What If It Rains On Your Move Day?

People move for a number of reasons. Whether you got a job offer in a different town, or you are buying a bigger house, moving is usually a cause for celebration. It is, however, also a time of great stress and complications.

There are countless things to keep straight, and if you’re doing things right, you’ve started packing and preparing weeks ago – and you’ve already got your moving company booked well in advance.

But what happens if the day of the move comes, and it’s raining with no intention of stopping? We asked moving experts at CA Movers to tell us more.

Preparation Is Key

 Whether you are expecting rain or not, getting packed up properly is one of the most important things you will do in preparation for your move. Keeping your things save and secure during transport will take a bit of time and logistics. Boxes, plastic bins, packing peanuts (or some eco-friendly substitutes), packing tape and numerous bags will all be necessary.

However, if you catch the sight of potential rain, you need to up your packing game significantly. First of all, make sure that your packing boxes are high quality and made of thicker cardboard. This will ensure that your stuff is protected for longer, even if some rain falls on your boxes.

Use Plastic Bins, not Boxes

Even better than high-quality cardboard boxes (that you will end up throwing out), consider using plastic bins. These plastic bins are relatively inexpensive, and can come with a plastic top which makes them pretty waterproof. Just make sure that the top is properly sealed with the box – you can even add some packing tape to be sure.

Best of all, once your move is done, you can keep these plastic bins for storage. If you’re like most of us, your garage (or attic, or basement, or the spare room) will be used as a storage area for things you aren’t currently using. Instead of having everything strewn around, you can have your trusty plastic bins store and organize everything.

Make Sure to Double-wrap Appliances

We all learn that electricity and water don’t mix. And that includes when your appliances aren’t turned on, like when you are moving. When packing, it is absolutely vital to ensure that your appliances are safely stored away from rain.

Apart from storing them in waterproof containers (preferably plastic bins), consider also wrapping the devices in some additional packaging. It also helps to label these boxes and bins with something like ‘keep dry’ to ensure that your movers know to pay special attention to those items and to prioritize them when taking them out and in.

Unpack as Soon as You Arrive to Your New Home

Moving day can be pretty exhausting, especially if you are moving somewhere far away. Most people start their day fairly early, so they are pretty tired by the end of the move. And if it rains all day, you may feel especially drained.

However, your day is not really over when you arrive at your new home. There’s unpacking to be done. Now, typically, you could leave if for tomorrow and just unpack the essential things that you need to use that day. But if it has been raining during your move, you will need to unpack everything to ensure there was no water damage, and to prevent any further, permanent damage.

Ideally, moving on a rainy day would not happen – it affects everything from packing, to traffic, to your mood. But, we work with what we have and deal with the situation the best we can. Hopefully, these tips will help you weather a rainy moving day just fine.