While it's true that the majority of people move betweenMay and September, not everyone has the ability to do so. And us,Coloradans know that winter has a habit of lasting from October toMay. So what are you supposed to do if you are moving in winter?Below are some of our tips and tricks for making a move during thesnowy, cold months a little easier. Moving during the winter mayseem like a drag, but if you're smart about it, it may be thebest time of year to move!
Hire Movers
The smartest thing you can do during a winter move is to hire amoving company. While a lot of people would rather save the moneyand move themselves, a trip to the emergency room because you feltthe need to move the pull-out couch yourself is sure to be a biggerhassle than dealing with movers.
Winter is the off-season for moving companies, meaning it canoftentimes be easier to find lower rates, more personalizedservices, and flexible schedules. You are also more likely to getthe more experienced moves during the winter. Because the summercan be so busy a lot of moving companies hire inexperienced moversto keep up with demand. In the winter, employees are more likely tobe long-time employees.
Don't Miss the Weather Forecast
Since the weather can change in an instant in Colorado, youshould be overly aware of the weather in the weeks and days leadingup to your move date. You don't want to be caught in ablizzard on moving day. The more proactive you are, the easier itwill be to work with your moving company to ensure you aren'tmoving in the worst weather of the year.
Shovel and Salt
There's no doubt about it, moving in the winter can be adangerous task. You can make it a little safer for you and anyonewho is helping you move by ensuring walkways and paths are clear ofsnow and ice. You will also want to ensure wherever your movingtruck will be parked is also clear of snow and ice.
Also, keep in mind that you should salt and shovel at your newhouse as well. If you are staying local, make sure you get overthere prior to the move to make sure everything is safe. If you aremoving out of town, you may want to inquire about any localservices that may be available to shovel paths for you before yourarrival.
Protect your Floors
Cover your floors by taping plastic tarps, carpet remnants, orcardboard boxes so you don't ruin your floors by trackingsnow and salt into the house as you come and go all day. Usingcarpet remnants is a great way to add more traction as shoes arebound to be slippery when wet. Adding floor mats at every doorleading to the outdoors will also help keep the mess under controlbefore it comes into the house.
Stop Heating Your Old House
Keep your heating bill at the old house under control by turningthe heat off at the old house since people will be coming in andout all day. You will also want to make sure you turn on all majorutilities at your new home 1 full week before you move in. While itmay only be a small hassle in the summer if you forget, it can be adisaster in the winter!
Keep Your Pets Away
Having pets around while you're moving can be bothdangerous and a hassle. Board your pet the day of the move to keepthem out of the way of people carrying heavy boxes, so that theywill stay warm during the move, and so they don't escape whenthe door is constantly opening and closing all day. It's alsoa good idea, in general,to move your pet last, to keep theirtrauma levels to a minimum.
Dress Appropriately
Dressing appropriately is incredibly important while movingduring the winter. Since you will start out cold and become hot asyou work you will want to wear multiple layers rather than wearingone large coat. Don't wear anything too restricting since youwill be doing a lot of moving around. Keeping your hands and feetdry throughout the process is also important, so ensure to haveextra socks and gloves handy.
Having warm drinks available for movers is also a great way tomake sure people are staying warm and hydrated throughout theday.
Double Pack Fragile/Electronic Items
Items such as china, antique furniture, and electronicsaren't fans of cold temperatures. You will want to make sureyou use extra bubble wrap and packing paper for these items to helpinsulate them.
If you are moving out of town, you will want to keep anythingthat can be severely damaged by cold temperatures packed in yourcar rather than the moving truck, since if you are moving a longdistance the moving truck may sit out overnight in sub-zerotemperatures.
Keep Winter Essentials with You
Don't get stranded in the cold without extra warmclothing! Make sure you pull out all winter accessories such ashats, gloves, coats, etc and keep them in a laundry basket in yourcar so it's easily accessible. It's also a good idea tokeep a shovel and salt in your car so that when you get to your newhome you will be able to clear a path if you need to, and youwon't have to dig through numerous boxes looking for ashovel.
Be Careful & Have a Back-Up Plan
At the end of the day, no matter how much you plan, winterweather is unpredictable especially in Denver. If theroads are treacherously slippery postpone. Your moving company,especially if it is a company that has been around for many years,will understand if you postpone your move because of bad weather.They certainly don't want to drive on dangerousroads.
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While it's true that the majority of people move between May and September, not everyone has the ability to do so. And us, Coloradans know that winter has a habit of lasting from October to May. So what are you supposed to do if you are moving in winter? Below are some of our tips and tricks for making a move during the snowy, cold months a little easier. Moving during the winter may seem like a drag, but if you're smart about it, it may be the best time of year to move!
Hire Movers
The smartest thing you can do during a winter move is to hire a moving company. While a lot of people would rather save the money and move themselves, a trip to the emergency room because you felt the need to move the pull-out couch yourself is sure to be a bigger hassle than dealing with movers.
Winter is the off-season for moving companies, meaning it can oftentimes be easier to find lower rates, more personalized services, and flexible schedules. You are also more likely to get the more experienced moves during the winter. Because the summer can be so busy a lot of moving companies hire inexperienced movers to keep up with demand. In the winter, employees are more likely to be long-time employees.
Don't Miss the Weather Forecast
Since the weather can change in an instant in Colorado, you should be overly aware of the weather in the weeks and days leading up to your move date. You don't want to be caught in a blizzard on moving day. The more proactive you are, the easier it will be to work with your moving company to ensure you aren't moving in the worst weather of the year.
Shovel and Salt
There's no doubt about it, moving in the winter can be a dangerous task. You can make it a little safer for you and anyone who is helping you move by ensuring walkways and paths are clear of snow and ice. You will also want to ensure wherever your moving truck will be parked is also clear of snow and ice.
Also, keep in mind that you should salt and shovel at your new house as well. If you are staying local, make sure you get over there prior to the move to make sure everything is safe. If you are moving out of town, you may want to inquire about any local services that may be available to shovel paths for you before your arrival.
Protect your Floors
Cover your floors by taping plastic tarps, carpet remnants, or cardboard boxes so you don't ruin your floors by tracking snow and salt into the house as you come and go all day. Using carpet remnants is a great way to add more traction as shoes are bound to be slippery when wet. Adding floor mats at every door leading to the outdoors will also help keep the mess under control before it comes into the house.
Stop Heating Your Old House
Keep your heating bill at the old house under control by turning the heat off at the old house since people will be coming in and out all day. You will also want to make sure you turn on all major utilities at your new home 1 full week before you move in. While it may only be a small hassle in the summer if you forget, it can be a disaster in the winter!
Keep Your Pets Away
Having pets around while you're moving can be both dangerous and a hassle. Board your pet the day of the move to keep them out of the way of people carrying heavy boxes, so that they will stay warm during the move, and so they don't escape when the door is constantly opening and closing all day. It's also a good idea, in general,to move your pet last, to keep their trauma levels to a minimum.
Dress Appropriately
Dressing appropriately is incredibly important while moving during the winter. Since you will start out cold and become hot as you work you will want to wear multiple layers rather than wearing one large coat. Don't wear anything too restricting since you will be doing a lot of moving around. Keeping your hands and feet dry throughout the process is also important, so ensure to have extra socks and gloves handy.
Having warm drinks available for movers is also a great way to make sure people are staying warm and hydrated throughout the day.
Double Pack Fragile/Electronic Items
Items such as china, antique furniture, and electronics aren't fans of cold temperatures. You will want to make sure you use extra bubble wrap and packing paper for these items to help insulate them.
If you are moving out of town, you will want to keep anything that can be severely damaged by cold temperatures packed in your car rather than the moving truck, since if you are moving a long distance the moving truck may sit out overnight in sub-zero temperatures.
Keep Winter Essentials with You
Don't get stranded in the cold without extra warm clothing! Make sure you pull out all winter accessories such as hats, gloves, coats, etc and keep them in a laundry basket in your car so it's easily accessible. It's also a good idea to keep a shovel and salt in your car so that when you get to your new home you will be able to clear a path if you need to, and you won't have to dig through numerous boxes looking for a shovel.
Be Careful & Have a Back-Up Plan
At the end of the day, no matter how much you plan, winter weather is unpredictable especially in Denver. If the roads are treacherously slippery postpone. Your moving company, especially if it is a company that has been around for many years, will understand if you postpone your move because of bad weather. They certainly don't want to drive on dangerous roads.
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