While most Midwesterners don’t like the winter, we know it’s coming. We have our late Fall routines of swapping out the lawnmower for the snowblower, winterizing water lines, and battening down the hatches. But if have a move to or from Flint during the winter months, you will want to spend some of your efforts on winter prep towards your winter move. Long before your local movers or cross-country movers get to your doorstep, you want to get ready for the day. Pour a warm cup of hot chocolate and let’s make a checklist of steps to take to ensure you’re ready for a move day that even the Snow Miser won’t mess up!
✓ Dress in layers
While loading and unloading, your doors will be open for the majority of the day. Expect it to get quite cold inside! Make sure to wear layers so you can remain warm and toasty!
Bonus tip: Set aside an extra blanket or space heater in an interior room, like a bedroom, and plan to spend a lot of your time in there while the movers work.
✓ Truck access
If your move is scheduled shortly after a major snow event, you should be aware of large neighborhood snow piles or snowdrifts. If your neighborhood is on a professional plow route, many places, such as cul-de-sacs, may have big piles of snow blocking parts of the street. This may affect how your local mover or cross-country mover can access your home. Document any major snow piles or drifts that weren’t there when you had your in-home or virtual estimate, and let your local mover or cross-country mover know right away in order to avoid any surprise problems.
✓ Have driveway and all walkways cleared and salted
Your movers will be back and forth all day to the parked moving truck. Making sure the movers have a safe, shoveled route is important to protect their safety, and also the safety of your household items.
✓ Utilities
You should be sure to pay attention to your extended forecast, particularly the temperature forecast. If a cold front is coming your way, you probably want to keep your utilities, such as gas or water, on. Likewise, ensure these utilities are ready at your new home before temperatures drop too low which can cause damage. Nobody wants pipes bursting in their new home!
✓ Floor Protection
Movers will take care of protecting your home, placing things like old cardboard over wood and rug runners to keep carpet safe. But, you may want to put down some extra cardboard or small rugs in front of your exterior doors, to further reduce the amount of slushy mess in your home. Even a flattened box from your basement can create a nice buffer to wipe off shoes before coming inside!
✓ Pack Strategically
There are some things you might choose to pack separately, or last. Things like winter outerwear and a snow shovel might be things you would prefer to keep handy. This way you are always equipped for the frigid weather!
✓ Plan for Darkness
While most of your packing happens indoors, don’t forget about your yard, garage, shed, and attic! Since the winter brings darker, shorter days, make sure to plan ahead to pack outside areas when you have plenty of daylight left.
Additionally, local movers have a special winter challenge. For most customers, their local move happens over the span of a single day; i.e. your local movers load, drive and deliver the same day. But with less daylight, some moves just aren’t able to be wrapped up on the same day this time of the year. If your local mover is advising you should split your move over multiple days, this is probably why. It’s not safe for local movers to haul large furniture in darkness, so it’s a good idea to move your items over the course of two shorter days instead of one long day.
✓ Take extra care packing breakables
A lot of fragile items, like wine or snow globes, are often sensitive to large temperature fluctuations. Plan to wrap fragile items carefully, adding even additional protection such as paper, rags, towels or bubble wrap.
✓ Keep extra towels handy
One of the final things your movers will load up are your rugs. That means once your local movers or cross-country movers leave your house, anyone coming and going from your house won’t have anywhere to wipe their feet. Put down some old towels so people can wipe their feet, cutting down the snow, slush and salt from being tracked onto your floors!
✓ Expect the Unexpected
If your cross-country movers have started heading to your new home, then now it’s your turn. But don’t get caught off guard during your trip to your new home. If you have a long drive ahead of you this winter, you will want to make sure you have an emergency kit and supplies ready. We have heard the horror stories regarding highways getting jammed up for hours, leaving hundreds of stranded drivers. Don’t let this happen to 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 helpful if you get stuck!)
- High protein snacks
- Empty, clean bottle or bowl with a lid (for, bathroom emergencies, especially if you have small kids)
- Baby wipes
What is the best way to prep for your upcoming move this winter? Partnering with Corrigan! We will walk you through every step in the process, resulting in an easy, hassle-free experience from start to finish. Do not hire a mover that will leave you stranded in the cold.
Contact Corrigan today!