Moving in the winter is not ideal – especially if you are in New England or an area that gets a lot of snow. However, having the right tools and a little foresight can go along way for any winter moving experience. Here are a few ways you can prepare for your cold-weather move:
What are some things people should keep in mind if they are planning a move in the winter in a cold climate?
- Schedule a morning move – daylight is scarce and puddles turn into ice in an instant. Morning/sunlight moves are critical to moving safely in the winter
- Breakables are more fragile in colder temps – double/triple pack dishes, china, glass, ornaments etc. Glass becomes harder and more brittle under thermal stress so using old clothes or rags for your most sentimental items is suggested. You may want to hire a packing company to help pack in colder temps.
- Extra thick moving blankets – some rentable moving blankets don’t have any insulation for your furniture so make sure your movers are using the extra thick, heavy duty blankets especially if you need overnight storage.
- Floor protection – At Mastodon Moving, we use floor protection for every move but in winter it is especially important not only for safety but salt can damage wood floors instantly.
- Protect Yourself – We suggest wool clothes that are warm but also wick away sweat. Steel toed boots, hand and foot warmers that skiers and hikers use are great. We also keep a container of vaseline handy for cracked hands and lips.
- Shovel and salt walkways – Our crews at Mastodon Movers always come prepared with a shovel and salt but many movers expect homeowners to clear a path and make it safe. Always make sure your moving company has workers comp insurance incase of slippage at your residence.
- Keep an eye on the weather – If you see a Nor’easter or major weather pattern on your moving day consider changing the date. Mastodon Moving does not charge for switched moving dates but some movers do.
Are there materials you can pack with that help to insulate or protect items from cold weather when you move?
Extra Thick Moving Blankets – Double wrap all of your fragile china, dishes and cups to protect them from shock. It will help insulate them from the cold. Big shifts in temperature can crack these more fragile items, so treat them to a little more TLC.
Vaseline for cracked skin/lips
Salt for walkways
Extra Cardboard to place cardboard along the walls of the truck if you need overnight storage or any moving with storage.
Storms are often unpredictable, especially considering moving is often planned in advance. How can people work with unexpected winter weather issues?
Customers need to hire movers that have flexible scheduling – primary independent moving companies. Find a moving company near you that doesn’t charge fees for rescheduling due to weather. Another thing to remember, insurance does not usually cover “acts of god” which includes disasters or severe storms so making sure you have hired trusted, fair movers is really the most important thing a person can do.
Are there any different things to keep in mind moving long distance in cold weather, vs a local move?
For a long distance move, understand that if you use a moving broker or van line they may unload/load your items several times so making sure the furniture is packed and protected well is extremely important. Mastodon Moving is an independent moving company so only one customers items are on one of our trucks at a time. We don’t mix shipments like larger operations. Some people use cardboard in-between each “wall of furniture” which is what we do at Mastodon Moving to give all items some extra insulation.
