One of the crown jewels of the Pacific Northwest, Seattle is home to lush natural landscapes and a wide range of arts and culture. It’s also home to bad drivers, traffic jams, incessant rainfall and a host of other obstacles that can make your next move more difficult. Outside of local conditions, there are plenty of in-home factors that can also cause trouble, from packing up your possessions to eliminating clutter. A move wouldn’t be a move without a little bit of stress, but check out these 5 tips to help you keep things running smoothly.
AVOID SEATTLE TRAFFIC
Obviously anywhere near downtown and most freeways in general are going to be crowded during rush hour times, both in the morning and the afternoon, so it’s best to try not to do any moving during these times of day if you can help it. But even if you’re moving during a less congested time, traffic can always surprise you. Consider traffic tracking apps such as Waze or Beat the Traffic, which crowdsource info from other users to keep you updated on traffic jams as they’re happening. Once you’re off the freeway, be careful on narrow neighborhood streets, many of which allow for parking on both sides of the street and don’t really have room for two-way traffic.
CHECK THE WEATHER
It might not help you much if you’re moving in the dead of winter, but be sure you know what’s going on with the weather so you can try to avoid rain and other inclement conditions. The wettest time of year in Seattle is from October to January, while the driest months occur during the summer. If you have the ability to plan your move around these seasons, it’s not a bad idea. Otherwise, try using weather trackers from AccuWeather or local news stations KING 5 and KIRO 7. If you’re really serious about avoiding the rain, consider Dark Sky, a paid app that offers up-to-the-minute rain and snow tracking as well as long-term forecasts.
USE THE PROPER LIFTING TECHNIQUE
If you’re lugging around heavy boxes yourself, be sure to lift them the right way to avoid injuring yourself. Before lifting an object, place your feet about shoulder-width apart, crouch down, tighten your abdominal muscles and be sure to keep your back as straight as possible. Grab the object from a squatting position and drive up with your heels, keeping it close to your body as you move back to a standing position. Be sure to keep your back straight and move up on your heels, not your toes or the balls of your feet. Also look up while you’re lifting to keep your spine positioned properly and limit the chance of injury.
CUT DOWN ON CLUTTER
The average family moves about 7,400 pounds of stuff between houses during a move. That’s almost four tons of items, many of which probably don’t need to make the trip. Try taking your move as an opportunity to reduce clutter and simply your life, and make decisions about what you really need to bring with you. Consider donating old toys, books, clothes, electronics, appliances and anything else that’s sitting around taking up space. You can also cover some of your moving costs by holding a yard sale to get rid of these unneeded items.
HIRE PROFESSIONAL MOVERS
One way to drastically cut down on the stress of moving is to hire professionals to do the work for you. In addition to preventing physical stress, hiring professional movers can actually save you money. Pro movers know how to pack up possessions efficiently and safely, which can save on packaging costs and prevent items from breaking during transit. They also insure your possessions and have the means to transport them quickly, giving you peace of mind and cutting down on the number of trips necessary to get fully moved in.
While you can’t control all of the factors that affect your move, following these simple tips can help eliminate a lot of unnecessary stress. Seattle’s traffic and weather conditions can always create complications, but figuring out avoidable obstacles can make your next move much easier to manage. The more care you put into planning, the more likely you are to have a smooth transition to your new home.
