5 Tips For Moving In The Winter
Chicago is known for having two seasons: winter and construction. It’s inevitable that some folks move in the winter, and we’re here to help. Here are our top 5 tips for preparing for your winter move.
Clear the Walkways, Driveways, and Street
The day before your move, it’s best to check the pathways for your current home and your new home. We know that Chicago winters can be unpredictable, but if there is a chance for snow we suggest pre-salting the walkways of both of your locations. Just in case, our team comes to moves with shovels and salt, however, it does reduce the time of your move if you’re able to prepare paths for movers prior to their arrival.
Prepare for the Chill!
It’s typically best to turn off your heat during a move since your team will be going in and out of your doors. As a result, it’s best for clients to have winter gear prepared in their to-go bag, so that way you’ll stay warm throughout your move. We suggest putting a space heater in your bathroom, or one room in order to keep at least a portion of your house warm for yourself, or the team.
Our team prepares our trucks to run during moves so that way our team is provided with an option for a heated space throughout the move. Teammates may take breaks depending on the severity of the cold but will communicate to you their break patterns.
Prepare Your Home
Reducing slippery situations on floors and pathways is the number one safety concern of winter moves.
Laying down plastic sheeting or even laying out paper that comes on a roll will help reduce moist traction from your movers. These items are easily accessible from Home Depot.
A cheap alternative includes laying out cardboard boxes at the front of entrances.
Your team will be trained to wrap furniture, and do their best to wipe their feet at entrances. Our team has laid out blankets for moves that have new flooring to ensure a safe move for your team and your home. Our team does not wear booties during the winter (since they get wet) and for liability purposes can not move without shoes.
Knowing exactly where your large furniture items are going, and choosing a location for the team to stage all your boxes will reduce the traction of movers within your home.
Clients should expect that the truck floor will become damp and may become wet at parts. This is unavoidable. If clients have items that are especially vulnerable to moisture, AMTR recommends that they transport them separately or take extra care when packaging and labeling them.
Communication is Key
We appreciate when clients communicate with Team Leads the reality of having a box truck on their streets after a snowfall. While box trucks are heavier, it can be harder for trucks to move through snow or icy conditions when they are empty, as they are at risk of fishtailing. If your area is prone to not being plowed effectively by the city, please let our team know so we can plan a safe move.
Our teams will return the favor of excellent communication by keeping you informed when we are expecting to be cautious of specific move dates or weather conditions.
In most cases, landlords or property managers can be negotiated with if a flexible move-out date is required. Typically if you can’t move out safely, the next tenant can’t move in safely.
Be Prepared for Alternatives
A Move to Remember’s Inclement Weather Policy is as follows:
In the event of unsafe moving conditions, such as blizzards or heavy rainstorms, a client’s moving date may need to be changed. A Move to Remember understands that this can be inconvenient, so will only do this when necessary and AMTR will inform the client as soon as possible. These weather conditions could delay the arrival of the team at the client’s starting location and at subsequent locations. If weather conditions worsen during the move, the team lead in charge of the move may decide to pause or stop the move in order to keep the team/ the client’s belongings safe.
It’s extremely helpful to be able to provide alternative move dates when possible to your team, especially during the months of January through March. This will allow for seamless re-scheduling, in the event that the team will need to do so.
We also advise our teams and clients to start their move earlier in the day. In the winter months, the days are shorter and it becomes tougher to complete moves in the dark. We aim to keep our team on moves between 8 am-3 pm so that they can safely wrap up their day at the warehouse before it gets dark.
- Moving in the winter is difficult and our team works hard to make sure that your move is a smooth one regardless of the season. AMTR asks that you remember to:
- Shovel and/or pre-salt all outdoor walkways, driveways, and paths
- Know exactly where items are going in your new place to reduce foot traffic
- Be flexible with delayed start times, or alternative move dates
- Remember that most landlords can be negotiated within the toughest winter conditions
- Have a space heater, winter gear, and your phone on hand to keep everyone’s spirits high
- Your stress can be minimized when you hire professional movers to handle your move. Know that AMTR is flexible, supportive and ready to answer any questions you have leading up to a winter move.
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