When deciding to move, you really must have that “The show must go on” attitude. Moving can already be stressful and keep you on the edge and so if Mother Nature decides to throw a bad weather curveball on moving day, you have to be ready. The weather is often unpredictable, but there are some things you can do to prepare yourself for any inclement weather on moving day.
Rainy Day and Bad Weather Moving Tips
1. Make Sure You Are on the Same Page With Your Local Moving Company
Before the big day, discuss your moving company’s policy regarding what conditions they will or won’t work in. Find out what conditions they have in place for bad weather. This is very important so that you are not forced to unpack some stuff on your anticipated moving day when your movers refuse to go ahead with the move then.
2. Check Out the Weather Forecast
Plan your moving day around the weather. Obviously, sometimes the weather forecasts do not always give an accurate prediction of what is to come but if you can avoid it, why not? Don’t be that person who has been told that there are looming thunderstorms and heavy rain on a particular day and still decide to plan a move on that day. Have some compassion for the movers as well, who will have to brave the bad weather.
3. Prepare Yourself and Family for the Weather
You don’t want your child stuck in the raging rain wearing only a t-shirt. Make sure you have layered up and that you are wearing a raincoat. Umbrellas too can be helpful but not too much considering your hands will be busy carrying and moving stuff. Have a flask of hot chocolate available for when it gets cold. Make sure you are wearing rain boots, rain jackets and gloves
4. Wait Out the Bad Weather if Possible
Unless it’s just one of those unlucky days, chances are that it will not rain all day. Wait for a time when the rain subsides for you to move. During bad weather, your local moving company will not usually have a problem delaying the move for a couple of hours until the weather isn’t too bad.
5. Pack Diligently
If you know that you plan to move during a questionable season, be extra careful in how you pack. Make sure to wrap all your items in extra layers of packing paper, blankets and bubble wrap.
6. Organize Parking Space
Having the mover’s truck park as close to your house as possible will reduce the time your items are exposed to the weather. This applies to both your new and old homes. Let your neighbors know the day before the move that there will be a lot of activity happening in your compound and ask them if they can spare an extra parking space.
7. Wrap Your Moving Boxes in Bin Liners
Before your move, stock up on strong trash bags. Have some available to wrap your boxes to protect them from the rain. However, packing boxes are made in such a way that they can withstand getting wet without necessarily disintegrating.
8. Try and Keep Your Furniture Dry
Industrial wrapping paper would be best for this but as we have said, it will dent your wallet. Alternatively, have some plastic sheets, thick blankets or rubbish bags. Try as much as possible to cover up bulky items when dealing with bad weather.
9. Use Waterproof Containers
Give extra attention to things like books by packing them in waterproof vessels. Before they go into the truck, ensure that these bins are tightly shut.
10. Take Care of All Your Expensive and Sentimental Stuff
If you have expensive pieces of art, wrap them in bubble wrap and seal it with packing tape.
11. Put Towels and Padding in Your New Home
When you finally arrive in your new home, place several rags and towels on the floor to prevent tracking all over your floor by the movers.
12. Organize for Utilities in Your New Home Before the Move
When it rains, it can at times become very cold. Don’t find yourself in a home without heating all night because you didn’t remember to pay your gas bill. Ensure you have some blankets close at hand to use during your first night.
13. Unwrap All Your Belongings
As much as you want your belongings to be safe, covered in wrappings when you get to your new house, you should unwrap them. Do this to let them ‘breathe’. This will prevent mildew from forming or them sustaining water damage.
14. Drive Slowly
As it is, driving a rented truck can be terrifying on a good day. Now imagine driving a truck for the first time in rainy weather and slippery roads with all our valuables in the back. This can easily cause you to panic. The best advice would just to drive very slowly. Don’t pay attention if someone rudely hoots at you. You are taking precaution for yours and your belongings safely. If you feel like you are not set on driving, ask your moving company to send a driver for you to transport your things. It may mean paying a bit more money but it is totally worth it.
15. Form a Human Chain
Instead of having multiple movers moving into and out of your house constantly, form a human chain such that items are passed from the truck into the house without too much foot traffic around the house.
Invest in Mover Insurance
Sometimes, you just cannot brave the weather and you may just have to cancel your move. If your current or new home’s location is prone to flooding, it could quite literally sink your moving day plans. In such a situation, it is worth ensuring that your home moving cancellation insurance will cover you in the event that weather dampens your plans on moving day. This, however, is an extreme case and most local moving company will continue to work, as long as it is safe too.
Bad weather is just one of those things we have no control over. All we can do it make sure we are safe and extra careful with the moving. Make sure you hire a professional moving company with a good rating. They have experience in such situations and they can advise you if, for any reason, the original plan has to change.
Throw a Housewarming Party
Lastly, housewarming parties are called that for a reason. Invite friends and family to ‘warm’ your house and you can tell them about just how to managed to move houses without a hitch even in bad weather.
Do You Need Help on Your Next New Jersey Move?
Alpha Moving & Storage has you covered! Get in touch with our certified moving professionals and we’ll be there rain or shine to make sure your next move goes smoothly!
Alpha Moving & Storage
234 16th Street 2nd floor, Jersey City
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Alpha Moving helped us move from an apartment with many stairs in Hoboken to a suburban home in NJ. There team was very responsive, professional, punctual, … More and communicative. I was very happy with their service, and they helped make the experience less stressful. The Alpha team was great at communicating ahead of and during our move and they set our expectations on pricing. We were very happy with our decision to hire Alpha. -
My experience using Alpha Moving and Storage was excellent. The crew was courteous and professional. They took their time to ensure that everything was … More covered and packaged before the move so there was no damage. They made sure everything was positioned correctly in our house, and even helped to move a few pieces of furniture that were not part of the original move. I would highly recommend
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I recently hired Alpha Moving to help a family member move from a 3rd-floor walk-up in Brooklyn to New Jersey, and I couldn't be more impressed with … More their service. The team was punctual, professional, and showed exceptional care for both the Brooklyn apartment and the New Jersey home. They took extra precautions to protect the walls and floors, which we really appreciated. Communication was excellent before, during, and after the move, making the entire process much less stressful. I highly recommend Alpha Moving to both family and clients—they’re reliable, professional, and offer very reasonable pricing..
