Tips For Moving House In The Rain

So what do you do when the weather changes unexpectedly and it’s pouring with rain on the moving day you planned so carefully? The answer is easy. You’ll just have to move your furniture and belongings in the rain.

Here are some tips for keeping your belongings and yourself safe when moving in the rain:

Safety First

Before you think about ways to protect furniture and cardboard boxes, think about your own safety first. Moving heavy furnishings out of your home and into the back of a truck is risky enough on your back, but it’s even more dangerous in slippery, wet conditions.

Be sure you’re wearing shoes with non-slip soles to reduce the risk of slipping on wet driveways. Put old cotton sheets down on the floor in the entrance to your home instead of plastic drop sheets to avoid water accumulating on the plastic and becoming slippery.

If the rain is particularly heavy, you might want to cover cardboard boxes with a sheet or towels to avoid them getting wet and soggy. Of course, if you already know you’re moving at a time of year when rain is highly likely, it may be wise to consider using plastic boxes to pack heavy items and anything else that may be easily damaged in water.

Transit Insurance

Consider opting for transit insurance to protect your items during the move. The risk of something being dropped or broken in wet conditions is increased, as is the risk of water damage, so check that your items are covered while they’re in transit to your new house.

Not all insurance companies offer transit insurance for your household contents and belongings while they’re in between properties, so check that you’re covered. If you’re not, you may want to take out a temporary cover policy to cover your things before, during and after the move.

Drive Carefully

When all your belongings are packed into the truck and the removalists are on their way to your new home, chances are you’ll jump into the car to follow them there with the keys. Be sure to drive carefully on slippery roads, especially if you have personal documents, precious items and other belongings with you to complete your move.

Protect Your Home

When you arrive at your new home, put a doormat down outside the front door for the removalists to wipe their feet as they enter. They’ll be lugging heavy furniture from outside, so their shoes will be wet. A doormat will reduce the risk of anyone slipping and causing an injury, or potentially dropping your belongings.

Make sure you also put down old towels, sheets or carpet offcuts to protect floors and carpets before the removalists start bringing your furniture inside. Muddy footprints on new carpets means spending more time cleaning up after the move.

Ideally, you should arrange to move all of your things into one or two rooms near the front entrance of the new home. This allows you the opportunity to let furniture dry before putting it onto carpets or floorboards. If you have cardboard boxes being moved into bedrooms, ask the removalists if they’ll put wet boxes onto towels, instead of placing them onto the carpet.

Moving in the rain can be challenging, but you can reduce the risk of damaging your items or injuring yourself by being careful about safety. Plan ahead and work on ways to keep your belongings protected during and after the move.