3 Tips for Moving in the Rain

It’s moving day. Everything is packed, the rental truck is parked outside, and despite your prayers for sunshine the weather forecast is coming true—a storm is brewing, prompting worries of soaked boxes and ruined furniture. But moving in bad weather doesn’t have to be a nightmare. If you have to move when it’s raining, snowing or windy, follow these tips to protect belongings (and your sanity).

Get Tarps & Shrink Wrap
If you plan on hiring movers or even if you don’t it’s always good to have a couple tarps handy when moving in the rain. This will provide for protection for larger pieces of furniture when placed in the lawn or on the sidewalk when movers are organizing the load in the truck. If you plan on moving on your own it goes without saying that we recommend using tarps. Shrink wrapping electronic equipment and sensitive items is highly recommended for transport in general but it makes for additional protection against rain. Shrink wrapping also provides additional stability when packing loose objects or difficult to pack belongings.

Protect the Point of Entry
Chances are you protected the doorway and passageways in the house your leaving so it makes sense to prepare for wet conditions in the new house. Protect the entryway with a mat, towels or even plastic wrap so that everyone coming in and out can wipe their feet. Laying down some plastic for a protected passageway will increase the speed and efficiency of the move while protecting your rug and floors as well. Depending on the layout of the new home it could be best to place all boxes and furniture in one or two landing rooms until all possessions are moved inside.

Create an Assembly Line

Designate teams to work as indoor and outdoor crews. This prevents mud from being tracked inside and makes the entire process flow more quickly.

Wear Slip Resistant Shoes         
To keep your move as safe as possible, when moving in the rain we highly recommend wearing slip-resistant shoes. No one wants to slip in the mud on moving day, especially if you’re carrying some precious keepsakes. We strongly recommend extra care when coming up and down the ramp of lift-gate as they can become extremely slippery when wet. Depending on the time of your move you may need to have some rock-salt handy to eliminate any slippery sections on the walkway or stairs. With temperatures dropping we recommend that you plan ahead and plan safely.

Hiring a Moving Company vs. Renting a Moving Truck

Are you thinking about hiring movers to help with your move? You’re not alone. When it comes to something as stressful as moving, hiring help can seem like a smart solution. But, is hiring a mover the best solution for you? In this post, we break down the benefits of hiring movers verse the benefits of a DIY move.

The Benefits of a DIY Move

There are many benefits of doing a DIY move. Below, we’ve listed a few benefits of doing a DIY move as opposed to hiring movers.

1.         Total Control: In our opinion, the greatest pro to a DIY move is the fact that you are in complete control over the entire moving process. Not only do you get to choose the truck and all of your moving supplies, but you also can handle all the boxes yourself to ensure that nothing breaks in the process. Committing to a DIY move means that you have the flexibility to decide when to begin the move and when to end the move. If you’re moving in bad weather, you get to decide how best to protect your belongings. You’re also in control of how to load the truck, and you don’t have to worry about movers dumping boxes and furniture in rooms they don’t belong.

2.         Cheaper: Hiring movers can be expensive. Many movers will either charge hourly rates or quote you half of the move before it happens. When you move yourself, your moving expenses can drastically decrease.

3.         Help: Moving and packing is labor-intensive, so if you decide against hiring a moving company you’ll need some help. This means calling in lots of favors from friends and relatives. If you don’t have too many belongings and nothing particularly valuable or fragile to move your friends might well suffice. If you do have a considerable inventory to transport and some of it is quite valuable or irreplaceable, think twice. Good friends are not necessarily experienced movers and are most always not insured for damages that may incur during a move. If your best friends drop your flat screen TV, will you sue them for compensation? Not likely!

The Benefits of Hiring Movers

There are also many benefits of hiring movers. Below, you will find three benefits of hiring movers as opposed to doing a DIY move.

1.        Movers are Experienced: Hopefully, you have only moved a handful of times. Even though it probably isn’t your first move, unexpected problems always pop up that you will not have had experience with. A moving company can help you’re your move and have dealt with every roadblock out there.

2.        Less Stress: It’s common to rely on the help from family and friends during a move. When you hire movers, you won’t have to ask for much, if any, help from family and friends.

3.        Reduce the Risk of Injury: Movers have been trained on how to avoid injuring themselves during a move. Without the right tools and experience, it would be easy to injure yourself during a move.

Do You have to Move Out of Your Old Home Before the New Home is Ready?

It isn’t uncommon to have to move out of your old home before your new home is ready. So where do you put all of your items until your new home is ready? Whether you chose to do a DIY move or hire movers, a self-storage unit can be a solution for you. Lincoln Self Storage offers long-term or short-term rental solutions. Our storage facility has both standard and storage units that can control the climate ranging in various sizes. Contact us to rent a storage unit today!

COLLEGE STUDENT STORAGE TIPS

With summer quickly approaching, college students are preparing to pack up their dorm rooms. The problem: driving a car’s worth of household items to Mom and Dad’s home just isn’t feasible. So what’s a college student to do? Renting a self-storage unit for the summer is a cost-effective way for college students to store all of their belongings. Check out some of our favorite storage tips for summer storage. Best of luck and happy moving!

What Size Unit
The majority of college students can get away with renting a 5×10.  This size unit is capable of holding a sofa or twin bed, clothes, as well as décor and smaller furnishings.

Pack Your Things Efficiently
Be strategic about packing even smaller items. For example, carefully roll or fold your winter clothing for storage. Don’t just toss those clothes in a box and figure you’ll deal with them at the end of the summer. Since you’re likely packing stuff from a dorm room, you don’t have to worry about sorting things by room when packing. Instead, sort them by category. That’ll help you find your stuff easier when you go to unpack in the fall. For instance, pack all your shoes in one box, then carefully label the box as shoes for an easier time identifying and sorting your things.

Consider Sharing a Storage Unit
Save some money. If you have friends from college that you trust, consider splitting a storage unit with them. Not only will save money, you could also help each other out on your moving days. You may simply each choose to have one side of the unit for your belongings or otherwise find a way to divide the space among those who are sharing it.

Clean Your Stuff

It’s a great idea to clean your dorm refrigerator, microwave or dishes before packing it in self-storage. Cleaning your items prevents mold and bacteria growth while they sit in the storage unit.

Pack Smart.

Pack your books in smaller boxes to prevent lifting large boxes and hurting your back. Hang heavy clothing or blankets in wardrobe boxes, and wrap delicate items like plates in paper to prevent chips and cracks during the move. Pack glasses, plates and dishes in bubble wrap or plain newsprint in sturdy cardboard boxes. Do NOT use regular newspapers as protection as it can leave a print residue on the items. Place heavier items at the bottom of the box and lighter objects at the top of the box. Place filler material between the pieces. Once the boxes are packed up to within an inch of the top, add filler material and then completely seal the boxes with packing tape before storing.

Label Everything

Write down the name of the contents on the side of the box with a permanent marker. Don’t use post-it notes; they just fall off and leave you clueless as to which box contains what you need.

Select The Right Lock

If you don’t know which lock to select for your storage unit, we have locks available for purchase and will make sure that you have exactly what you need.

Let Lincoln Self Storage help you by providing various sized units, helpful moving supplies, and guidance throughout the entire process.