While many of us Midwesterners dislike the winter, we are prepared for it. We have our late Fall routines of winterizing water lines, swapping out the lawnmower for the snowblower, and battening down the hatches. But if you are moving to or from Cleveland during the winter months, you will want to spend some of your efforts on being prepared for your winter move. Before your local movers or cross-country movers walk up to your house, you will want to get ready for that the big day. Get a warm cup of cocoa and let’s put together a checklist of ways to ensure you are prepared for a move day that even a blizzard will not ruin!
✓ Dress in layers
During the loading and delivery process, your exterior doors will need to be open for most of the day. Expect it to get pretty cold in your house! Make sure you dress in layers to remain warm and toasty!
Bonus tip: Set aside an extra blanket or space heater in an interior room, perhaps a bedroom, and plan to spend a lot of your time inside while the movers work.
✓ Truck access
If your move is scheduled just after a substantial snow event, you should look for large snowdrifts or snow piles around your neighborhood. This is even more true if your neighborhood is plowed by a professional, some areas, like cul-de-sacs, may have massive piles of snow in the street. This may affect how your movers, either local or cross-country can get to your house. Be sure to take note of any major snow piles or drifts that weren’t there when you performed your in-home or virtual estimate, and tell your local or cross-country mover right away in order to avoid any surprise problems.
✓ Have driveway and all walkways cleared and salted
The movers will be going from your house to the parked moving truck all day. Making sure there is a safe, clean walkway is crucial to manage their safety, as well as the safety of your household items.
✓ Utilities
You should be sure to check your extended forecast, notably forecast temperatures. If a cold snap is imminent, you may want to hold off having your utilities, such as gas or water, turned off. Conversely, make sure those utilities are turned on at your new home before temperatures drop too low and cause damage. Nobody wants to get to their new home and find the pipes have burst!
✓ Floor Protection
Movers will protect your home, placing things such as reused cardboard on wood and rug runners to keep carpet safe. But, you probably will want to lay down some extra cardboard or small rugs outside your exterior doors, to minimize the amount of slush, salt, and water in your house. Even a flattened box in your basement can be a nice buffer to wipe off shoes before coming inside!
✓ Pack Strategically
There are certain items you might want to pack separately, or even pack last. Items like boots and warm socks, sweaters, gloves, winter hats and a snow shovel could be things you will rather keep handy. That way you are always equipped for the fluctuating weather!
✓ Plan for Darkness
Most of your packing will happen indoors, but don’t forget about your attic, yard, garage, and shed! Because winter has shorter, darker days, please plan ahead to pack these outside areas hours of the day that you have lots of daylight left.
Further, local movers have a unique winter challenge. For a lot of customers, a local move takes place during one day; your the local movers load, drive and deliver all on the same day. But with it getting darker earlier, some moves simply cannot be finished the same day this time of the year. If your local mover is suggesting you have to split your move over two days, this is most likely the cause. It is not safe for local movers to haul heavy belongings in the dark, so it is a good idea to move your belongings over the course of two shorter days instead of one long day.
✓ Take extra care packing breakables
A lot of fragile items, like snow globes or wine, may be sensitive to large temperature fluctuations. Plan to wrap delicate possessions carefully, try to add additional protection such as newspapers, rags, towels and bubble wrap.
✓ Keep extra towels handy
Rugs are one of the last things your movers will load up. This means once the local movers or cross-country movers hit the road, anybody coming into your house will have nowhere to wipe their feet. Put down old towels so people can wipe their feet, reducing the snow, slush and salt from making its way inside!
✓ Expect the Unexpected
If your cross-country movers have the hit the road to your new place, then it’s your turn. But do not get surprised during your journey to your new home. If you have a long drive to your new home this winter, you should be sure you have an emergency kit and supplies with you. We’ve heard the news stories about highways ending up at a standstill for hours, leaving hundreds of drivers stranded. Don’t let this be you! Here are the essentials for your winter weather car safety kit:
- Bottles of water
- Flashlight
- Towels
- Blankets
- Short handled snow shovel (this will fit easily in the trunk, and useful if you get stuck!)
- Snacks, especially ones higher in protein
- Empty, clean bottle or bowl with a lid (for, bathroom emergencies, especially if you have small kids)
- Baby wipes
What’s the right way to prepare for your upcoming move this winter? Partnering with Corrigan! We will hold your hand through each step in the process, resulting in an easy, no-hassle experience from start to finish. Do not hire movers who will leave you stranded in the cold.
Contact Corrigan today!