out of the area? We ship your loaded Flex container to a distribution hub near your new home, and a local service partner delivers it to you from there. If your shipment wasn’t already scheduled when you booked, just give us the go-ahead when you’re ready — online at boxngo.com/my-account/ or by phone at (877) 269-6461 — and here’s how the timing usually goes:

1. Your Flex container travels to the distribution hub nearest your new home. Transit usually runs about 10 to 14 days — but distance affects both the time and the cost: closer West Coast destinations can arrive in as little as 5 days and cost less, while farther East Coast destinations take longer and cost more.
2. Once it arrives, our local service partner schedules your delivery — usually within 7 to 10 days.

• Save 50% on move-in
• No truck rental
• Ground level

• Save 50% on move-in
• No truck rental
• Ground level

Box-n-Go Portable Storage Unit Sizes

A few important things to know:

• Because a local service partner handles the final delivery, the extras we offer on local jobs aren’t available for long-distance shipments: there’s no lock-cutting help if you lose your keys, no dollies or hand trucks, and no loading or unloading labor. Plan to unload yourselves, and keep your keys handy.
• When you’ve finished unloading, the same local service partner picks up the empty Flex container — leave it empty and unlocked, with your padlock off.
• Moving into a new home? See our professional tips for settling in — read more here.

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Full service long distance (via a third party partner)

Long-distance full service is our most involved option. Our partner’s crew handles the heavy lifting end to end, but a cross-country move has more moving parts — and takes more time — than a local one. Here’s what to expect, from quote to delivery.

From quote to delivery

Your quote. It’s based on a verbal estimate of everything you’re shipping, so it helps to walk through every room before you give it. (People often forget items, or plan to sell things that don’t end up selling.) The crew confirms the actual volume on pickup day, and your price is adjusted if it has changed.

At pickup. Because a long-distance move isn’t billed by the hour, extras can apply for a harder-than-usual load — lots of stairs, a long carry to the truck, or a shuttle (a smaller truck used when the full-size truck can’t reach your door).

Consolidation. After pickup, your belongings go to a warehouse (not always ours) to be combined with other shipments. Because most moves don’t fill an entire truck, this step is standard — and it can take about 3 to 4 weeks before your shipment leaves for its destination.

Payment, in stages. A long-distance move is paid in parts: about 30–35% of your quote when you place the order, another portion (up to half, or the balance) once your shipment leaves after consolidation, and the remaining balance before delivery.

At delivery. As at pickup, extras can apply at your new home — a shuttle if the truck can’t reach, and stairs over 8 steps. Floor and door protection is available too, as an optional add-on some customers ask for. Tipping the delivery crew is customary and appreciated, though never required. As your belongings come off the truck, check them against your inventory and note any damage on the delivery paperwork before you sign — signing clean can waive a later claim.

What the crew does — and doesn’t do

These apply to full-service moves, local or long-distance.

• They’ll reassemble the furniture they took apart, and they take their moving blankets and wardrobe boxes back to re-use. If you’d like to keep any of them, you’ll be charged the retail cost of each.
• They can pack your boxes for an added cost — but unpacking is usually left to you, which is a simple way to keep costs down.
• They’ll take your TVs down, but won’t mount or reconnect them.
• Appliances need to be disconnected before the move and reconnected afterward by a professional — this is called appliance service, and the moving crew doesn’t do it.

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Professional tips for settling into your new home

Getting your belongings back is one thing; turning a houseful of boxes into a home is another. A little planning makes the unpack go faster — and keeps your new place looking its best while you do it. Here’s how to settle in, step by step.

Protect your new home before you carry anything inside

Your new place is probably freshly cleaned, freshly painted, or brand new — and carrying heavy boxes and furniture through it is exactly how floors get scratched and doorways get dinged. Ten minutes of protection up front can save you an expensive repair later.

Start with a plan. Walk the route your belongings will travel, from where the storage container sits to each room, and spot the places that take the most abuse: the entryway, narrow hallways, tight corners, stairs, and every doorway (almost everything you own has to pass through two or three of them). Measure your big pieces and the doorways they need to clear before you start carrying — it’s far easier to plan the turn than to force a sofa through and gouge the floor.

Then cover what matters:

• Floors. Lay protection along the path. Ram board is the go-to — a heavy paper-based board you roll out, tape down, and reuse — but rosin paper, adhesive floor runners, or even old blankets and flattened cardboard work too. Tape the edges with painter’s tape so nothing slides or trips you, and so it peels up clean.
• Doors and corners. Slip cardboard or padded protectors over doorframes and thresholds, and add corner guards or foam padding at tight turns. A bumped doorframe is as common as a scratched floor.
• Heavy items. Put furniture sliders under the legs of anything heavy, and use a hand truck or dolly with clean wheels for boxes and appliances. Lift and push rather than drag.

A couple of small habits help, too: wear soft-soled shoes and wipe your feet at the door, and if you have helpers, keep one person inside and one outside to cut down on tracked-in dirt.

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Unpack room by room, in the right order

Before you open a single box, do a quick walk-through and make sure everything made it inside. Then decide where the big furniture goes in each room — it’s much easier to picture it now than to wrestle a dresser across the room twice.

The trick to unpacking is to do it in the opposite order you packed: you packed what you use least first, so now you unpack what you need most first. And finish one room before you start the next — one finished room gives you a calm place to breathe while the rest of the house catches up.

A good order looks like this:

• Kitchen first. It’s the heart of the house — you’ll want to eat, make coffee, and pour a glass of water. Get the everyday items out, and save the fragile, wash-before-you-shelve pieces for when you have more time.
• Bathrooms next. Toilet paper, towels, toiletries, a shower curtain — just enough to make it usable.
• Bedrooms. Assemble the beds and make them up first, so you have somewhere to collapse at the end of the day; then tackle closets and dressers. Moving with kids? Setting up their rooms early helps everything feel normal.
• Living and dining. Position the big furniture first, then set up the TV and the rest.
• Home office, then the spare rooms, garage, and storage areas last.

Unpack the delicate things — electronics, framed art, breakables — once a room is mostly settled, not in the middle of the chaos. Declutter as you go, too; a move is the perfect moment to set aside what you no longer need. And once the boxes are out of a room, give it a quick clean while it’s empty and easy to reach.

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Pack a “first night” box — and open it first

The single best thing you can do for moving day is set aside a box or a suitcase of the things you’ll need in the first 24 hours, and keep it with you rather than in the storage container. When everything else is still packed, this is what saves you from digging at midnight for a toothbrush.

A good first-night box has toiletries and medications, a change of clothes, phone chargers, bedding and a towel, toilet paper, a few basic kitchen items (paper plates, cups, a knife, snacks, coffee), trash bags, a box cutter and basic tools, and a small cleaning kit. Moving with kids or pets? Add their essentials too. It also helps to pick up groceries for the first few days — or just keep a couple of local takeout numbers handy.

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Reassemble furniture and set up electronics

For furniture, lay out all the parts and the hardware bags first — the ones you taped to each piece when you packed — and put the big, steadying pieces together first: beds, tables, anything the rest of the room leans on. Tighten the bolts and check that drawers and doors work before you load them up.

For TVs and electronics, the photos you took of the cables before packing are about to pay off — use them to plug everything back where it belongs. Let a TV or computer come up to room temperature before you power it on, especially after a long or cold trip, and keep the manuals somewhere you can find them.

One note on appliances: a washer, dryer, refrigerator, or anything on a gas or water line should be reconnected by a qualified professional rather than improvised — it’s worth getting right. And give your refrigerator time before you switch it on — it’s commonly recommended to let a fridge stand upright and unplugged for about 24 hours after a move, so the compressor oil can settle before it runs.

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Break down your boxes as you go

Empty boxes pile up fast, and a stack of them underfoot is a real tripping hazard — so flatten each one as soon as it’s empty. Keep your sturdiest boxes flattened and stored somewhere dry if you think you’ll move again within a year; they’re worth saving. Offer the rest to a neighbor or a local charity, or to anyone nearby who’s about to move. Whatever’s left, recycle it: pull off the tape, keep the cardboard dry, and check your local recycling rules. (Box-n-Go boxes are made to be reused, so hang onto the good ones.)

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Your move-in checklist

We’ve gathered the first-week tasks that are easy to forget — plus a first-night box list and a room-by-room unpacking order — onto a single page you can print and check off as you settle in.

⬇ Download the printable move-in checklist (PDF)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How far ahead should I schedule my storage container’s return?

Reserve your return delivery about 7 to 10 days before your preferred date — our service is first come, first served, and schedules book up in advance. You can schedule online through your account or by phone at (877) 269-6461.

Can I pick up my belongings at your warehouse instead of waiting for a redelivery?

Yes. You can pick everything up at our Commerce facility by appointment — or just stop in for a few things. The shortest notice we can take is by noon the business day before, for next-business-day access. Here’s how facility access works.

What do I need to do to the storage container before you pick it up empty?

Make sure it’s completely empty, broom-swept, and unlocked — take your own padlock off, since you hold the only key. Keep the path to the storage container clear, and don’t leave anything inside; items left behind may be subject to a fee.

I lost the key to my padlock — can you still pick up the storage container?

Yes. Ask your driver at the time of delivery, or give us a call. A fee applies, and you’ll need to show a photo ID.

Will I get money back when I close my account?

If your account isn’t subject to a minimum charge or a term commitment, we prorate it and refund any remaining balance once your last empty storage container is picked up. (A la Carte service isn’t prorated.) Our policies page covers billing, cancellation, and refunds in full.

Can I get help unloading, or rent a hand truck?

Yes to both. We can schedule a moving crew to handle the unloading for you — see Loading Help for the options — and we rent hand trucks; just ask when you schedule and we’ll have one ready.

How do I get my belongings back after a long-distance move?

For a self-move, we ship your loaded Flex container to a hub near your new home (about 10 to 14 days), and a local partner delivers it to you, usually within 7 to 10 days — you unload it yourself. A full-service long-distance move has the partner crew deliver everything and carry it inside instead. You can compare what each option costs on our moving calculator, or read why customers choose container moving.

Will the full-service crew set up my furniture and reconnect my electronics?

The crew reassembles any furniture they took apart. They’ll take your TVs down but won’t mount or reconnect them, and appliances need to be disconnected and reconnected by a professional. Unpacking your boxes is usually left to you, which helps keep costs down. More on Box-n-Go Moving Services.
Still have a question? See our full FAQ, or get in touch and we’ll help.

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Box-n-Go delivers, picks up, and moves across Southern California. Here’s our service area:

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