Moving in the Rain

Moving home isn’t often something done on a whim. You’ve probably picked a date weeks – if not months – in advance, and as such, are at the mercy of whatever weather the day holds.

If the weather forecast is suggesting you’re due to draw the short straw, you’ll want to take a few extra precautions to ensure a smoother (and drier) move.

Here are 10 tips and tricks to help make moving in the rain a breeze.

10 Tips for Moving in the Rain

1. Keep checking the weather forecast

If there’s one thing that can change faster than the weather itself, it’s the forecast. If sunny skies were predicted a week prior to moving, check again – you might find the forecast has changed as the day draws nearer.

The closer the date gets, the more you can start to trust the times and quantities of rain meteorologists are predicting.

2. Stock up on bin bags

Large bin bags are a godsend if it’s raining on moving day. With minimal prep and cost, you can waterproof just about anything.

3. Wrap absolutely everything

With all the arduous packing of moving, it’s easy to get a little lazy and only wrap the important boxes. But chances are, it’s the less important ones you’ll open last in your new home. So if they’re the ones that allowed water to get in, you’ll find nothing but a mouldy mess when you actually unpack them.

The easy solution? Wrap everything. That way, no matter what you open last, you’ll find it’s all in perfect condition.

4. Protect your floors

Whether it’s your new home or your old stomping ground, rainy weather usually means walking in water and mud. If you still have a few old towels that aren’t wrapping your glassware, a few in each doorway can save damaging your floors.

5. Waterproof precious items

If something is extremely precious, don’t just trust your bin bag. Waterproofing each individual item with its own bag and plastic wrapping can guarantee your most treasured items are safe from harm.

6. Shorten carrying distances

Rain doesn’t really matter when you’re actually in transit or packing boxes indoors. But it’s when you’re moving furniture in the rain that it can cause havoc.

If you can get your delivery vehicle right up to the door (or even in the garage), you can minimise the time your belongings are exposed.

7. Set up temporary cover

An old gazebo from your camping days can provide cover from the door to the vehicle. If you’ve shortened your carrying distance as much as you can, some sneaky cover can make a short walk through the rain a completely covered path.

8. Prioritise your most important items

If you have a break in the weather, transport what you can’t afford to get wet. That could be your furniture, bedding, paper-mâché sculptures, or masses of fairy floss – whatever you consider the most delicate in the rain.

9. Create an assembly line

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. The more order and structure you can bring to your moving, the faster it will all flow. And naturally, the faster it goes, the less time it will be threatened by rain.

Start planning inside the safety of the indoors which items need to be loaded first. Try and arrange everything before you start carrying them, so you spend as little time as possible rearranging where things are placed in the vehicle for transport.

10. Dry boxes and furniture as you load them

If boxes or furniture did get a bit wet as you loaded them, don’t wait to take action. Simply wiping boxes down with a rag or towel can save water from seeping through, or a box from slipping out of your grasp at the other end.

How do I know when I should reschedule my move?

There obviously comes a point when the weather turns bad enough to consider rescheduling. That’s generally the point that high winds, hail or lightning are involved.

If you’re not sure, ask yourself a simple question: Could I get hurt moving in the predicted weather conditions?

If lightning, floodwaters, hail or wind could result in injury or worse, it’s worth staying indoors.

Even the toughest Aussies storms usually only hang around for an hour or two. You shouldn’t need to find a new day to move – just a new time.

Moving in the Rain is Easier with Help

Of course, if you need serious help moving in the rain, you can always chat to All Purpose Removals. We’re the specialists in moving around South-East Queensland and know just what wild weather this state can throw at us. All of our team, trucks, transport and techniques are optimised to ensure your belongings stay as safe as possible.

To find out more, you can chat to us online or get a quote.