For all its beauty and excitement, Seattle certainly does have a lot of rain. Even if you like the rain, it’s certainly not ideal to move in, particularly if you have fragile items that could be damaged by water.
With our residential packing and furniture moving experience, we’ve had quite a bit of exposure to moving in the rain. Below are a few tips we’ve learned — from experience — about how to move in the rain.
Prepare Your New Space For Rain
First, be sure your new place is ready for the rain and likely mud you’ll be bringing in on the bottom of your shoes, jackets, etc.
Lay down sheets, rags, towels, or even cheap shower curtain liners to be sure the movers don’t damage the carpet or wood floors as they come in and out of your home.
Be sure to ask all your helpers to dry off their feet the best they can before entering the house, and try to wipe up any water immediately. If you are hiring movers in Seattle, they will already know how to deal with rain in your new space and this shouldn’t be an issue.
Grab Plenty of Trash Bags and Plastic Wrap
The next thing to do is make sure you have plenty of trash bags and if you have time, plastic wrap.
Anything that may be fragile or sensitive to moisture, like artwork, furniture, or electronics, needs to be kept dry. Wrap these items well in plastic or at least double-wrap them in large garbage bags. If you decide to hire a residential packing service, point out to the movers which items are the most important to get inside the house quickly.
Remember, it’s much cheaper to buy a few boxes of trash bags than to have to buy new items that are rain-damaged!
Start an Assembly Line
Rather than have everyone unload the truck and bring boxes inside individually, a better idea is to start an assembly line.
An assembly line helps keep the people entering your home to a minimum, which will reduce the amount of water that gets in. You might want to switch it up at some point so some of the outdoor movers get to be indoors for a bit and aren’t in the rain the whole time.
Of course, if you hire movers in Issaquah, they’ll be used to the rain and will probably have some great rain gear.
Try and Work According to the Forecast
While Mother Nature can be unpredictable, you can always try and time your move as best you can.
Local residents know that weather forecasts can often be difficult to gauge. If you can, try to schedule your move between June-September when the weather is guaranteed to be better.
Some days, though, you just can’t get around it. If you’re moving during any other time of the year, see if the forecast shows when you might have a bit of sun or overcast as opposed to the constant drizzle, and try and get your most important items inside when the rain is lightest. Moving companies in the Seattle area will be experts at trying to time moving your items with the amount of rain coming down.
Get Boxes Inside and Wipe Down Immediately
Last, it’s most important to just get your items inside. Even if you need the boxes in different rooms, sometimes the garage will suffice just to make sure the boxes are safe and dry.
As soon as the boxes come in, be sure to open them and wipe everything down with a dry rag or towel. Turning up your thermostat in your new place or switching on a few space heaters will also dry out your items more quickly. The longer water sits on your items, the more damage it can do.
Moving? Consider Adam’s Moving Service
At Adam’s, we are Seattle’s premier movers and packers, and we are used to moving important items despite the rain, shine, sleet, or even snow. Contact or call us today at 206-251-1725 and see why we’re your right choice for moving companies in the Seattle area.
