There are multiple things that you need to plan for the moving day. However, you can't control bad weather no matter how much you try. It would be a huge inconvenience for you if it started raining on a moving day. Perhaps, you will have to spend a considerable time outside loading your belongings into the truck as well as unloading them from the truck after you reach the new destination. It would be a big disappointment to see your possessions get wet in the rain.
Luckily, there are a few simple tips to make your move easy in bad and unexpected weather. If you apply these tricks, you can protect both your house and belongings from getting damaged in the rain. Also, you can protect yourself from slipping and move heavy items smoothly to where you want. In short, bad weather doesn’t always mean that your move is going to be bad as well.
How to move in light rain?
Moving in light rain isn’t a big deal, here are some tricks which you must keep in mind:
- Moving boxes are strong enough to handle a little bit of rain and keep your possessions in the box dry. Of course, if you keep these boxes outside for long hours in the rain, they will get damaged.
- Don’t keep the boxes directly on the ground as there can be moisture and puddles.
- It would be a good idea to quickly load the boxes into the moving truck and wipe them.
- You can use plastic bags or moving blankets to prevent your possessions from getting wet in the rain.
- Though light rain isn’t any reason to postpone your move, you should take proper care of any electronic gadgets you have.
How to move in heavy rain?
Heavy rain can be risky, here are two options:
- Request the movers to load your belongings into the moving truck before the rain starts. However, this is only possible if you know the weather forecast. Check with the movers if they can come to your location after the rain stops.
- If you can’t adjust the time, you must keep sufficient packing materials ready to shield your belongings. Also, you can use an umbrella to protect your valuables from the rain.
Tip: We suggest you find a parking area that is in an enclosure so that you can load your items easily into the rental truck. Moreover, it would be easier for you to unload the boxes after you reach your destination.
Tips to move on a rainy day
Here are a few steps you can take to sail smoothly on moving days when the weather is unpredictable:
- Cover the belongings- Of course, you can use a moving blanket to wrap your furniture and moving boxes. However, it isn’t waterproof and can pose a huge risk to your furniture or other items. We recommend you cover the belongings with stretch wrap or a plastic wrap and protect them from rain. If you have bigger items, you can use tarps or garbage bags to protect against the rain. You must secure these moving boxes with tape and stop the moisture from entering.
- Line the interior of the boxes- This may sound difficult because you have already packed your boxes for the move. But if the weather predicts rain, you should consider lining those boxes or all your efforts would be in vain. You can use a garbage bag to line the boxes from inside and then pack all your belongings into that bag. Once this is done, you need to seal the bag first and then seal the box. This will ensure your items stay dry, even if the moving box gets wet in the rain.
Tip: You can use a garbage bag only to pack your belongings like clothes or other unbreakable items.
- Create a loading and unloading action plan- You should make a precise plan of how you will load the items and schedule your moving truck. The key idea here would be to expose your boxes and furniture to the rain as less as possible. Here are some tricks:
- It would be a good option to place large and heavy items at the back of the moving truck, next to the driver’s cabin.
- You should place light and small items in both the middle and entrance of the truck, near the entrance.
If you plan these, you can easily streamline the truck loading process and reduce the stress of deciding all these on a moving day.
- Don’t create a mess in your old house- Surely, you don’t want to leave muddy footprints in your old house, while moving out of it. Keep all your packed items ready in the garage or front hall of your house. This will ensure your items are dry as well as close to the rental truck. Moreover, this helps you to keep the rain outside your old house so that you don’t have to do much cleaning before leaving the house.
- Strengthen the boxes- A cardboard box isn’t the most definitive option, even if you have to move on a normal day. However, if you are moving on a rainy day, this can further ruin your day. You will have damaged items delivered to your new location. Here’s what you can do to fortify your boxes:
- Ensure to use new cardboard boxes that are in undamaged shape, or you can even rent plastic moving boxes.
- Make sure you carefully examine the boxes and apply tapes to strengthen the ripped and torn areas.
- You can wrap an additional layer of plastic wrap around the boxes and ensure the boxes stay dry.
- Border the truck bed- Don't forget the muddy puddles that may form while you load the moving truck. Here are a few tricks that you can apply:
- You can use flat cardboard boxes to line the truck bed. This will absorb any water that accumulates on it.
- Consider covering fragile items with a tarp so that water doesn’t penetrate them.
- If you do this, you can easily prevent your items from getting damaged because of rain during the transit.
- Wipe the items while you load them- You should keep some towels ready so that you can wipe the boxes as you load them into the moving truck. This could be the best way to prevent stains and damage to furniture due to moisture. If you have wooden furniture to move, try your best to keep it dry as it can get stained easily.
- Think practical and ensure safety- Moving on a rainy day poses risk to your safety as well. You need to take extra care as you might slip while moving heavy items. Here are a few precautions you can take:
- Consider placing old mats, tarps, or unfolded cardboard on the path you will take to reach the moving truck from your house.
- It seems a good idea to streamline the process, possibly you can ask two people to move the belongings from inside your house to the door and the other two people who will move with them to the moving truck.
- You should wear non-slip shoes when moving on a rainy day.
- Work skillfully- You shouldn't sacrifice your safety for the sake of completing your move quickly. However, you should do things accurately and not get occupied in the memories of your old house. We will advise you to check the weather prediction for rain if you want to go slowly with the move. Probably you need to check if it would be feasible for you to wait till the rain stops.
- Drive the rental truck carefully- Choosing to make a DIY move in the rainy season can be riskier than hiring professional movers. If you don't hire movers, possibly you will be driving the truck by yourself to your new house. However, driving a large vehicle on a rainy day can be extremely dangerous, so you must be careful. You need to take care of the road condition while you drive a heavy vehicle.
- Unpack immediately- Normally, unpacking your belongings would be the last thing you would like to do on the moving day itself. But you will be thankful to know that you have now settled in your new house and all your belongings are secure and dry. Don’t have any delay in unpacking your belongings as you do when you come back from a vacation. If you get lazy, perhaps moisture will accumulate and damage your furniture or other items.
Preparing your new house for the rain
You should take some time out of your moving schedule and prepare your new home for the movers to come. Here are a few simple steps for you to take and make your rainy day move smoother:
- Place a welcome mat- Don't worry if you don't have a welcome mat, you can use any less-costly rug instead. Avoid using costly wool rugs but apply your brains to find a feasible alternative. If you don't have a rug as well, consider buying a few from a dollar store or place a towel instead for the movers to wipe their feet.
- Turn on the heat- If you have started the utility services at your new address, we advise you to turn on the heat. The furnace will take off the moisture from the air and make your house a comfortable place to live.
- Get some old towels ready- In case of heavy rain, the movers will need towels to wipe their faces and hands or even the wet boxes they would be bringing to your house. We recommend you use old towels because they might get ruined during the entire process.
- Place a few dry cardboard boxes- If you have a few spare cardboard boxes, consider laying them down on the wet floor. This will work as an anti-slippery surface when you or the movers go in and out of the house with heavy items.
Hire professional movers
Moving on a rainy day isn’t only annoying, but it can also make the moving day more difficult and stressful for you. You will face a tough time trying to manage the entire move on your own and it can lead to serious problems like damaging your belongings or causing accidents.
If the weather predicts heavy rain and you can’t postpone the move, consider hiring moving laborers to help you load your belongings into the truck. Alternatively, you can hire a moving company who will take care of your entire move.