Moving in the Winter.

You’ve found the home of your dreams, your boxes are packed, and you are envisioning the cozy evenings you will be spending in your new living room in the very near future! All that’s left to do is move your belongings. Moving is always a little overwhelming and doing it in the winter can add a few new dynamics. Here are some key points for keeping the moving process low stress in the wintertime.

• Be flexible. When you live in central Illinois in the winter, flexibility is the name of the game! Keep an eye on the weather the days leading up to the move and be willing to delay your move a day or two if needed. Road conditions and winter weather can change at the drop of a hat. Making the decision to be flexible ahead of time can help moving week run more smoothly than if you have a rigid timeline you are trying to follow.
• Hire a babysitter. If you have kids, it is probably a good idea to hire a babysitter on moving day. This can alleviate some stress as vehicles are being loaded and people are in and out of the house constantly. It also allows the kids to keep a sense of normality and routine in a day that could otherwise feel very hectic for them.
• Turn off the heat. Although this may seem backwards during the winter months, it is a good idea to turn off the heat in your home on moving day. With the doors staying open for long periods of time, your heating system likely would not be able to keep up! However, I recommend having one room of the house (maybe a bathroom or laundry room) that has heaters in it for those moments when you just need a break from the cold.
• Cover your floors. Whether you have carpet, tile, or hardwood, it is a good idea to get your floors covered before the foot traffic of helpful friends or movers begin. Especially in the winter, mud and slush can be tracked inside very quickly. Covering your floors ahead of time means less clean-up when moving day comes to a close!
• Keep winter essentials close at hand. I know that it can be hard to keep track of all of your belongings when moving homes. Even with the best attempts at labeling boxes, there are just some items that will be hard to locate. May I recommend keeping your winter essentials close at hand: coats, gloves, warm blankets, and hats. Maybe fill a box with these and keep it in the cab of the truck or easily accessible in your car so you don’t end up in the cold without proper gear.
• Treat the moving crew. A simple gesture that I love is providing hot cocoa or hot cider for the moving crew! Whether you have great friends and family helping with the move or you’ve hired a moving company, keeping a crock pot of a hot beverage is a small thing you can do to keep everyone energized! It’s a small way to remember that moving is something to be celebrated as well, even in the middle of those chaotic moments.

It warms my heart to think of families unlocking new doors anytime of the year! Settling into a new home that you love is so exciting. Let me know if you have any additional questions or need any advice – I am always available to call or text anytime!