In many regions, summer is peak moving season. Moving can be very stressful and moving to or from a hot climate like we have in Tennessee can add an additional layer of stress and challenges. On The Move Moving and Storage is here to make your summer move a breeze!

Plan early

April to September is peak moving season in America. Because summer is the most popular time of year to move, many moving companies fill their schedules quickly. Contact On The Move to schedule your move as early as possible. Many companies recommend scheduling your moving date six to eight weeks out to ensure you can reserve the date you want.

Planning your move early also helps keep stress levels down and allows you to be more organized throughout the moving process.

Plan around traffic

If you live in or are moving to a vacation destination area or there are summer events that disrupt traffic, check the calendar before you schedule your moving day. Avoid major holidays, popular local events (like running races, festivals, or concerts), and other things that will bring significant traffic to your area or change traffic patterns in a way that will impact you. This particular moving-day stressor is relatively easy to avoid with a little planning.

Get up with the sun

Aim for an early morning move. Most moving companies prefer to get started as early as possible. In the summer this is particularly beneficial because the intensity of the sun and UV rays are strongest between 11 am and 3 pm. Planning to pack the truck early in the morning allows you to do the heavy lifting during the cool part of the day.

Stay hydrated and protected

Even if you aren’t the one doing all the heavy lifting you can break quite a sweat. Staying hydrated is important. Prepare for the summer heat with a cooler of water and perhaps some electrolyte drink for yourself and the movers.

Some common symptoms of dehydration include feeling dizzy, rapid heartbeat, lack of energy, confusion, irritability, and fainting. Moving is already difficult, stressful, and sometimes confusing. There’s no need to add unnecessary causes for these symptoms.

Wear sunscreen on any skin that isn’t protected by clothing. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends ba road spectrum, waterproof sunscreen with SPF-30 or higher for the best protection. It would be a shame (and unnecessarily painful) to make it through moving day only to discover you got a bad sunscreen in the process.

Beat the heat

It’s important to take steps to beat the heat at your old and new location. One of the easiest ways to keep yourself and the movers cool is to have cold, wet towels on hand. You can pick up some washcloths or towels for just a few dollars and place them in a cooler with ice. This will help everyone stay cool and ward off heat exhaustion.

Some of the common symptoms of heat exhaustion and overheating include headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, muscle cramps, confusion, and fainting. Placing a cold towel on the back of your neck or on top of your head helps bring down your core body temperature.

Portable fans can make all the difference. With so many people going in and out the doors (or propping doors open) it can be expensive and pointless to run the air conditioning. Portable fans help circulate the air and keep the temperature down where you are loading or unloading boxes.

Turn on the utilities before you move

Make turning on the electricity at your new location a priority. If possible stop by the new home or business before moving day to ensure the utilities are turned on and the air conditioning is running. Even if you won’t keep the air conditioning running during the move-in process, it’s better to start with a cool house. It’s also comforting to know you’ll be able to cool off at the end of the day.

Protect heat-sensitive belongings

Not all your belongings tolerate heat well, especially the extreme temperatures inside a moving truck. Some of your belongings that will appreciate special care include,

• Electronics: Stereos, laptops, tablets, phones, and other electronics are very sensitive to heat. Whenever possible, pack electronics in their original packaging for the best protection and ventilation. Instead of putting them on the moving truck, set them aside and carry them in your car to the new location.
• DVDs, CDs, vinyl records and other media: CDs, records, and other media warp easily when exposed to heat. Keep media discs with you in a more climate-controlled environment. Before your moving day, back up any important information either online or to an external hard drive.
• Candles: They’re designed to melt so it only makes sense that candles wouldn’t do well packed in a hot moving van. Avoid damage to your favorite candle or to other belongings packed with candles by either taking them with you or giving or throwing them away.
• Plants: Moving companies will not agree to move live plants because they probably won’t survive the shock or heat. Keep your plants with you throughout the move, whether it’s across town or across the country. Place them in a strong box and poke holes in the top and sides of the box so your plant will get plenty of air. Create a protective “sleeve” from stiff paper around your plant and tape it to the pot. Consider putting support stakes in your taller plants and tying their foliage with twine. Leave your plants in the house until the very last minute to minimize exposure to extreme temperatures.
• Accessories: Don’t overlook the little things like batteries, crayons, some art supplies, cosmetics, and medicines. These don’t do well in extreme temperatures. Sometimes it’s more convenient to give away or donate items like batteries and crayons, rather than try to move all the heat-sensitive items in your car. But it’s a real bummer to arrive at your new destination to find crayon or cosmetics melted over other belongings.

If you absolutely cannot bring heat-sensitive items with you in your car or climate-controlled truck, pack them separately and make sure they are the last items to go on the truck so they can be the first items to come off the truck and out of the heat.

Keep an eye on the weather

Afternoon thunderstorms are a common event in the summer months. Starting early will help ensure you have the truck packed and ready to go as early in the day as possible. However, if the packing process is spilling into the afternoon, take a look at the forecast to make sure there are no “pop-up thunderstorms” on the horizon.

A sudden downpour on your belongings piled on the lawn will really put a damper on the day and disrupt the moving process. If you live in an area where afternoon showers are common, have some extra tarps on hand or put the staging area in the garage or another covered location.

Having a good plan to beat the summer heat will make moving day much cooler and easier for everyone involved. Contact On The Move Moving and Storage to plan your summer move with the top rated professional moving service. We specialize in all moving services, whether you’re moving across town or across the country.