It’s your worst nightmare come true. You’ve planned for months, carefully chosen a moving company, packed your belongings with the utmost care. When moving day comes, something unexpected happens – it rains. If it is raining on your moving day, do not despair. You can still have the successful and stress-free move you were hoping for. Here are some tips and tricks to help you pull it off.
1. Use Plastic Wrap
If there are small items in your home that you want to protect from the elements, use plastic wrap. Just pack your boxes and belongings as you usually would, and encase them in a few sturdy layers of plastic moving wrap. Make sure you wrap them at least a few times so that no rain can get in through those pesky gaps. This is an especially useful tip for last minute weather problems because it is so easy and quick to do.
2. Label Your Items.
Labeling your items is important for any move. It is the key to a smooth transition from your existing space to your new home and can save you a lot of headaches in the long run. However, this important step becomes even more crucial in rainy conditions. Carefully label items that cannot get wet, so your movers or helpers know not to expose these items to the elements any more than necessary. To make this system even more user-friendly, use color-coded labels that are eye-catching (like red). Just be sure to explain the system to anyone who’s helping you move, so you’re all on the same page.
3. Upgrade to Plastic Containers.
Cardboard certainly has its advantages when moving: it’s cheap, readily available, and easy to dispose of after your move. Still, cardboard has an array of disadvantages too. It is a weak material in the best of weather conditions, and rain will weaken it further, possibly leading to water damage for your items. The box could even break and drop your valuables on the ground! Consider upgrading to plastic bins for your moving day. Plastic bins are resistant to water, reusable, stackable, and durable. They will last you through multiple moves, and they can be used for seasonal storage when you’re not moving.
4. Use Tarps for Big Pieces.
The rain can substantially damage wooden furniture or heavy cloth pieces. The threat of mold, mildew, and rot can threaten some of your most valuable pieces of furniture. Great Guys Movers advises clients to wrap big furniture in tarps to protect them from the rain. You can head to a home improvement store and stock up before your move. I recommend first wrapping them in blankets and throwing a tarp over that for an extra level of protection.
5. Put Safety First.
If the weather is so bad that it becomes a safety concern, cancel the move. During a move, the last thing you want to do is reschedule. However, if the weather conditions pose a threat to your movers, they will probably cancel anyway. In the end, safety is most important during a move. Don’t risk your safety just to stay on schedule with your move. Reschedule with the company, and make sure you and your things are safe.