10 tips to prepare for your Farmington Hills winter move

While most of us Midwesterners don’t like the winter, we know it is going to happen. We have Fall routines of battening down the hatches, winterizing water lines and swapping out the lawnmower for the snowblower. But if have a move to or from Farmington Hills during the winter months, you will want to share some of your efforts on preparation towards your winter move. Prior to your local movers or cross-country movers get to your house, you want to be ready for that the big day. Pour a warm cup of coffee and let’s write down a checklist of ideas to make sure you are prepared for a move day that even the Snow Miser won’t mess up!

✓ Dress in layers

During the loading and delivery process, your doors will have to be open for extended periods of time. It will get quite cold in your house! Make sure you wear layers to stay toasty warm!

Bonus tip: Have an extra blanket or space heater in an interior room, perhaps a bedroom, and plan to spend a lot of your time inside while the movers are working.

✓ Truck access

If your move is scheduled shortly after a substantial snow, you should be aware of large neighborhood snow piles or snowdrifts. This is also the case if your neighborhood is professionally plowed, a lot of areas, like cul-de-sacs, may have very large piles of snow in the street. This may affect how your movers, either local or cross-country can get to your house. Document any major piles of snow that weren’t there when you had your in-home or virtual estimate, and alert your local mover or cross country mover as soon as you can so you can prevent any problems.

✓ Have driveway and all walkways cleared and salted

The movers will go back and forth all day to the parked moving truck. Ensuring they have a safe, clear path to walk is important to ensure their safety, and also the safety of your belongings.

✓ Utilities

You should also pay attention to the extended forecast, particularly the temperature forecast. If a cold snap is coming your way, you probably want to keep your utilities, such as gas or water, on. Likewise, be sure these utilities are ready at your new home prior to temperatures dropping too low that can cause damage. No one wants to move to their new home with pipes bursting!

✓ Floor Protection

Movers will handle protecting your home, placing things such as old cardboard on top of wood and rug runners to keep your carpet clean. But, you probably want to put down some some small rugs or extra carboard outside your exterior doors, to cut back on the amount of salty slush in your home. Even that old flattened box from your garage can become a nice buffer for wiping off shoes before coming inside!

✓ Pack Strategically

There are probably belongings you might choose to pack separately, or even pack last. Items like your snow shovel, sweaters, warm socks and boots, gloves and winter hats could be things you will prefer to keep handy. That way you’ll always be prepared for the cold weather!

✓ Plan for Darkness

While the majority of your packing happens indoors, do not forget about your garage, shed, attic and yard! Because the winter means shorter, darker days, please plan ahead to pack these areas when you have plenty of daylight left.

Also, local movers bring a special winter challenge. For many customers, their local move occurs during a single day; i.e. your local movers load, drive and deliver the same day. But with reduced daytime hours, some moves just aren’t able to be completed same day in the winter months. If your local mover is advising you should split your move over multiple days, this is likely the reason why. It is unsafe for local movers to haul large items when it’s dark, so it is best to move your items over the span of two shorter days rather than one long day.

✓ Take extra care packing breakables

Fragile belongings, such as wine or snow globes, are sensitive to large temperature fluctuations. Be sure to wrap fragile pieces carefully, adding even more protection with newspapers, washcloths, towels or bubble wrap.

✓ Keep extra towels handy

One of the final things your movers will load on the truck will be your rugs. That means once your local movers or cross-country movers pull away, anyone coming and going from your house will have nowhere to wipe their feet. Put down old towels so people can wipe their feet, cutting down the snow, slush and salt from making its way into your home!

✓ Expect the Unexpected

If your cross-country movers have the hit the road to your new place, then it’s your turn. But do not get unprepared during your journey to your new place. If you have a long drive during the winter, you will want to be sure you have an emergency kit and supplies ready. We have heard the stories of highways getting closed for hours, leaving hundreds of stranded drivers. Do not let this happen to you! Here are the essentials for your car safety kit:

• Bottles of water
• Flashlight
• Towels
• Blankets
• Short handled snow shovel (fits nicely in the trunk, making it helpful if you get stuck!)
• Snacks, especially ones higher in protein
• Empty, clean bottle or bowl with a lid (for, bathroom emergencies, especially if you have small kids)
• Baby wipes

 

What is the best way to prep for your upcoming move this winter? Partnering with Corrigan! We will hold your hand through each step in the process, resulting in a simple, hassle-free experience from start to finish. Do not hire a mover that will leave you stranded in the cold. Contact Corrigan today!