Best Tips for Moving in Winter – How to Prepare for Cold Relocation Day

Pros and Cons of Moving in Winter

If you plan to move, you are probably wondering, What’s the best time of year to move? Well, every season has its pros and cons regarding relocation. But we will show you some of the pros and cons of a winter move. Some of the cons we mentioned earlier are quite obvious:

• Cold weather – Relocation in low temperatures is more challenging, especially if it starts to rain or snow.
• Slippery paths – Carrying boxes on an icy road can be tricky and dangerous. There is a chance that you slip and fall. For instance, when carrying a sofa, you can hurt yourself or damage your furniture.
• Delays – Snowstorms can cause a delay in the timetable for the arrival of your stuff.

Still, there are more than a few pros of relocation out of season:

• It is cheaper – Most people like to move in the summertime, which is the peak season for the cross country movers. Then naturally, due to lower demand, the wintertime is cheaper. So if you are looking for the cheapest way to move out of state, winter is your best choice.
• You will find the best cross country movers easier – During the peak season, it is harder to find a good company because their cross country moving services are usually booked in advance.
• No competition – Like in previous points, low demand means that you will have more dates to choose from.
• Your belongings will be safer – There is less chance that your belongings will be damaged from frostiness than from the summertime heat. If you pack your stuff correctly, low temperature should not harm them, and your items could be stored for a long period if the need arises.
• More time for settling in – This is generally a quieter period of the year when people have fewer activities, so you will have more time for unpacking, making friends in a new city, and exploring the city and your new surroundings.

Organize Yourself in the Best Possible Way

In every relocation, the key to stress-free moving is in good preparation, especially if you are moving in cold weather. So, ensure that you make a moving expenses checklist and hire a cross country moving services as soon as possible. Keep reading for some more winter moving tips.

Arrange Meeting With the Movers

When looking for moving companies, ask for an in-home estimate from at least three companies. This way, you will see their offers and choose a company that goes best with your budget, and remember, when relocating out of season, these prices will be lower. And if you need more tips for moving out of state in winter, you can ask your company agents everything you wish to know. Like, if you hire them for the moving services, are moving supplies included? Do they provide insurance or storage service if you need to put your belongings on the side for a couple of weeks? Since there are some items movers won’t move, don’t be shy – ask them all you need to know and thus avoid any misunderstandings on the big day.

Start Packing Early

When talking about the best packing tips for moving, if you decide to go DIY, early packing is on top of the list, especially in winter. First, pack your essentials – a bag of all the things you need to be at your disposal, so you don’t have to look for underwear or toothbrushes among all those boxes. Since you are relocating in cold weather, blankets should be at your disposal too. You will have to buy some packing materials for moving, like boxes, labels, blankets, and plastic, paper, and bubble wraps, and your packing can start. You can find out where to get free moving boxes,  but it’s easier to ask your cross country moving company to provide you with this. If you don’t know how to pack electronic for moving, or pack pots and pans, or how to move a piano, ask movers to do this job for you. It will cost more, but you will save yourself from this time-consuming and exhausting work.

Protect Your Floor

In winter, there will be a lot of snow, rain, and mud. People will come in and out of your house, so ensure that you protect your floor. You can do this with nylon or tarpaulin, but your movers will bring some if you don’t have any.

Take Care of Your Car

No matter what your reasons to relocate are, whether you are moving from apartment to house or you are moving to a small town, your car should be there the first day you arrive, especially in the wintertime. And if you are traveling on a plane, make sure that your auto shipping starts before your big day. Find out the cheapest ways to ship a car and make all the arrangements to move your car to another state.

Check the Weather for a Snowstorm Before a Move.

This is a crucial step because you will have time to prepare yourself for bad weather. So if there is going to be a snowstorm, your move may be postponed, or, if you wanted to drive to your new location, maybe you can choose a different and safer road. You will have time to prepare your vehicle for these conditions. Or perhaps you decide to stay with your family or friends until the conditions get better.

Check this video for some more tips for preparing your car for the winter drive.

Transfer Your Utilities from the Old Place to New

Arrange for utilities like electricity, gas, internet, and other essentials a couple of weeks before your relocation. This way, when you are in your new home, you will not have to worry about these things. In cold conditions, you will need your heating to be up and running when relocation is over. If you are moving during the holidays, you should do this sooner, because maybe when you arrive, services will not be available.

Warm Yourself with Layers of Clothes

You should wear warm but comfortable clothes in which you can move freely. If you are going to do some of the loading and unloading of the truck, doing this in your jacket can be difficult. You will get all sweaty underneath, and your movements will be limited. So it is better to wear layers of warm clothes that you can easily change. Also, wear your boots for a slippery road to avoid falling. Place your jacket in your car so you can put it on after loading is over. While working, make sure to have your hat and gloves on you.

Take Care of Your Movers.

When the temperature is low, the best medicine is a nice cup of hot cocoa, but if you don’t have time to prepare this chocolate nectar, you can always make some tea for your helpers. Make tea a couple of minutes before movers arrive and put it in the thermos. Buy some plastic cups for serving. They will appreciate this gesture, almost as much as if you don’t forget to tip your movers, since their job is even harder in these snowy conditions. And last but not least, clean your driveway from the snow, and put some salt to prevent icing. This will make work easier and safer for you and your movers when loading boxes on the truck.

What to Do When You Arrive at Your New Location

If you wish to save some money, don’t heat your new home while unloading. You can turn your heat up in one room and bathroom so they can be used for breaks. Also, protect your floor from moisture and mud – set aside old towels so you can use them for cleaning. Here are some tips on what you need around a house in cold weather.

Prepare Your New House for Movers.

Like in the old house, you should clean your driveways from the snow for a truck. Put some salt on the road to prevent frosting. Check if all utilities are working, especially electricity, since the days are shorter, and it will get dark sooner. So you will need light, and if you have spotlights, you can put them on your driveway where professionals are going to work.

What Should You Do to Your House Before Winter?

If you’re relocating just before heavy snow starts at your new location, you should learn a couple of tricks to maintain a house at low temperatures. There are some things you should do to prepare your house for cold conditions:

• Empty water pipes – you need to do this if you leave the house empty for longer periods of time. It will prevent breaking the pipes from the ice.
• Clean your gutters – when the leaves fall, they clog your gutters, and you need to clean them before bad weather starts. If you don’t do this, your walls will be soaked.
• Check your smoke detectors – Check if the batteries in your smoke detectors are working correctly. Light some paper and put it near smoke detectors to see if it works.
• Clean your fireplace and chimney – the chimney must be cleaned of soot or clogging to prevent fire or smoke from returning to the house. You can do this by yourself with some long brush or hire a chimney sweeper to do the job.

What Do I Need to Know About Moving to a Cold State?

Long-distance moving is a new and exciting experience, but if you move from a warm state to a cold one, some things can come as a shock to you. Freezing temperatures, for example. That’s why you should regularly check certain details about your car when living in a snowy state. You should check your car battery, change your oil, and put some antifreeze in your car. These are essential things for your car to work at low temperatures. Buying winter tires and all-season tires is OK, but if you go to a state with heavy snowing, you better take tires specialized for those conditions.

Also, be prepared to invest in winter clothing if you don’t have many and buy yourself proper boots, deep, rubber, furry boots that go to the ankles. Maybe they don’t look very nice, but your feet will be warm and dry.

Best Reason to Move in Winter

Moving away from friends is stressful and overwhelming for you and your kids. But don’t worry, there will be time to meet new friends, and you and your children will adjust in no time. This is why it is vital to arrange a relocation with professional long-distance movers. You’ll have time to devote to your children and friends and maybe to throw a moving away party, so you can say goodbye to everyone properly. If you wonder how much movers cost, well, they are much cheaper in winter than in the summer, so maybe the first thing on your moving to-do list should be hiring a cross country movers to do all the packing and unpacking for you. After all, in wintertime, you will be able to afford full moving services, and all you have to do is sit back and relax and enjoy this time with your family.