Of the 40 million Americans that move every year, it’s estimated that half of those people will be moving during the summer months between May and September).
Moving, in general, is tough. But adding in humidity, the hot sun, and the kids out of school, summer moving in particular particularly tough.
But many of our clients don’t have a choice! Moving in the winter in New England, and many other places across the country, is almost impossible with the cold, ice, and snow.
Summer makes it easier to move with families as school is out and a move won’t interfere with their studies.
So if you’re moving during the summer, keep reading. We’re going to give you 4 of our expert summer moving tips and tricks to make your move feel like a breeze (and we need a nice breeze during these sweltering summer days!).
1. Beat the Heat
First on our list of moving tips and tricks is that we highly recommend scheduling your moving services early in the morning.
Why?
Summer heat peaks during the afternoon. For example, here in Boston, summer temperatures average around the mid-70s to low-80s. However, summer mornings can hover at a much more manageable 60 to 65 degrees.
Powerful UV rays peak from 10 am to 3 pm, which can cause sunburns, skin damage, and, of course, hotter temperatures. Be sure to apply sunscreen no matter what time you choose to move to protect yourself from the intense summer sun.
Most moving services, whether that’s local moving services or long distance, tend to go for early starts anyway. This gives you the entire rest of the day to unpack, organize, and get settled in your new place.
2. Water & Snacks for All!
Picture this: you’re hot, sweaty, lifting heavy boxes, trying to keep your kids well-behaved, and dealing with one of the most stressful situations you can experience. Combine that with dehydration and hunger, and you’re looking at a recipe for disaster.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, you should be drinking 16-20 ounces of fluid before you even start any outdoor activity (especially in the summer when you lose a lot of water through sweating).
After that, they recommend that you drink or consume 6-12 ounces of fluid every 10 to 15 minutes that you are outside.
That sounds like a lot of hydrating… and it is! But it’s so necessary when moving during the summer months to stay hydrated and safe.
Dehydration combined with the intense physical activity and stress that comes with moving can lead to:
– Rapid heartbeat
– Irritability
– Confusion
– Headaches
– Muscle pain & cramps
– Lack of energy
– Fainting
And you don’t want any of these things happening to you on any day let alone moving day!
Keep yourself and your family hydrated to help your move go smoothly and safely. Providing food and water to your family and to the moving company you choose is going to keep everyone involved safe and help you move go quickly, even in the heat.
3. Keep Key Items Cool
As you plan out your moving schedule, think about what items are going to suffer or become damaged in the heat. For example, electronics can overheat and break if left in high heat for too long. Plants, food, certain types of plastic, and more can all become damaged or destroyed in the hot summer sun.
Plan out what things need protection from the heat and pack those things separately. Then, pack those things last into the truck and bring them into the new place first thing. This avoids exposure to the sun and heat, keeping them safe.
4. Make Sure Your Utilities Are On
Sometimes, people wait to have the utilities at their new home or apartment turned on until after they move in in order to save money and reduce energy costs.
For summer moving, though, we highly recommend having your utilities still on at the old place and turned on at the new place. This will allow you to turn on the air conditioning (if you have it) at the new place, or at least immediately plug in ACs and fans once you arrive.
This will help you cool down the new place and make it more comfortable for everyone involved in the moving process. It might cost a little extra, but the comfort it gives you, in our opinion, is worth it.
Summer Moving Tips for a Successful Move
While this is far from a comprehensive list of moving tips and tricks, we hope that we gave you a few good ideas to help you with your summer moving process.
No move is easy, but with the right movers, it can be a bit easier. Eagle Lines has decades of experience that will help you beyond these summer moving tips.
Contact us for a free consultation for everything from long distance moving services to packing services and more from your top Boston moving company.
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