Smoves Blog
Practical guides on self storage and moving in Milan: how to organize, what it costs, what to expect.
How many boxes you need for a move, home by home
How many boxes you need for a move, from a single room to a three-bedroom: the table by home type, the right sizes, what goes in each box and how much it can weigh.
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October 3, 2026·7 minWhere to find moving boxes: free, bought or brought to your door
Where to find moving boxes: the supermarkets and stores that give them away, the big stores and websites that sell them, swap groups, and when it makes sense to have them brought to your door with the move.
October 1, 2026·8 minRenting out your home furnished or unfurnished: what changes and where to put your things
Renting out your home furnished or unfurnished: pros and cons in a table, the five contract types (4+4, 3+2, students, temporary, short-term), the inventory to sign, and what to do with the furniture and personal things you don't want to leave to the tenant.
October 1, 2026·7 minMoving abroad: what to do with your furniture and your things at home
You have a job or a PhD abroad for one to three years and don't know if you'll come back: sell, ship, leave it all with your parents, the cellar or storage? The five options in a table, and the paperwork not to forget (AIRE, your lease).
October 1, 2026·7 minHow much a cellar costs to rent in Milan (and what you pay beyond the rent)
How much a cellar costs to rent in Milan: listing prices, the items on top of the rent (registration, deposit, fees, damp, transport) and when storage with home pickup makes more sense.
October 1, 2026·7 minSold your home before buying the new one: where to put the furniture
You've sold your home and the new one isn't ready: the ways to bridge the gap between the two deeds (deferred possession, free loan for use, transitional lease) and where to keep the furniture without guessing a date.
October 1, 2026·6 minInherited furniture: what to do without rushing it
Inherited furniture, what to do: split it, sell it, donate it, have it valued or put it in storage while you decide. The options side by side, what to know before touching anything, and how to decide together, calmly.
October 1, 2026·8 minA parent moving to a care home (RSA): what to do with the house and furniture
A parent entering a care home (RSA) leaves a house full of things. What to take, what to share out, what to keep in storage while you decide, and where to look for fees, ISEE and tax relief.
September 30, 2026·8 minMoving to-do list PDF: download it, tick it, week by week
The moving to-do list as a PDF, to download and print: six stages from eight weeks before to the day after, with the reason behind each line and the real deadlines for utilities, post and residence.
September 30, 2026·7 minFurnished home inventory template: what to write in it and how to fill it in
A furnished home inventory template: what to write for every piece of furniture, how to use dated photos, who signs. And the inventory for a move or for storage, with a printable form.
September 30, 2026·7 minHow to pack plates and glasses for moving, step by step
How to pack plates and glasses for moving: the materials, the five-step method, how to seal and label the box, and what changes if the kitchen goes into storage. With the PDF guide to download.
September 25, 2026·9 minHow much does a move cost: 2026 prices, from a studio apartment to a family home
How much a move costs in Italy in 2026: average prices by home size, per cubic meter and in Milan, what pushes the bill up (stairs, dismantling, packing) and seven real ways to spend less.
September 25, 2026·9 minHow to organize a move: decisions, deadlines and tricks
How to organize a move starting from the day you hand back the keys: the decisions to make first, the real deadlines for the lease, utilities, post, residence and waste tax with official sources, what to get rid of, and tips for a quick move.
September 25, 2026·8 minHow much does it cost to ship a sofa: courier, platforms or a pickup at your door
How much it costs to ship a sofa: the courier's limits, the public prices of shipping platforms, what changes between a two-seater and a three-seater, and when in Milan it makes more sense to sell it or have AMSA collect it.
September 25, 2026·8 minShipping a mattress: what it costs, single or double, and how to do it
Shipping a mattress in Italy: the couriers' limits, prices worked out from public rate cards for single and double, which mattresses can be rolled, and what to do when the courier says no.
September 25, 2026·8 minHow to ship a suitcase: courier prices, weight and packing
How to ship a suitcase within Italy and abroad: Poste, BRT and Trenitalia prices read today, weight and size limits, how to pack it, and when it's better to leave your things in storage.
September 24, 2026·6 minOffice move: what to take, what to leave and what to put in storage
Office move: how to organize it starting from the inventory, what to take to the new premises, what to dispose of, and where to keep desks and archive when the dates of the two offices don't match.
September 24, 2026·6 minKeeping accounting records in Italy: for how long, and where to store the archive
Keeping accounting records in Italy: the ten years of article 2220 of the Civil Code, what they cover, and where to keep the company archive in that time without filling the office with binders.
September 24, 2026·6 minGoods storage: what it is and which option suits a small business
Goods storage: what it is, the difference between storage and a warehouse, and the four options for a small business side by side, from a rented warehouse to storage with pickup at your premises.
September 24, 2026·7 minRenting a van for your move: what it costs and when it's worth it
Renting a van for your move: the public rates read today, the costs that pile on, what you need to drive it, and when having your things picked up at home beats doing it yourself.
September 24, 2026·7 minFurniture storage costs: how much it costs to keep furniture in storage
Furniture storage costs: the four items that make the price (space, months, transport, access), the average per cubic meter in Italy, and how storage with home pickup is paid in the province of Milan.
September 10, 2026·6 minWhat is self storage, how it works and when it's worth it
What self storage is, explained by someone who runs a warehouse: how a contract works, the traditional-versus-on-demand table, when it pays off and when you're just renting air.
May 27, 2026·6 minIs self storage worth it for a student in Milan?
Is self storage worth it for a student? It depends on how much you have and how you get there. A June day in both versions, why a few boxes mean renting air, and when the unit wins.
May 27, 2026·7 minCheap student storage in Milan: how to spend less
Cheap storage in Milan: what the figure depends on, the four routes compared, five ways to spend less, and the mistakes that cost more than the storage.
May 27, 2026·6 minStudent storage in Milan: the guide for international students
Student storage in Milan for international and Erasmus students: the three typical situations, what happens if you land before check-in, how door-to-door pickup works and what it actually costs.
May 25, 2026·5 minThe Smoves story: I started a moving company without owning a van
How Smoves started in Milan in 2026, told by the person who started it: the room to empty in June, the model I found in the United States, and the move in Florence I oversaw in person.
May 25, 2026·5 minWhat is Smoves: the box storage service for university students in Milan
Smoves is box storage for students in Milan: we pick up your things from your room and, when you need them, you book the redelivery. What it does, where it operates, how booking works, and why it isn't the app with the same name you find on Google.
May 25, 2026·7 minStudent life away from home: what to do with the apartment, the furniture and the boxes
Living away from home means deciding every year what happens to your room, your furniture and everything else when you leave. The real options, the hidden costs, and how not to end up with an IKEA lamp in your suitcase.
May 25, 2026·6 minSmoves or traditional self-storage: which one actually suits a student?
Smoves vs self storage: a unit in a warehouse and door-to-door pickup side by side, with the table. What you pay, how much time it takes, and when each one wins. Neither wins every time.
May 25, 2026·6 minReturn move in September: what to do before, during and after
Your September return move: when to book the redelivery, what to get ready in the new apartment, what to check on the day, and the mistakes that come back every year.
May 25, 2026·7 minWhat NOT to pack for summer storage: the list to keep on hand
A practical guide to what you should never pack in boxes going into storage for months. Food, liquids, unique documents and other things that ruin your return in September.
April 22, 2026·7 minKeep your room over the summer, or give it up? The real numbers
You go home for the summer and your room in Milan sits empty for three months. Keep paying for it, or give it up and put your things in storage? How to run the numbers, and when each one actually wins.
April 22, 2026·8 minMoving checklist: what to do, week by week
The moving checklist, in calendar order: three weeks before, one week before, the day itself and the day after. With the costs compared and the mistakes that cost the most.
April 22, 2026·6 minWhere to store your boxes during university vacations in Milan
Where to store your boxes in Milan over the university vacations: four places compared on cost, effort and risk, and the case where each one wins.