If your home move or office move has been planned for months, a downpour on the big day can come as a surprise. This is because Mother Nature can throw even the best-planned move into turmoil with unpredictable weather. But there are some steps you can take to be prepared for any bad weather on your moving day.
Follow along to learn the best strategies to keep your belongings dry throughout your home relocation or office relocation, and move everything safely to the new destination.
Here are some ideas for protecting yourself, your helpers, and your possessions during a rainy-day move.
1. Know the weather report.
The first thing to do is to follow the weather report the days prior to your move. While this is not foolproof, it is the best way to know what to be prepared for. Dressing for your home or office move is very important. You should plan your moving wardrobe for the season in which you are moving and be ready to dress for bad weather situations.
2. Have plenty of garbage bags on hand.
Whether you’re transporting clothes, books or other household items, shielding your items with garbage bags is an easy way to add another layer of protection. Simply wrap the items in the bag and transport as you normally would, reusing the garbage bags if needed. You can also make a hole in the top of garbage bags if you’d like to put a bag over a stack of clothes on hangers.
Also, paper items and books can be placed in plastic bags and then packed in a container. Smaller goods can also be protected from the rain inside a bag.
3. Make sure everyone Has Proper Footwear.
One of the biggest hazards of moving in the rain is the risk of slipping and falling on wet ground. Even if the ground does not seem slippery when you walk across it, when it rains, there’s an increased chance of sliding around when you’re carrying a cumbersome box and are unable to see your feet.
Therefore to prevent slipping, make sure you and all of your helpers wear shoes with rubber soles during the move. Flip-flops and sandals are just not smart choices. If you have hiking shoes with a Gore-Tex sole, those are a great choice; sneakers are a safe bet too.
4. Shorten the Distances.
To cut back on the need to move through the rooms in the house all wet, move all of your boxes into one room such as the living room or even the garage.
Also, If you are renting a moving truck, make sure you park as close to the building as possible. Things won’t get as wet if you only have to carry them a short distance in the rain. Do make sure the surface you park on is stable. Soggy grass may not support the weight of your moving truck, and you might end up stuck. That’s the last thing you need to worry about on a big move day.
The most important thing is to keep your belongings dry. Therefore, it is best for the moving truck to be as close to your house as possible and to cover the furniture with moving pads and then plastic wrap, which keeps the moving pads dry. Make sure there are no leaks inside the moving truck and that rain cannot come in the back of the truck when it is being loaded.
5. Preserve your floors and prevent slips.
To help prevent slipping, lay sheets of cardboard in the entryway and also along the path between the door and the truck.
At the entrance of your home and other at-risk spots, place old rugs, towels or sturdy cardboard on the ground for extra support when walking from room to room. You will want to make sure all your helpers stay safe; not only for their own safety, but for the well-being of all your valuable items they will be holding.
6. Use Mats to Your Advantage.
From time to time, your outdoor helpers probably will come in to grab something or help carry a heavy piece of furniture. Set out some non-slip, absorbent mats on the floor in the entryway. Keep an extra set on hand so that if one mat gets messy early in the day, you can replace it with a new one. You can often find cheap non-slip mats at the dollar store, and they’re durable enough for one-time moving use.
7. Prioritize Items.
If possible, try and move plastic storage bins and other less valuable items onto the truck first, as the rain might slow down or stop completely by the time you need to move your fragile items onto the truck.
When it comes to your electronics, either wait until the rain completely stops to transport your items, or make sure they are well-covered in blankets and mats and away from water while transporting them.
8. Set Up an Assembly Line.
Having numerous helpers track rain and mud into the house will make your floors slippery and create a lot of clean-up work. You can minimize the mess by setting up an assembly line. Have a few people stationed out by the moving truck to put items inside, and have others hand items out the door while staying indoors as much as possible.
9. Work together as a group to make an assembly line.
To speed up the process, assign everyone in the group a different role. Some people can remain inside your home, others between the home and the truck, and some placing items directly onto the truck. This will prevent one or two people running back and forth the entire distance, minimizing the amount of dirt and mud that will need to be cleaned up later.
10. Keep towels close by for a quick dry-off of larger items.
Once you load furniture or boxes onto the truck, use a towel to wipe off any excess moisture to prevent leaks and preserve your items. These will also be helpful if someone in your group finds themselves soaked after placing items in the truck.
11. Remove Items Upon Arrival.
Ensure to Unpack quickly especially if the boxes have been compromised; the sooner the items can be removed the better.
Look through the stack of boxes. Get rid of the ones you won’t need again, as keeping wet cardboard could lead to mold or mildew. If you plan to reuse the box, leave it on a porch or patio to fully dry before putting it up.
With the tips above, you should be able to safely navigate a move during the rain. Unpredictable weather is one reason many people choose to hire a professional moving company like Victory Van moving company. We sure know how to get your items to your new place in good shape.
We wish you the best of luck during your move, despite what the weather may bring!