Moving houses usually is a big decision, especially if you own a lot or have a family to move to. It takes months of planning, booking, and getting things in place before the moving day. You need to empty and clean up your current home, get the new house ready for moving in, and plan out all the details of transport as well. What can you do when bad weather strikes on or very close to moving day? The following will help with bad weather while moving houses.
Are summer rainstorms common?
Over the past few years, rainstorms in summer have become increasingly common all over New Zealand. Although summer rains were common all over the country, they did not cause as many problems and as much destruction before as in the past few summers. Rainstorms are becoming increasingly common all over the country during the summer, which means that the weather could take a turn for the worse without much notice at times.
Preparing for a possible rainstorm when moving houses
Ideally, if a rainstorm has been confirmed to hit the route you plan to take for moving houses around the time of moving, you should push moving plans back till the weather is better. Although this is highly desirable, it is not always possible to push moving dates back. At times, you may have to move out of your current home at the preset date irrespective of weather conditions.
Here are ways to prepare for moving houses in summer when you are expecting a rainstorm:
- Keep an eye on the weather: Keep checking for weather updates, storm warnings, and instances of flooding or other damage along the route that you and the moving vehicle need to take to your new home a few days or even weeks before the scheduled move. That way, you can be prepared for bad weather and will not be taken by surprise at the last minute.
- Have rain supplies on hand: Rain gear—rain shoes, waterproof outerwear, umbrellas— can help keep you and your family dry and safe in the event of a rainstorm if you need to be outdoors. You might also want to have mops, cleaning solutions, and something to cover the floors of your current home to protect your house from water damage while the moving company personnel move your belongings and clean up after they are done.
- Weatherproof your belongings: Ensure that all your belongings are packed in weatherproof packaging material and safely secured so that the risk of water damage is minimal. If you are packing on your own, get enough supplies so you do not run out at the last minute.
If you cannot stay back a few days in your current home and need to leave on the scheduled date, you should consider booking a hotel for you and your family somewhere close by and move your belongings to a storage space till the weather improves.
- Short-term storage: This is a good option if you just need to wait it out for the rainstorm to pass before moving. You can book these storage spaces for a few days till the weather clears, and then move your belongings to your new home to ensure your belongings stay safe.
- Storage in transit: If you suspect rough weather during your move, and the transit will take a few days, it is a good idea to look up storage services on the route, in case you need to use one on the way. You can keep the service informed of your plans and let the moving company know that they can use the storage service if the weather goes bad.
- Long-term storage: If you are anyway planning to move some of your belongings to long-term storage, it might be a good idea to move all your belongings to the storage space for a few days till the weather gets better.
Tips to protect your belongings from water damage
- Use water-resistant packaging for all your belongings when preparing for the move.
- If you have large electronics, expensive paintings, and other items that might incur water damage, consider keeping them in weatherproofed storage till the weather improves.
- Use a weatherproofed and temperature-controlled moving vehicle, if possible.
- If water does seep into your belongings, remove the packaging as soon as you arrive and take the necessary steps to avoid extensive damage.
- Protect wood items with weatherproofing coats and varnishes. Plan well ahead if you plan to do this as it may take a few days for the items to completely dry after the coat is applied.
- Keep your rain gear at hand. Keep some extra-large umbrellas around as well, in case the moving company personnel need them.
It is best to delay your move when the weather seems to be taking a turn for the worse, but when that option is not available, these tips should help you and your belongings stay safe from bad weather while moving houses.