How to Survive Moving in the Rain Without Slipping Around

October 14, 2021 / Posted in Moving Basics
Hannah Michaelson

Hannah is a freelance relocation writer from NYC that has become an expert on packing and unpacking

You spend weeks, if not months, preparing for your perfect move. It’s a happy occasion for you – it’s a good change. So, naturally, you imagine your relocation day as a sunny, cloudless one. But what if it doesn’t turn out like that? Moving in the rain is a real possibility – have you stopped for a second to consider that? What are you going to do if this happens to you?

Raindrops on the window, city lights behind it
Bad weather can be a real threat to the success of your move - what to do about it?

Before you start panicking about this impending doom, let us calm you down. Sure, this can happen, but who says you can’t do something about it? Luckily, you’ve run into us, and we have a solution for every relocation challenge. So, we will explain everything about this complication and give you valuable tips that will help you keep everything on track and end your move with a smile on your face. Let’s get started, shall we?

Is It OK to Move in the Rain and What Are the Chances You Will Have to Face This Complication?

Is moving homes in the rain a reasonable thing to do – can you have an efficient move on a rainy day? What are the chances that the weather will be gloomy on the morning of your move? Sure, you won’t expect snow if you move in summer, but who can guarantee that there won’t be some drizzle just when your long distance movers arrive at your doorstep?

It’s better to be safe than sorry, so preparing for this possibility should be one of the tasks on your relocation to-do list – even in cases when you have to move in a hurry. Although it will be a bit more demanding than a move in dry weather, it most certainly can be done, and with our relocation tips, it will be as simple as organizing a staycation. Don’t let this throw you off your game – the usual relocation stress will be more than enough, and you don’t need to worry about this on top of everything else.

Do Moving Companies Move in the Rain? Can You Cancel the Move if It’s a Rainy Day?

Naturally, professional workers can handle a bit of water falling from the sky – to be honest, they face worse complications daily. If you’ve booked long distance moving services from a reputable long distance moving company, everything should be okay. On the other hand, you can cancel if you feel like this isn’t the right time.

If your reason to move isn’t that urgent, it might be better not to risk your valuable belongings. Most companies will charge you a cancelation fee if you call off the move that late in the process, but you should ask yourself what’s more important – a bit of cash or your entire household inventory. Sometimes, it’s better to play safe.

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What To Do If It’s Raining on Moving Day? Here’s How You Can Prepare for This Complication

How do you move when it’s raining without slipping and damaging your boxes or packed electronics? Of course, it’s essential to prepare and protect items you’ll move, but paying attention to what you’ll wear is also important. Plus, the route from the front door to the relocation truck (and vice versa, when you arrive at the new home) is one of the things that will determine a big part of your relocation experience.

Your Outfit Will Be More Than Just a Fashion Statement in This Situation

If you will have to load or unload boxes by yourself – or do any work at all – it would be wise to prepare proper clothing. We hope you didn’t donate (or pack) clothes for rainy days when you donated unwanted items during your decluttering stage. What should you wear in order to move safely during rainfall? A jacket to keep you dry is an obvious choice, but more importantly, you need to wear shoes that will prevent slipping – good traction is crucial for this task.

Imagine slipping and falling while carrying a heavy box. It sounds like a recipe for a back injury, right? Additionally, you want to have gloves prepared. Dropping heavy packages because your hands were slippery isn’t a desirable outcome as well – you might hurt your feet.

The Shortest and Safest Route to the Truck Should Be Determined in Advance

Don’t leave anything to chance. Before your long distance movers arrive to load everything from your packing list onto the truck, you should decide on the best route from your door to the truck. This is a smart little relocation hack, and we will explain why. Avoiding puddles, grass, and other slippery surfaces can save you a lot of time and prevent possible injuries. Make sure you sweep the leaves off the concrete path and wash off the mud with a hose. If you can, use a pop-up tent. Place it over the path from the door to the truck to keep workers and your boxes dry.

Father and daughter under an umbrella, in the room full of packages
Good preparations for relocation during rainfall is half the work done

Tips for Moving in the Rain – How to Protect Your Items?

Moving stuff in the rain can leave them vulnerable to damage. Although you might not be worried about your kitchen items, we assume you don’t want your packed books, sofa, or paintings, for example, to get soaked wet. Luckily, this can be prevented. If you know how to wrap your items and furniture properly, everything will stay in perfect condition.

You Will Need to Use Additional Packing Materials

One of the things you forget to do when you move on a rainy day is getting the right supplies for these atmospheric conditions, especially if you’re not getting professional packing service. Assuming that standard packing materials and techniques will be enough is one of the most common relocation mistakes, and we are here to warn you about it so that you can avoid it. Here are some materials you should use to protect your belongings. Although you will probably have some of those, the trick is to make sure you have enough for all your items.

  • Garbage bags,
  • Plastic wrap,
  • Plastic bins,
  • Waterproof furniture blankets.

Protect Your Items With One Simple Trick

First, you want to ensure the safety of your most valuable items. Essentially, the whole point is this – plastic wrap is your best friend now. If you have expensive artwork, make sure you cover it with this material so that it won’t get wet. This tip goes for any items that can be damaged by water, especially electronics. When you’re packing a TV and other electronic devices, you need to carefully wrap it as you usually would, but add the layer of plastic wrap over the cardboard package – that way, water can’t get inside.

You can do this with every box that contains something valuable. An alternative solution would be using plastic bins, but keep in mind that cardboard is durable, and you can even make your cardboard boxes waterproof if you’re up for a bit of DIY. But how do you cover furniture when moving in the rain? This is where blankets come to the scene. You don’t want to use thin sheets – what you need are thick blankets that will prevent moisture from getting through. Don’t forget that clothes can also suffer from water damage. We suggest that you use garbage bags for this – they are perfect for the job.

A girl taping the box on the stool, surrounded by packages
A box alone might not be enough - make sure you wrap the box after you tape it

What to Do Once You Arrive at Your Destination?

Don’t let yourself fall into the false sense of security once the loading part is over. Yes, you’ve gotten through that, but there’s still unloading – and that can go wrong as well. Still, there are a few things you can do to prevent trouble while unloading the van and carrying your items inside the new home, and we will share those useful tricks with you.

Get to the New Home Before Your Long Distance Moving Company Does, So That You Can Do Some Preparations

Although this is not always possible, especially when relocating to a new state, the point of these preparations is to prevent mud and water from your wet shoes from coming inside your new place. It’s nothing complicated – all you have to do is get rugs or towels, and lay them on both sides of the doorstep to prepare for movers.

You can also place cardboard sheets or newspapers near the front door. This will help prevent unnecessary dirt from getting inside – why clean an apartment or a house more than you have to? Additionally, we suggest you don’t forget to transfer utilities, so you can turn on the heat. Trust us, you’ll be happy you can do something about your wet socks after that exhausting move.

Unpack Quickly – This Is One of the Essential Tips

In other situations, unpacking after the move can be prolonged for weeks. But, if you have even a single wet box, you might want to handle this tedious task as soon as possible. The items in the box might still be in good condition, and they will be okay if you get them out shortly after the move is over. The longer they stay in packages, the bigger the chase for water damage. So, empty those packages, and wipe off the water from your belongings, if there is any. If you have way too many things to unpack, call a few friends to help you out.

If You Are Taking Your Belongings to Storage, Follow These Tips

Just as always, it’s crucial to find a storage unit that has optimal conditions for storing items long-term. You don’t want to go through the trouble of keeping your packages safe from rainfall, only for them to be destroyed because of the moisture in the storage unit. If you plan to store a few things, you should be sure that they haven’t been damaged by water in transportation.

Why is this important? You will leave those items in the storage facility, most likely for quite some time. That means you won’t have the opportunity to check if they are okay like you can check on those you moved to your place. In situations like this, it’s better to do a double-check than to regret your carelessness later.

Two cross country movers carrying packages in the living room with a yellow sofa behind them
Carrying the packages into the new place can be tricky as well - learn what to do about it

Don’t Let a Few Raindrops Scare You

If you don’t want to or can’t cancel your relocation during the winter, then stop thinking about how relocating in summer would be a better idea and get to work. Consider enclosed auto shipping, so your precious vehicle doesn’t suffer on the road, and rely on our tips for everything else. If you’re planning a last-minute move and you forgot to check the weather forecast, don’t fall into despair, you can still have a stress-free relocation and enjoy all the benefits of moving. Try looking at the bright side of relocating to a new city, and who knows, asking people to help you unload the truck while it’s drizzling might not be such a bad way to meet new neighbors after all.

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