Moving Tips5 Tips for Moving in the Summer
Spring and Summer are in the thick of real estate season, so you have the best chance of getting the most offers when you list your home at this time. It's also a great time to find the highest inventory of homes in your price point. With more selection comes more leverage as a buyer; meanwhile, if you're trying to sell your home too, you have more choices among offers.
Needless to say, it's common to move in the Summer because of these benefits. If you plan on making a relocation happen, the weather may be the last thing on your mind. However, it's important to think about logistics when it comes to moving when it's hot outside. Here are 5 tips for moving in the Summer to keep you cool and comfortable and as stress-free as possible.
1 For Young Families — Make Childcare Plans
Consider yourself lucky if you are a family with teenagers to help you load up a U-Haul van. However, moving day can become a significant struggle when balancing child care with packing and Hauling. If you are a young family with toddlers and babies in tow, make child care plans in advance to ensure that your little ones are in a safe place while you are working on the move.
Kids are naturally adventurous, needy, and can get hurt when they wander around during the moving day, so enlist the help of a babysitter, grandparents, or the help of a part-time daycare. This will make the process go by twice as quickly and help all the movers focus on getting your belongings into the moving truck.
2 Wear Athletic Clothing
In many parts of the country, summers are hot and humid. This makes even cotton feel like a sweltering material when you wear it during hard physical labor. While standard cotton t-shirts soak up the sweat and take some time to dry, moisture-wicking athletic clothing dries quickly and keeps the sweat from sticking to your skin. This can be a lifesaver when you are in and out of the house while carrying heavy loads into a van.
- Tip: When you wear active wear or swimsuits while moving, you can dump water on yourself to stay cool. Keeping a sprinkler on during the hottest time of the day gives people a chance to cool off anytime they want.
3 Keep Fans Running
When you move boxes and furniture in and out of a house in the Summer, there’s not enough air conditioner in the world to keep things cool. And though your final electric bill is far off your radar, the costs will add up. Depending on the type of HVAC system in your house, you may be able to turn off certain air conditioner zones or to adjust the temperature to something manageable like 78 degrees as you continue to let in hot hair.
Needless to say, you need extra support to keep yourself (and volunteers) cool. By running fans in the rooms where the doors are open, you can keep the air flowing during the move. Ceiling fans are a major plus in this situation. If you don't have any, then a simple box fan can do the job well enough.
4 Make Meals Easy
Moving heavy boxes and furniture burns a lot of energy. This means that fueling throughout the day is important for your health. Start your day with a high-protein breakfast that will have a lot of staying power. If your kitchen is already boxed up, it may be easier to go out to breakfast to start the day right. Then, when it’s time for the midday break, it’s more convenient to get something simple and fast, like pizza delivery, to keep the break minimal while still providing enough calories to keep on going. You will need to figure in food as part of your moving budget so that you don’t stress yourself out more by cooking from an incomplete kitchen or scrambling for ingredients.
- Tip: If you're on a budget, pre-make sandwiches and arrange them in brown bag lunches with simple, instant sides like apple sauce cups, chip bags, and boxed drinks. Not only are these packed lunches a blast from the past, but they cost a fraction of pizza delivery and are just as satisfying — in a nostalgic way.
5 Get All the Tools for the Job
Not all of us are built like the Hulk, and that’s ok. Simple machines like dollies, ramps, and appliance straps cut the effort you need to move bulky items in half— or even more. These are absolutely essential to move furniture safely. Be sure to get help to move large items like bed frames, couches, tv-stands, dining room sets, and more.
It’s also a good idea to dismantle large furniture and pack it into pieces. This cuts its weight into fractions and helps you fit your belongings into a moving truck. Furniture that breaks down and reassembles easily is your best bet for this method. For example, simple computer desks, coffee tables, and dining room tables can usually have their legs removed for manageable transport. Just be sure to keep all the screws and hardware necessary to reattach everything in your new home.
- Tip: Never assume that you will remember how each furniture’s hardware comes together. Take photos and write down any notes necessary to know how to reassemble your furniture properly.
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