Unless you’re a professional mover, or you decide to start a moving company in your downtime, then we know you don’t look forward to moving day. And as if moving day wasn’t stressful enough as is, moving in the summertime can be even more challenging. Dealing with the sweltering humidity and high temperatures, avoiding sudden rain showers, huffing and puffing your furniture up the stairs while your friends barbecue without you, all hazards of a summer move.
If you’re looking for easy tips for moving in the summer, then here are a few simple ways to make life easier come moving day:
1. You’re An Adult, Just Hire A Moving Company Already
Our number one tip for moving during the summer is a totally reasonable, definitely not biased at all suggestion — hire local movers to help you out. Sure, it might seem like there’s a conflict of interest here, but just go with it. You have literally nothing to lose when calling up a local moving company in your city for a FREE quote. And chances are you will be able to find local movers who can work within your moving day budget. We promise, hiring professionals will make moving day easier than you ever imagined possible, even during a summer heat wave.
2. Avoid Peak Moving Season
If you’re moving during the summer, then you aren’t alone. Weekends during the months of May, June, and August are the most popular days to move into a new home or apartment in the United States. And if you are hiring a moving company, that means they might charge you more to book local movers during those dates. So save yourself some trouble, and hopefully money, by planning a move during off-peak moving days.
3. Move In The Evening
If you’re worried about moving during the hottest days of the year, then there’s a simple solution — just don’t. Plan your move carefully and you can avoid the hottest hours of the day completely. Of course, professional movers probably won’t want to split up their day like that, but one of the few advantages of moving on your own is working on your own schedule. Plus, you have more hours of daylight to work with during the summer. Plan on doing most of the heavy lifting after the sun starts going down, but before it gets dark, between 6 and 9 p.m.
4. Leave The Past Behind
You could sweat the small stuff… packing up every last knick-knack, faded t-shirt, unread book, and old, stained piece of furniture, or you could finally de-clutter your living space. The days leading up to a move are the perfect time to get rid of non-essentials. Kick your extra junk and the useless odd-and-ends you’ve accumulated over the years to the curb once and for all. Trust us, moving will suddenly become much easier when you only pack up the bare necessities. Instead of telling your friends you were too lazy to move all of your belongings, tell everyone you’re experimenting with a minimalist home design this summer.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to plan ahead for trash removal services! You don’t want to pick up a fine or lose part of your security deposit because you left giant piles of trash out on the curb or in your old home. Before moving day, post an advertisement on Craigslist with a list of the items you’re getting rid of along with your address. Leave it out by the street and you won’t believe how quickly your old junk disappears.
5. Safety First!
Okay, so “Safety First” is actually number five on our list, but still, safety really is important! If you’re moving in the summer months, then you’ll want to avoid the dangers of heat stroke, dehydration, and over-exertion. That means you’ll want to hydrate well throughout the day. Plus, don’t forget to take breaks as needed during your move. And if you have friends helping you out, do some temperature checking throughout the day. Encourage everyone to take occasional breaks and keep a cooler full of cold drinks nearby.
6. Ask A Friend To Watch Your Pets
When you have a four-legged best friend, it’s really easy to forget that other people don’t necessarily find your little buddy as charming, hilarious, and all around AWESOME as you do. Like a proud parent who posts a few hundred too many pictures on social media, pet owners are often quite attached to their pets. So before moving day rolls around, try and find a friend or doggy daycare to babysit your animal during the move. Whether you hire professional movers, hit up your friends for help, or try and go it alone, everything will go much more smoothly without a dog or cat underfoot. Plus, if you think moving day is stressful for humans, then just imagine how anxiety-filled moving day is for animals. Just remember to save some extra boxes or toys to reward your pet with while breaking in your new abode. And then…
7. Bonus – Treat Yourself For A Job Well Done
When you’re all settled in, don’t forget to reward yourself (and your friends) for all that hard work. So get a six-pack of craft beer, crank up the air conditioning, and pick up some comfort food to enjoy in your new, de-cluttered home.