You don’t necessarily have to postpone your move because of snow, but you will need to adjust it. If it’s snowing on your moving day, pause to take each of the following steps before you get started. These tips will help you stay safe and have a successful move, in spite of the snow:
Consider your packing materials
Snow means moisture. Moisture means potential water damage. If you’re moving during the snowy season, invest in plastic moving bins instead of cardboard. Cardboard is far more susceptible to moisture problems than plastic.
If you have no choice but to use cardboard, use plenty of packing tape. Seal any gaps, corners or holes thoroughly. Make sure that cardboard boxes have as little contact with the snow as possible.
Make sure your moving vehicles are prepped
Driving in the snow is hazardous, especially if you’re driving a large vehicle filled with boxes. If you aren’t able to hire a professional truck driver, you’ll have to make a special effort to prepare your own vehicle. Consider replacing your tires if they look worn. You could also swap out your current tires with snow tires. Even if you don’t replace your tires, fill them with air. Make sure you have a spare on hand–and that you know how to change a tire!
While you’re maintaining your vehicle, be sure to change your oil and antifreeze. Inspect the battery and replace it before the big move if there are any problems. If you’re worried about any other vehicle-related problems, take it in for a tune-up before the move. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Finally, make sure you fill up your gas tank the night before you head out!
Prioritize health and warmth
The fact of the matter is you can’t move as fast or work as hard when the weather is snowy. You can still get everything done, but you have to take breaks to warm up and preserve your health. Make sure you have warm drinks on hand and proper cold-weather clothing to wear.
Dressing in layers is a good way to balance staying warm with avoiding overheating. If you start to get too hot while moving, you could always take something off. You don’t want to catch a horrible cold during your move. After all, even after you’ve moved in, you have plenty of work left to do!
Make safety preparations
Safety preparations are the things you have to do to make sure you don’t injure yourself during the move. You’ve already done a lot by preparing your vehicle and making sure you’re warm. Next, you’ll want to make sure you clear a path for moving objects from the house to the car.
Put down salt to prevent slips. Take your time and move with caution. This goes double when you’re driving! The biggest tip we can give you is not to rush during any step of the process. Snow doesn’t care if you’re in a hurry.
Have a back-up plan
Even all the preparation in the world won’t make moving in a blizzard a good idea. Have a back-up plan just in case the weather is so bad that you have to reschedule. Trying to move in a snowstorm is just asking for trouble. Remember: recovering from an injury will eat up way more time than you’d lose waiting for the weather to clear.
Keep you and your family safe during your next snow-filled move by partnering with a trusted moving company. That’s the best way to mitigate issues with moving your boxes and driving the truck.
If you’re interested in seeing how you can benefit from weatherproof moving health, give the team at Wheaton a call today.
