While moving during the winter has some pros — fewer people moving, lower moving labor prices — it does present its own challenges. The first obvious challenge being the weather.
Never fear, though. The Moving Help® Marketplace will provide you with eight tips for moving in the winter, so you can make moving day a little easier, even when the weather tries to make your life difficult.
1. Check the Weather
This is the first and most obvious step. You’ll want to check the weather days to a week prior to your moving date. This will help you measure expectations for your upcoming move.
Whether a potential snow blizzard is brewing in Toronto or a heavy, cold rainstorm is expected in Seattle, you need to know what to prepare for your move.
Knowing this information will set the rest of your expectations for your move.
“Watch the forecast before move day and create a backup plan in case you encounter a storm,” said Daniel Romero, Moving Helper business development coordinator and a former Moving Help Service Provider.
Additionally, moving in the winter will mean you have less daylight. The less daylight you have for your move means you need to maximize the time you can get.
“Winter days become shorter, so it’s best to start moving early to maximize daylight,” he said.
2. Keep Constant Communication With Your Movers
If your moving date has the potential to have dangerous weather or has the potential to be canceled, you need to stay in contact with your movers. Your movers also have to think about their own crew safety for any type of weather scenario.
When you book professional moving labor from the Moving Help Marketplace, you’ll receive your labor-only movers’ phone number and email. You’ll want to provide updates to each other to figure out whether your move will happen or not.
If you or your Service Provider doesn’t think a move can happen on your moving date, you’ll need to reschedule your moving date or find another moving company.
If you need to rebook your moving help with the Moving Help Marketplace, you can use the funds you originally paid for with your first Service Provider for your second Service Provider.
3. Dress for the Winter
This may seem obvious, but it still needs to be said. Even if you hire labor-only movers, you should still want to supervise your move so that nothing is missed. If the weather is calling for snow, you shouldn’t wear shorts and a T-shirt with flip flops.
Here are 10 items you might want to consider wearing when moving in the winter:
- Snow boots
- Long socks
- Long pants
- Long-sleeve shirts
- Heavy jacket
- Scarf
- Gloves
- Hat
- Earmuffs
- Reusable heat packs
4. Protect Your Items and Home
Because it’ll be cold when moving during the winter, you need to be sure your items and your home are protected.
“Wrap all furniture and beds in plastic wrap to avoid exposure to the elements,” Romero said.
For your items, you’ll want to make sure certain items have double or extra padding when placing them into moving boxes. Fragile or breakable items definitely need an extra layer to avoid damage when outside in the cold.
“Glass and ceramics become brittle in cold temperatures, so make sure to use extra padding when packing,” Romero said.
If your move will have snow or rain on your moving day, you want to protect your old and new homes. To avoid bringing in debris and damaging floors, make sure you have a spot where people can wipe their shoes.
“It’s ideal to create a dry staging zone near the door,” Romero said.
You also should consider having blankets or cardboard boxes laid throughout the home, so people can walk on them when bringing in moving boxes and furniture in and out of your home. This will help avoid damage to your carpet or hardwood floors.
“Place mats, runners, or cardboard to catch any sludge that could be tracked in,” he said.
5. Clear Walkways and Keep a “Warm Room”
Speaking of the floor, you’ll want to make sure all walkways are clear of any hazards. You also should make sure items are put away to avoid someone tripping on an object while moving into your home.
One of the tips for moving in the winter, when it comes to clear walkways, is to salt your driveway and walkway. Salting these areas prevents snow and ice from forming, which can make it more dangerous to move in and out of your home.
“Salt and shovel a path that your movers will use,” Romero said.
Additionally, you could keep a “Warm Room” somewhere in your home. This should be a place where people can quickly warm up, eat a warm snack, and sip on a warm drink. This will keep people from freezing the whole time and still keep morale high for everyone involved in your move.
Above all else, take your time. If your move is rushed, someone or your belongings are more likely to be damaged.
6. Schedule Your Utilities
While some tips for moving in the winter are ideal, this is a non-negotiable tip. Nothing is worse than moving into your new home that has no power — electric or gas, or both. Ideally, you want to make sure your electric and/or gas company turns on your home’s power anywhere from three to seven days prior to your move.
Before your moving day, you should make sure everything works accordingly.
While some argue that having the power on will waste electricity and gas since you and your moving labor team will be in and out of your home, which means the front or garage door (or both) will be open constantly. We think it’s better to have a warm home before, during, and after moving day and spend a little bit more money on your electric and gas bills.
It’s only one day, and it’s not like you’ll constantly move like this for the rest of the year anyway.
7. Keep Your Pets and Children Safe
It’s crucial to keep your pets and children safe during moving day. It’s especially crucial when moving with pets or moving with kids in the winter.
You should keep them in a warm, closed-off room where they’ll have plenty of food, water, and entertainment to keep them occupied while you periodically check on them.
You also may consider hiring a dog sitter and a babysitter, so your pets and children aren’t home during the move at all.
8. Prepare Your Vehicles
Moving during the winter also means making sure you prepare your vehicles.
For your car, you’ll want to make sure the windshields and the top of your car have the snow removed, so it doesn’t cause a hazard for you or other drivers.
When moving in the winter, it may be a better idea to keep your essentials box, antique, or meaningful items in your car.
If you rent a U-Haul truck, make sure it has plenty of gas, and that you drive it carefully and cautiously. Roads can be slippery and icy, so it’s best to take your time driving — whether it’s in a residential neighborhood or on the interstate.
Properly Plan for Moving During the Winter
While Moving Help hopes your wintertime move goes off without a hitch, sometimes you need a Plan B. These eight tips for moving in the winter should help guide you in making a more successful move.
If you need an extra set of hands to save time and avoid heavy lifting during the cold elements, consider hiring labor-only movers from the Moving Help Marketplace.
