As a Massachusetts-based moving company, we know a thing or two about moving during harsh New England winters. Not only is the weather freezing, but it can also be snowy, rainy, or icy. This leaves little room for fun and a lot of room for slippery and unsafe conditions.
If moving in the winter is your only option, all is not lost. A benefit of winter moving is that you could end up saving money since it’s considered the moving slow season. Plus, you’ll probably be able to get more options for availability because of the lower demand.
Here are 11 of our best winter moving tips for making the best of a less than ideal situation that’ll save you time, stress, and money.
1. Check the forecast for inclement weather, and plan accordingly
This is probably obvious: Keep up-to-date on the weather throughout the week leading up to your move. If conditions get bad, consider rescheduling.
Moving your stuff is not worth risking your safety! And as previously mentioned, movers are more likely to have extra flexibility in their schedules during the winter.
2. Organize your belongings and label your boxes ahead of time
You want to spend the least amount of time as possible scrambling last minute. For your move to be quick and strategic, organizing ahead of time will prevent a ton of stress.
You don’t want to get stuck making countless trips in the cold, so be sure to know what you’re loading in first and roughly where it should all fit.
3. Prep your walkways
This rule only applies for snowy weather, but it’s still important: Clear snow from your driveway ahead of time, and throw salt or sand on any ice you see.
Lay tarps or cardboard down in both your old place and new place, just so you don’t need to do any additional cleanup.
4. Double-wrap fragile items to protect them
Glassware and other fragile objects become extra frigid and vulnerable to breaking in the cold, so it’s a good idea to double-wrap them, especially because things are bound to be more slippery in the winter and could lead to a fall.
Electronics are also not keen on cold or wet weather, so you might want to wrap a box of electronics in a tarp in case you’re moving in the rain or snow.
If you’re worried about keeping your belongings safe, consider hiring professional packers to safely wrap your items.
5. Hire a babysitter to look after your children/pets
Moving with kids and animals is hard. Moving kids and animals in the winter is even harder. Imagine trying to move boxes in the snow while also being responsible for small children or pets who aren’t able to assist with the move.
Hiring a babysitter, or scheduling the move during a school day, is ideal. As for pets, see if a friend can take them during the move, or drop them off at a pet daycare for the day.
If none of these options work, see if someone you’re moving with can stay with your kids and/or pets at the new place you’re moving into.
6. Start moving early
In addition to the cold weather, winter also makes it feels like our days are cut in half. By starting your move early, you’ll finish before it gets dark, even if any hiccups occur.
For your safety, and because it gets even colder at night, it’s best not to move in the dark.
7. Dress in layers and wear waterproof boots
Despite the freezing temperatures, you will work up a sweat. Dress in layers so you can peel them off if it starts to get too hot.
Be sure to wear waterproof and slip-proof boots to fight snow, rain, black ice, and whatever else winter throws at you.
8. Turn off the heat in both homes…
With so many people going in and out of your place, there isn’t much of a point in attempting to keep it warm. Save yourself some money and keep the heat off in both homes.
Besides, you’ll be bundled up and sweating beneath those layers, so you won’t even notice how chilly it is.
9. …But do create a warm room.
Leave a space heater on in a small room such as the bathroom. It’ll give you and the movers/your friends an area to catch their breath and warm up between trips.
If you find struggling to get through the move, taking a moment to heat up can make a huge difference.
10. Keep towels on hand
Similar to keeping tarps around to reduce cleanup, keeping towels around is a great idea as well. Have them handy in case you need to wipe down your shoes, wipe down wet boxes, or clean up a spill.
11. Leave moving to the moving professionals
There’s a good chance moving company costs will be lower now than during peak months, so you’ll still save money, stress, and time even if you hire professional movers to do it all for you.
Sitterly Movers can help keep your winter move easy and stress-free. Book your free moving estimate today to cross off “moving” from your winter to-do list!
