5 Tips For A Summer Move

By Madison White on July 15, 2019

This article is brought to you by CORT Furniture Rental. We take the hassle out of furnishing your new place so you can do more important things like read this article. Learn more about why furniture rental is the best way to get a great looking apartment.

As a college student, it is especially likely that you will be moving during the summertime months. While all moves require some preparation, summertime moving requires a few special tips to help you make it through.

1. Plan and prep in advance

As with any and all moving advice, the most important thing is to plan and prep as far in advance as you can. Once you know when you are looking to move, you should try and set a date so that you know what your deadline is. When you’ve figured out when exactly you’re planning to move, then you have to figure out all the logistics. Some common questions you might ask yourself could be: Am I planning to hire movers or rely on friends and family? Will I need to borrow a truck or van? What boxes or containers am going to put my stuff in? These are all very important questions that you should consider before making a definite moving plan. If your plans are reliant on other people, like family and friends helping you move, then you might want to check in with them early on to make sure they’re available on the day you want to move.

Some other general preparation for moving might include acquiring boxes or moving containers, selling or donating unwanted items, organizing objects into boxes, and labeling things that are ready to be moved.

2. Prepare for higher costs

It is estimated that around 70% of moves happen during the summertime months. Logically, it makes sense as kids will be off for summer break and many people will already have vacation days scheduled. Unfortunately, this spike in moves happening in the summertime can increase prices in ways that you might not expect.

If you are planning to rent a moving vehicle or hire movers, you should do so as soon as possible. Bookings for moving can fill up quickly. The same can be said for cleaning services that might need done before moving out. Be prepared to pay a higher price than normal for those services.

Even if you aren’t planning on hiring movers or renting a truck, generally prices can go up in the summer. If you plan on driving long distances, make sure that you have an adequate budget for gasoline. Prices tend to increase as many people take road trips across the country.

3. Be careful of items that might melt

Be wary of certain objects that might melt during the move. Remember that the insides of vehicles can heat up very quickly and can cause damage to items inside. Even if you don’t plan on your objects being in the truck for longer than a couple of hours, the heat may still cause damage to some of your items.

Anything that is somewhat gel-like or waxy could possibly melt during the move. This includes things like candles, gels, lotions, and other beauty products. If you are planning on transporting any food items, the heat might also alter their composition. Make sure that if you are transporting these that they are in sealed containers that will not leak. It may even be a smart idea to put these things in plastic bags or covers just in case they do escape their normal containers during the move. This way, nothing else will be ruined.

Another thing to be aware of is electronic items. It is best to transport small electronic items in your personal vehicle instead of in a moving van. The extreme heat of a moving van could potentially damage your electronics. Keep this in mind when transporting laptops, phones, tablets, headphones, DVDs, and CDs.

4. Start early

The heat is the real enemy of the summertime move. While you won’t be able to escape it entirely, you’ll want to beat the heat by starting your move early. Plan to be unpacking your stuff during the morning hours, before noon, otherwise, you could run into some serious problems with the afternoon heat. Temperatures tend to really start rising in the afternoon, so try and avoid any serious lifting or physical activity at those times. If needed, take the afternoon off and resume unpacking in the evening when the temperature begins to drop again.

If you are driving a long distance while moving, it may be a good idea to arrive the night before and wait to unpack until the morning.

5. Wear suitable clothing (and bring extras)

Even if you do manage to unpack most of your things in the morning hours, it is still likely that you’re going to end up being very hot and sweaty. Make sure that you are properly dressed in clothes that are breathable and that you can move around in. It is a good idea to have some extra pairs of shirts available so that you can change if needed.

As always, remember that things will likely go wrong while moving. Remember to keep a good attitude and keep going. You can do it!

Looking for an easy way to furnish your off-campus apartment? Renting furniture from CORT saves you time and money. See how easy it is to get great looking furniture without breaking the bank.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format