It happens to the best of us. You’ve packed up the last of your belongings, you’re excited to get to your hew home, you grab the keys to the moving van from your jacket pocket…and then you look outside and see a torrential downpour. Moving during a storm is not fun. It’s not supposed to be. However, we have a handful of tips we want to share with you to help make the process a little bit less miserable. Remember – you’re almost into your brand new home! Don’t let a little bit of rain get in the way of your good mood, and successful move.
1. Buy moving blankets.
Lots and lots of moving blankets. Moving during a storm means you need to keep your belongings covered. Invest in moving pads, moving blankets, tarps, and anything else you can find that will protect your big furniture items from the rain during the transfer from the home to the van and vice versa.
2. Lots of plastic wrap.
After you’ve padded everything with moving blankets, make sure to wrap over the blankets with plastic wrap. This ensures that the blankets stay dry, and no rain ever touches your valuable possessions. A little bit of rain might seem harmless, but think about how long it took you to pack up your things. A few days? A week? Then think about a damp blanket swaddling your $800 bed frame, and buy a few extra packs of plastic wrap just to be safe.
3. Protect the floors.
Whether you’re moving your own things or having a moving company do it for you, moving during a storm will be much more unpleasant if you have to clean up dozens of muddy foot prints afterward. Lay down tarps, plastic sheeting, and blankets to form a pathway of least destruction to each room in your home. You’ll thank yourself for it later.
4. Check for leaks.
Do a quick walkthrough of the moving van and see if you spot any leaks where water can get through. If it’s bright outside, close the van and looks for areas where light shines – these are definite vulnerabilities, and should be sealed over with tape and plastic bags.
5. You can’t have too many trash bags.
Cardboard boxes are great for moving – in dry weather. If you’re moving in the rain, you’ll quickly see your dry cardboard boxes turn into soft pliable mush. Grab a few boxes of XL trash bags, and cover each individual box before loading into the portable storage unit.
6. Protect yourself.
Hey, remember – it’s not all about your kitchenware and clothes. You have to protect yourself from the elements as well. Look ahead at the weather before packing up all your clothes, and leave out a heavy rain coat and sturdy boots. You don’t want to get sick during your first day in your new home.
7. Teamwork is key.
Have you ever thought about forming an assembly line? If efficiency is your game, then you’ll want to consider this for your rainy day move. Have one or two people stay in the unit and pass packages down to a line of a few other people. This will minimize the amount of time everyone spends out in the cold, dreary weather.
8. Document your belongings.
If you’re using a moving service, make sure to take photos of your belongings before and after they’ve been loaded into the moving unit. If anything gets damaged by the movers, you’ll have evidence to prove it wasn’t due to your packing job.
9. Postpone, if possible.
If at all possible, try to postpone your move by a day or two. If you’re worried about torrential downpour, it’s best to wait – even just a few hours – for the worst of it to subside. That being said, don’t postpone your move due to a few small rain showers.
Have you had to move during a storm? Tell us your survival story below!
UNITS Moving and Portable Storage offers short and long term storage solutions whether you are moving or just need some extra space. With portable storage in Danville, portable storage in Pleasant Hill, portable storage in Hayward portable storage in Alameda and the rest of the East Bay Area we can have you covered for all your storage needs.
