To get things out of the way at the start, the very best tip for moving in bad weather is… don’t. Moving in beautiful weather is bad enough, but when you add rain, snow, and slush to the mix, it can become downright horrific. So, if there is any way that you can avoid it, try your best not to move in the rain. Of course, when you are moving in Canada, you know full and well that you can’t control the weather. It doesn’t matter if you are in Montreal or Vancouver – rain and snow can make your move miserable.
Now that we have that unpleasant fact out of the way, we can start to look at a few things that you can do to at least make the move somewhat easier during the rotten weather.
Something you will want to invest in if it is going to be raining or snowing is some plastic wrap. Using plastic wrap will help to keep the boxes and other items that you are moving nice and dry. Simply throwing a blanket over them will not help. The blankets are not water resistant, they will be soaked, and then you will have to deal with sodden blankets, as well as cardboard that’s about to fall apart.
Pay special attention to the bottom of the boxes as well, and make sure they have plenty of plastic wrap. When the boxes are set into a truck that people are stepping into and out of for most of the morning with wet shoes, the bottoms of those boxes will end up wet. When you try to pick them up, the bottoms are likely to fall right out of them.
If you don’t have any plastic wrap on hand and it is the day of the move, it really is worth your while to head out and pick some up if you can. Alternatively, you could use garbage bags and tape if it comes down to it. However, if there is even a remote chance that it might rain or snow when you are moving, it is worth investing in a couple of large rolls, even the type that might be used in warehouses.
You want your boxes, furniture, and other items to spend as little time out in the bad weather as possible. You want them to be as safe as possible during their trip from the house to the truck. Of course, you also want to make sure that you don’t have people tracking slush, mud, and water throughout the property. Therefore, you should make sure that you have all of your boxes and items moved as close to the door as possible.
Ideally, you will have the items that need to go into the truck first closest to the door. If you have a garage, you might find that it will be easier to have all of the items that you will be moving brought into the garage instead. This can also help to keep people from tracking through your home. Since the garage has a larger entrance, another advantage of this is that people will not be bumping into one another as they go in and out, which could actually help to make moving faster.
If there will be a need to go into your house to pick up the boxes, because you don’t have a garage or extra space, then it is a good idea to have some rugs or runners. You can lay these down on the floor and in the halls so that the carpet or flooring beneath can stay much cleaner. These tend to be safer than just putting down plastic because, as people are more prone to slipping on wet plastic.
Runners with a little bit of texture tend to be a good option. You can see if you have any friends or family that might have some that you could borrow. If you buy them, you could always keep them on hand for the next move or donate them when you are done.
With the rain and the cold combined with moving, it means that you will have open doors throughout the day. The house is going to get rather chilly, even if you are moving in the springtime. Therefore, you might want to layer up. This way, you can be sure that you are keeping warm, but when the running around makes you a little too warm, you can remove a layer. This is especially important if you will have the kids at the house when you are moving. If you have small kids or an infant, it is a better idea to have someone watch them while the move is happening.
While this might sound like the ideal time to move, that is not entirely true if you’re not careful. You will want to make sure that you have sunscreen and sunglasses if you’re going to be outside for any length of time. If you don’t, you could end up getting sunburned, dehydrated, headaches, and more. Keep your head covered and make sure you have plenty of water to hydrate. After all, moving can be hard work. Still, this does tend to be better than moving in the pouring rain or a driving blizzard.
Whether it is inclement weather or not, you want to make sure that you make the move as easy as possible. This often means hiring some movers who can help. Of course, it can sometimes be difficult to find the right pros for the job. Fortunately, we will be able to help. We can provide an easy way to find and compare estimates on movers, as well as storage, cleaners, painters, and more. Our goal is to help you find the professionals to make your job much easier.
