10 tips to prepare for your Ann Arbor winter move

While many Midwesterners dread the winter, we know it’s coming. We all have our routines in late Fall of winterizing water lines, swapping out the lawnmower for the snowblower, and battening down the hatches. But if you’re moving to or from Ann Arbor during the winter months, you will want to share some of that focus to winter prep towards your winter move. Before your local movers or cross-country movers walk up to your doorstep, you need to get ready for the day. Pour a warm cup of cocoa and let’s put together a checklist of ideas to ensure you are prepared for a moving day that even the Snow Miser can’t mess up!

✓ Dress in layers

When we’re loading and unloading, your doors will need to be open for extended periods of time. Expect it to get quite cold in your house! Be sure to dress in layers to keep toasty warm!

Bonus tip: Have an extra blanket or space heater in an interior room, like a bedroom, and be prepared to spend a lot of your time in the room while the movers work.

✓ Truck access

If your move is scheduled right after a major snow, you should look around your neighborhood for large snowdrifts or snow piles. This is even more true if your neighborhood is plowed by a professional, a lot of areas, such as cul-de-sacs, may have very large piles of snow blocking parts of the street. This can alter how local or cross-country movers can access your home. Take note of any major piles of snow that weren’t present during your in-home or virtual estimate, and tell your local or cross-country mover as soon as you can so you can prevent any problems.

✓ Have driveway and all walkways cleared and salted

Our movers are going to be going from your house all day to the parked moving truck. Being sure the movers have a safe, shoveled route is important to manage their safety, and the safety of your household goods.

✓ Utilities

You should also check your extended forecast, notably the temperature forecast. If a polar vortex is headed your way, you probably want to delay having certain utilities turned off, such as gas or water . Likewise, be sure those utilities are turned on at your new home before temperatures drop too low that can cause damage. Nobody wants to move to their new home with pipes bursting!

✓ Floor Protection

Your movers will take care of protecting your home, placing things such as old cardboard on wood and rug runners to protect carpet. But, you may will want to lay down some some small rugs or extra carboard outside your exterior doors, to minimize the amount of salty slush entering your house. Even an old flattened box in your attic can be a nice buffer for wiping off shoes before entering!

✓ Pack Strategically

There are certain belongings you will wish to pack separately, or pack last. Items like sweaters, socks, boots, gloves, winter hats and your snow shovel may be things you would like to keep accessible. That way you’ll always be ready for the cold weather!

✓ Plan for Darkness

Most of your packing will happen indoors, but do not forget about the yard, garage, shed, and attic! Because the winter brings shorter, darker days, make sure to plan ahead and pack these outside areas to times that you have hours of daylight left.

Further, local movers bring a unique challenge in the winter. For a lot of customers, their local move happens over the span of one day; your your local movers load, drive and deliver all on the same day. But with reduced daytime hours, some moves simply cannot be completed same day this time of the year. If your local mover is advising you should split your move over a few days, this is most likely the reason why. It is dangerous for local movers to carry heavy furniture when it’s dark, so it’s recommended to move your belongings over the span of two shorter days rather than one long day.

✓ Take extra care packing breakables

A lot of fragile belongings, like wine or snow globes, are sensitive to large temperature fluctuations. Plan to wrap fragile possessions carefully, try to add more protection using newspapers, washcloths, towels or bubble wrap.

✓ Keep extra towels handy

One of the final things for the movers to load on the truck will be your rugs. This means once the local movers or cross-country movers pull away, anyone coming into your home will have nowhere to wipe their feet. Put down some old towels which will let people wipe their feet, cutting down the snow, slush and salt from making its way inside!

✓ Expect the Unexpected

Now that your cross-country movers have started heading to your new home, then it’s your turn. But do not be surprised during your trip to your new home. If you’re going to have a long drive during the winter, you will want to ensure you have your emergency kit and supplies with you. We have seen the stories regarding highways being jammed up for hours, leaving hundreds of stranded drivers. Don’t let this be you! Here are the necessary items for your automotive safety kit:

• Bottles of water
• Flashlight
• Towels
• Blankets
• Short handled snow shovel (this will fit nicely in the trunk, making it useful if you get stuck!)
• High protein snacks
• Empty, clean bottle or bowl with a lid (for, bathroom emergencies, especially if you have small kids)
• Baby wipes

 

What’s the recommended way to prepare for your upcoming move this winter? Partnering with Corrigan! We’ll be there through every step of the process, making for a simple, hassle-free experience from start to finish. Don’t hire movers that will leave you stranded in the cold. Contact Corrigan today!