Moving Tips6 Tips for Moving in The Winter
Moving in the winter offers several advantages, which include less competition for moving trucks, colder weather for moving, and more friends potentially available to help since vacation season is over. However, there are some unique challenges that moving in the winter presents. This includes the chance of hazardous weather and schedule conflicts with the holidays. Therefore, it's vital to be proactive about the challenges coming your way to set yourself up for success. Here are 6 tips for moving in the winter.
1 Avoid the Holidays
In the winter, sometimes homes get marketed for being ready just in time for Christmas. However, don't take this too literally. If you plan your closing date too close to popular holidays like Thanksgiving weekend or Christmas break, you may find yourself encountering a shortage of hired and volunteered help. Moving trucks or places that rent U-Hauls may be closed on certain days. Your friends and family may also be too preoccupied with holiday travel and Gatherings to help you. To make sure that you have the most amenities available to you, avoid the holidays and weekends around each one. If you have physical limitations, this is especially important to follow so that you are not stuck doing everything alone on moving day.
2 Set up Utilities at Your New House
It's no fun to deal with extreme heat or cold. Therefore, make sure that all utilities are turned over to your name at the new house. Everything should have been inspected beforehand for functionality, but it's important to get your AC and furnace service after you move in as well. This ensures that when you move into your new house, the heat will be turned on so you won't have to experience any discomfort or spend extra money on a hotel. Not having your electricity or gas turned on in the winter can also harm your plumbing through burst pipes, so staying on top of this will save you a lot of grief. Be sure to check on other utilities like water, electricity, and the internet too!
3 Layer Up!
Moving is a physically demanding task that can make you feel surprisingly warm even in the dead of winter. This is why it's important to layer your clothing during the moving process. While you may need a coat and hat outside while you're loading the truck, you might feel too hot indoors after moving around a lot. By wearing several layers, such as a t-shirt, fleece, and overcoat, you can adjust your comfort levels as needed. For extra support, make your first layer moisture-wicking, such as an athletic shirt, so that you don't trap sweat under many layers.
4 Clear All Outdoor Walkways
In the winter months, slippery conditions can cause you or one of your helpers to fall. So, before the moving process begins, clear all walkways of ice and snow. Be sure to have enough salt or use sand to make sure that all pathways are walkable. It’s also important to repeat this process at your new residence. If you’re making a local move, you can even drive to the new house early and treat the walkways so that everything is prepared when you arrive with the official moving truck. If this is a long-distance relocation, have your realtor check on the new house. You may hire somebody to prep the walkways, such as a local handyman from your realtor’s team so that you can have peace of mind.
5 Cover Your Floors
After everything is moved out of your old house, you want to make sure that it is pristine for the buyer. However, muddy and sludgy wintry conditions can make it tough to keep floors clean. However, covering your floors with a plastic tarp will protect them from the mixture of sand, mud, and salt that can seriously damage services. If you are making a DIY move, you must provide this material yourself. On the other hand, professional moving companies should provide this service as a part of their package. By protecting high-traffic areas of your home, you can have peace of mind that it will pass every part of the final walk-through checklist, and you won't be penalized for any potential repairs.
6 Watch the Forecast
When the closing date is scheduled on the contract, Realtors hardly ever look at the weather forecast. After all, how can you predict how the weather will be 2 to 3 months from the contract’s draft date? Thankfully, weather predictions are a lot more accurate than they used to be. It’s safe to have a general idea of how the weather will be up to a week before your move date. As each day passes, the forecast will become more accurate too.
If there are any major storms coming your way, it’s important to keep all relevant parties in the loop. Movers will most likely need to reschedule anyway if hazardous weather is on its way. These types of interruptions are more common than you think in the winter, so do not feel guilty about delaying a day or two if it means that everyone will be able to do their jobs safely.
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