Moving in warm weather has its advantages. You don’t have to worry about shivering or sliding around on frosty sidewalks and roads and if you’re moving during the summer, the kids aren’t in school. However, packing, lifting, and moving heavy boxes around in the hot, humid weather can take its toll. Your hot weather move can be made easier and safer with these tips from Saf Keep Storage.
Time It Right
Many factors affect when you can make your move. The number of helpers you have, the volume of belongings that need to be transported, and the distance from your old home to the new one will impact the amount of time it takes to move. If you do have some scheduling flexibility or your move will be a short one, try these warm weather moving tips for staying cool:
- Start after 3:00 p.m.
- Start as early in the morning as possible
- Plan for a lengthy late lunch or early dinner
- Allow for plenty of breaks throughout the day
While avoiding humidity and rising temps may not be doable, scheduling with the heat in mind can help keep everyone more comfortable.
Move Items in Batches
If you’re moving alone or just have a couple of extra hands, working all day can be tiring and wear down your crew quickly. Utilizing a self storage unit is a great way to move your items to a new location in batches rather than all at once. Begin packing your items a few weeks before the move and once you’ve gathered a few boxes, transport them to your storage unit until the big day. Be sure to keep important items behind such as toiletries, work uniforms, and charger cables. Placing items in self storage as you pack also allows you to take your time, setting aside damaged items to toss or seldomly-used belongings to donate.
Many storage facilities offer month-to-month leases so you can rent a unit for the duration of your move without being locked into a long term contract.
Rent the Right Storage Space
Whether you’re moving in the height of summer or living in a more humid climate, like Hawaii, you’ll want to consider renting a climate-controlled storage space. These units maintain a set range of temperatures year round, protecting against extreme temperatures that can damage your items. When kept in an attic, shed, or garage, delicate items are at risk of cracking, warping or melting if exposed to high temperatures over a period of time. Items we recommend storing in a climate-controlled space include:
- Artwork
- Vinyl Records
- Wooden Furniture
- Musical Instruments
- Leather or Lace Clothing
- Electronics
- Photographs
Take Advantage of Cooling Products
One of our top tips for planning a move in hot weather is to shop around for a few inexpensive gadgets to help make the whole endeavor more comfortable. From ensuring that your pets don’t overheat to investing in some stay-cool wearables, these items will help you keep your cool on the steamiest of moving days:
- Cooling patches
- Hand-held misting fans
- Pet cooling pads or elevated cots
- Mineral water-based facial sprays
- Air flow-enabling car seat cushions
If budget, space or time prevents you from picking up some of these devices, your freezer is your friend. Wet a towel with cold water, place it in a ‘u’ shape, and put it in the freezer for an instant cooling effect.
Store Items You Don’t Need Immediately
As you plan your move, identify any items you won’t need during, or immediately after, your move. If you’re relocating in the middle of July, you likely won’t need to access your snow blower or holiday decorations until the weather begins to cool. Instead of adding more boxes and equipment to your moving day pile, place items you don’t need right away into storage. By doing this, you won’t have to worry about moving everything you own in a short period of time and can instead take your time moving items into your new space. This also allows you to decorate and organize your home room by room instead of tripping over furniture and digging through boxes to find what you’re looking for.
Cool Off With Water
Staying hydrated is always a must, but this healthy habit is even more crucial when you’re active in hot weather. One of our simplest, yet most important, hot weather moving tips is to make sure everyone has at least one bottle of cold water for the ride to your new home. Load up the fridge or a cooler with a variety of cold beverages. It never hurts to have Gatorade or another electrolyte-loaded drink handy to avoid dehydrating. On the other hand, while a cold beer might sound great when it’s hot out, alcohol contributes to dehydration. Drinking water isn’t the only way to beat the heat; hold your wrists under cold running water for a quick cool-down.
Hire Professional Help
If you’re moving on your own, or just prefer to stay out of the heat during your move, hiring professional help is a great solution. Professional movers offer services ranging from packing your belongings to reassembling your furniture in its designated space. Some services that can also help ease the pain of moving include:
- Hiring a cleaning crew
- Paying someone to mow the lawn
- Buying moving supplies instead of scrounging for boxes
- Arranging daycare for both pets and kids on moving day
Self-storage can also be incredibly helpful when moving. One of our favorite hot weather moving tips is to stash seldom used items — especially those that take up a lot of space — in a storage unit. You’ll have fewer items to work around when cleaning, not to mention less stuff to lug into the house. Reserving your storage space in advance will make it easier to stay organized and on schedule. Our moving guide also provides tips for creating a timeline to make sure your move goes as smoothly as possible.
Make Moving Easier With Saf Keep Storage
We hope these hot weather moving tips help you and your crew stay cool and comfy. Whether you go the DIY route or hire pros, a little planning goes a long way. Saf Keep Storage can help you manage your move with ease. We offer these handy moving services:
- Moving van access at select locations
- Acceptance of delivered packages
- Free help carrying items into your unit
- Boxes and other moving supplies for sale
Take advantage of extra space for your belongings before, during, and after the move to stay organized and keep clutter at bay. With locations in Hawaii and across California, you’ll find the perfect place to safeguard your stuff. Reserve your space online today!
