Tips for Moving in the Summer!

How about this summer weather!

Now that it has officially turned into summer, we thought it would be a good idea to share some summer moving tips. 

Plan your move date early   

In addition to being a popular time to vacation, the summer is a popular time to move. Data shows that 70% of household moving occurs in the summer months. Not only is the weather better, but children are off school, and many want to get settled before the start of the new school year. Also, home-selling season is in full swing, for similar reasons. The beginning and end of the month tend to be busiest, in addition to the end of the week (Thursday and Friday). Many leases are up at the beginning/end of the month, and many people like to have the weekend to get settled. Holidays and holiday weekends should also be avoided. If you plan early, you can choose a less popular day, and will not have to pay premium for holiday or weekend rates.

Prepare for the weather

Although there will be no snow, and hopefully no rain, you still need to prepare for the conditions. Try to ensure a morning start, so the bulk of the hard work is not done in the heat of the sun. Make sure to hydrate and have water on hand. Plan to turn the utilities on at the new place in advance, so that air conditioning can be started prior to arriving.  It is also a good idea to have portable fans, since the doors will need to be open for part of the time, while the movers load and unload.

Special Care

Certain items will not do well in the heat and should not be moved in the truck, if possible. Examples of these include candles, musical instruments, CDs, vinyl records, photographs, and more. Plan to transport these separately in the car. If this is not possible, mark these boxes ‘load last’ and thus they will be unloaded first, and spend the least amount of time in the truck. Appliances should also be unplugged and prepped 24 hours prior to loading. Freezers should be completely emptied and de-frosted prior to the move date. 

With early planning and some considerations for the heat, moving in the summer can be an enjoyable experience!