Out of all the months that individuals move in the United States, the winter months are usually ignored in favor of the warmer months. There are entirely genuine justifications for this, and practically all of them are produced by the weather. After all, throughout most of the U.S., winter means snow, ice, sleet, cold temperatures, and less than model driving circumstances. Here at A-1 Freeman, we’ve been through many Austin winter seasons and we’ve run into just about every situation that can pop up. As such, we’ve made a goal to put together a guide on moving in the winter to present you with all the information you want to have an unbeatable Austin move.
So to begin with, you need to maintain a sharp eye on the weather as your move date approaches. If you’re going to have a lot of snow, if an ice storm is going to come through, or if it’s going to be below freezing, you need to see it coming so you can plan around it. If you’re going to have a good portion of snow falling right before your move, you need to clean off both your current home’s paths and your new home’s paths. Check that you have enough salt to adequately coat the sidewalks, driveways, and front walkways. You can’t afford to have any slick surfaces when moving large or unwieldy items.- Be sure that you’re keeping an ear to your local station that has periodic traffic information. If the cold temperatures cause a water main that’s on your route to burst, you’ll certainly want to be able to preemptively reroute your caravan around the troubled area. If there’s a traffic jam or extremely active road, consider planning to go around it. If the roads are slick, there’s a heightened opportunity for an accident that could harm your possessions and put a huge dent in your schedule.
- With as flippant as the weather can be, you’re going to want to plan your move for a few days prior to your target date of needing to clear out of your current residence if you can. This will allow you to have time to reschedule your move if you get a sizable amount of snow or ice. Together with this, you’ll want to talk to your landlord or realtor about a potential day or two day setback in moving if things get really snow-filled. Having all the details worked out in advance is good form and much appreciated by all parties involved.
When you’re packing up your place to prepare for the move, be sure to leave out your winter gear. Make sure that there’s plenty of room in your trunk for a shovel or two, sidewalk salt, winter clothes, boots, and everything else that you’ll need to clear a path to your new home if you get a large snowfall the night before. You don’t want to have to start going through boxes to find everything you need.- If the roads and sidewalks are a bit sloppy from snow, ice, salt, and other junk, you’re going to need some way to protect the flooring in your new home. Buy some plastic sheets that you can lay down for your moving crew to walk on. It can be found at any hardware store since painters and drywallers use it a lot. Just put it out so that you have all the paths to your rooms covered, and you won’t have to worry about dirtying up the carpet. Simply roll up the plastic after you’re done going in and out, and put it in the recycle bin. Easy cleanup!
- Start the day bundled up in layers of clothing, and as time goes on and your body starts to heat up you’ll be able to remove items to remain in a comfortable state. As the blood gets pumping, you’ll find that you might not need that scarf or second pair of socks. Just be sure that you’re not taking off too many layers so you don’t put yourself in harm’s way. It can be easy to feel warm, but overexpose yourself to the environment to the point where you get sick or hurt.
Be sure to take a few breaks during the process to warm up. Everyone knows that cold fingers are hard to use. Grab a mug of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, sit down, and warm up after a bit. These small breaks will allow you to continue safely unloading your truck, van, or car without the added threat of dropping or damaging something due to non-responsive extremities.
- Make sure that your utilities are turned on and working at your new and old home. You don’t want the first night you stay at your new place to be in the cold and the dark. Make sure if the temperature is really low that you turn on the tap in the kitchen and bathroom to a slow drip. This will help prevent your pipes from freezing when letting in the sub-freezing temperatures from the outside during the unloading process. You might consider turning the heat down to 60 or so while you’re running in and out. This will help you save on your electricity or gas bill.
- Be sure that all of your fragile items are correctly protected and firmly stored during the move. You don’t want a small slip on the ice to ruin an antique or entire set of dishes. If you’re unsure of the footing, use a hand dolly and pull the boxes in rather than chance carrying them.
- Bring on some help. A professional Austin moving company, like A-1 Freeman Moving Group has the winter moving experience needed to successfully move you into your new home with as few complications as possible. An added benefit of this is that the rates for the winter months are lower than in the peak moving season. This means you can get professional help AND a great rate on top of it! For example, here at A-1 Freeman, each of our moving concierges know all of the above and are ready to make sure your move is as stress-free and smooth as possible.
Don’t let the winter months scare you from moving. Combine this guide with your standard packing procedures for a spring, summer, or fall move, and you’ll be prepared no matter what nature throws at you. If you need any physical assistance, we can provide you with a completely free, zero-obligation
moving quote. Let us help you with all the heavy lifting and unsure footing that snow and ice can bring to the table.
