Moving in winter isn’t conventional. Often summer and spring tend to be the peak seasons for people to move. The weather is nice, the gardens are blooming, the kids are playing in the front yard (hopefully), and you can smell BBQs going on all around you. Much better than the early dark days of winter where the wind hurts your face and you have to watch every step to make sure you’re not slipping on black ice. Although winter may not seem like the ideal time to move, you might see a few advantages, such as less competition from other buyers afraid to bear the snowy weather conditions like you are. Choosing to move in the winter is a big decision, but there may be a few things you might forget to think about as opposed to a regular move, so we’re here to help you with that.

Here are 6 things you should know about moving in winter.

1. Check the weather report

Keep an eye on the weather, it’s fair to say as Canadians, we are all aware of how quickly the weather can change and how often the weather channel is not always the most accurate thing in the world. A bad storm can prevent a move from happening on a set date, simply because it isn’t safe for one of our trucks to be on the road, which could also cause setbacks to your other plans. Be sure to constantly check on the weather, especially if there is any indication of a storm approaching.

2. Take extra care of items

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The trailer of a truck typically isn’t the warmest place to be for numerous hours and not an ideal place for your fragile items or electronics to be stored for a long period of time. If you are going to have anything fragile or any electronics stored in the trailer be sure they are wrapped very well in something that is going to keep them from breaking and warm. It would be ideal to have these items travel in the car with you if possible, but if not, take extra care of these items to avoid any unexpected accidents on arrival. Here are a couple tips to help you when you’re packing electronics.

3. Turn on your utilities

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You might need to make a trip to your new home earlier than the moving date to get the ball rolling on a couple things if you’re moving in winter. Your utilities are going to need to be taken care of before the movers get there. Electricity is going to be needed so things can be placed in their correct rooms or areas of the new home. It’s pretty hard to navigate through a house with no lights. Also, leaving the cold weather outside and walking inside to a warm house will be a nice feeling, which is necessary when you are moving in winter.

4. Protect your floor

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Snowy weather is going to lead to snowy wet shoes and to lessen the mess left behind from wet shoes, lay old bed sheets and blankets on the floor to stop those wet shoes from being on your floor. This will allow the movers to be much more efficient getting your items from the truck to inside your house, and best of all the clean up will be much easier than mopping for hours on end.

5. Find a sitter for the kids and pets

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Yes, the kids and the pets are apart of the family, but if they aren’t able to help with anything during the moving process it’s usually best to have someone look after them until the move is done. Of course we want you to have them around, they belong to you after all, but it’s very easy for kids and pets to get in the way and slow down the moving process with their sometimes unwarranted requests.

6. Clean the driveway and walkways

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Another way to make moving in the winter easier at your new home is by getting there early and cleaning the driveway, sidewalk, and walkways of any snow or ice. This will make getting things in the house a little bit easier, it would be much tougher to do lugging through 2 feet of snow. Also, the last thing you want is to have someone slip as they’re carrying that brand new TV you just bought.

Bonus tip:

Everyone is going to be working hard to make sure all of your items are in your brand new home, and it would be a nice gesture to have a case of water on hand, as well as some coffee and tea to keep everyone warm. It’s not a must, but something we can say that your movers will definitely appreciate.