Whenever possible, you should avoid moving in bad weather. Whether it’s rain, snow, or any other wet substance coming from the sky, if you can postpone, you probably should. However, sometimes, that’s just not possible. Time waits for no man, and that includes moving day. If you do find yourself in a situation where you need to move in bad weather, check out these tips to keep yourself and your stuff from a slippery end.
1. Pack well
While you should be packing carefully in the best of circumstances, bad weather only increases the chances that something is going to get dropped or slip dangerously somewhere along the line. Bubble wrap is your friend, use it wisely and excessively. Anything that is glass, ceramic, or otherwise fragile: wrap it twice, just in case.
2. Protect your new home (and the old)
If it’s raining, snowing, sleeting, hailing, or really dropping any other sort of moisture from the sky, things are going to get wet. If you’re preparing to move in the rain, put down plastic or cardboard or both by the doorway in both your old home and the new, to protect your property from water damage as much as you can. Since you’ll be going in and out with wet shoes, it’s best to be prepared.
3. Plastic for everything
Speaking of plastic, cover everything in plastic that can’t be safely boxed up! You never know when a coatrack or a bookshelf may be inadvertently exposed or left out in the wet a little too long. Even a little bit of water can really damage things like wood and cloth, especially if the wood isn’t sealed properly. If you can cover it in giant sheets of plastic, you should. Think like you’re painting a room in your beautiful new house, except that the room is outside, and the rain is the paint. Plastic. On. Everything.
4. Drive safe
This can’t be stressed enough. You and all your worldly possessions are packed into a moving van—that’s your whole life in the truck right there. This is NOT the time to try to be cool or reenact any cool slides from the latest Fast and Furious. You want you and your stuff to arrive in one piece, not several little pieces—or even one big piece and one little piece. Grandma’s china is irreplaceable and so are you: so no matter how cool your driving stunt is, it’s not worth it. The roads are slick. Drive slowly and carefully.
5. Take pictures
This is the ultimate just-in-case: take pictures of all your most important stuff before the move. If the worst happens, you’ll have proof that all your stuff is in the condition you said it was before your move. When you need to talk to the insurance company, you’ll have all your ducks in a row already.
If you’re planning a move soon, let Capital Movers help you move smoothly and safely! Give us a call today!