The holiday season is the most sought-after time of the year. From sipping hot chocolate to spending quality time with your family, decorating the Christmas tree, baking delicious cakes, and so on, there are so many things we love about the holiday season. But if you are planning to move your home, then it may turn into the most frustrating and stressful time.
While relocating home in the winter is a much cheaper undertaking, it comes with some downsides as well. For example, the cold weather and snow-covered roads increase the risk of accidents and damage to your fragile households. But winter moving isn’t all doom and gloom. You can have a successful move with preparations and planning along with hiring the top movers in San Diego. In this post, we will look at tips that will help you prepare for a pleasant winter move.
Always have a back-up plan
When it comes to winter, it is the most unpredictable season, especially in the United States. It means you can expect a snowstorm at any given time, even if you stay up-to-date with the weather forecast. Therefore, to avoid yourself getting stuck in a situation like this on a moving day, it is advisable to have a back-up plan and be flexible with your moving schedule.
The best way to ensure a smooth move is to keep a tab on the weather forecast and choose a relatively warm day. If the day seems cloudy or you can expect rain, it is not the right time for a home relocation.
Clear off driveways and sidewalks
Accumulation of snow on the sideways and driveways is the prime reason for slips, falls, etc. Therefore, it is essential to clear your driveways, sidewalks, and any area around your home that your residential movers in San Diego might use. Please remember, excess snow is not only harmful for the moving professionals but also for you and your family members. Do not forget, these slips and falls can cause significant damage to your expensive belongings. Thus, instead of risking both lives and valuables, shovel the snow before the arrival of your movers.
Easy access to park moving trucks
December and January are the months when winter is at its peak. Therefore, if you cannot hold or postpone your home relocation, be a little considerate towards your movers and try to reduce their work as much as possible.
Some of our moving professionals have experienced that due to insufficient parking space near the destination, they had to walk miles to pack and load the carrier truck. It is because the moving trucks were parked at a distance. You can imagine how difficult it to would be to carry each box from home to a carrier truck, especially in freezing cold weather. For this reason, we urge you to create some easy parking space for your movers.
Pack expensive items with care
Fragile items like Chinaware and glassware are likely to break when subjected to low temperatures, so be careful when packing these items. As a thumb rule, to keep your expensive and fragile households well insulated for the winter, wrap them in bubble wrap.
Save energy
If the temperature is not below freezing point, there is no point in turning on your furnace. Plus, having your front door wide open will render your heating furnace inefficient, which means you will waste energy.
Avoid moving in a hurry
Well, the last-minute move may work in the summer, but for winter, it is a big no-no. As we have mentioned already, the nature winter move is way more complicated than any other season due to unpredictable weather conditions, snow-covered roads, and low temperature. For this reason, one should move ahead as per the plan in winter relocation. Additionally, it is vital to take it slow.
For example, in the winter season, the walkways are slushy, and the driveways slippery. If you or your movers rush in this condition, the odds are higher to put lives and valuables in danger. Therefore, it is advisable to go slow from the beginning to the end of a winter move.
Keep your floors safe
Regardless of cleaning your floor thoroughly with soap, water, or disinfectant before the move, it will still get dirty throughout the day. Your moving professionals will frequently come in and out of your house with the possibility of carrying dirt, dust, snow, and water on their shoes. And all this will make your floor dirty and slippery over and over again. Hence, to protect yourself from cleaning your floor hundreds of times, the best way to keep it safe and clean is by laying layers of tarps, plastic sheets, or old blankets.
Protect your appliances from water-damage
Whether it is raining or snowing, your appliances, furniture, and other expensive artwork can get damaged if not packed properly. So, it is vital to winter-proof them using an extra sheet, bubble wrap, plastic, or towel.
Winter survival kit is a must-have
Make it a habit of being ready for anything that comes in your moving plan. Having a winter survival kit in your car will help you face any issues on your way to a brand new home. Here is a list of things that are basic of any survival kit, and the rest you can add depending on your needs and preferences.
- Blankets
- Snow boots
- Touques
- Gloves
- Scarves
- Extra clothing
- Flashlights
- Packing tape
- Shovel
- Antifreeze
- Window scraper
- A tool kit
- Jumper cables
- Hot chocolate or any hot beverages
Get your car serviced
If you are traveling by car, it is crucial to get it serviced and maintained before your move to avoid vehicle breakdown on the way. Imagine a scenario; you are traveling with your family from one state to another, and you have some of the most expensive valuables in your car. And all of a sudden, your car breaks down in an unfamiliar area with no auto shops nearby. It is the last thing one can expect to happen. Therefore, servicing and maintaining your car before the move is vital.
In closing
Winter move is not easy, but with smart planning and the best apartment movers in San Diego, you can have the best moving experience. Also, you will save a lot of money, as moving companies are not busy during this time of the year. If you are searching for reliable and affordable movers in San Diego, Eckert’s Moving and Storage have got you covered.