How to Store Items When They are Being Transported

Posted on: 6 September 2019

Heavy rainfall can complicate a house move. Below are two specific steps that you should take if this type of weather is likely to occur when you move house in the coming days or weeks.

Pick weather-appropriate packaging supplies

One of the main concerns that people have about moving house when it's raining is that it can put their packed-up belongings at risk of being drenched and damaged by the rain when they are carrying them to and from the vehicle they are using for their house move. If this is something that you have been worried about, the best thing you can do is to make sure that all of the packaging supplies you buy in preparation for your move are weather-appropriate.

In a situation like this, where you expect it to rain continuously whilst you are moving, the most weather-appropriate supplies would be waxed cardboard boxes, waterproof blankets and plastic drycleaner garment covers. The wax coating on the cardboard boxes will keep their contents dry, as the rainwater will not be able to penetrate the wax layer and then soak into the cardboard and ruin the items in the box. Likewise, waterproof blankets can be used in lieu of standard moving blankets to protect large items that are made from fragile glass or wood; these blankets will stop these items from getting scuffed or scratched whilst also keeping them dry. Finally, the plastic garment covers (that are often used by drycleaners) can be placed over any bulky winter coats, duvets or other absorbent items that are too large to fit into the waxed cardboard boxes in order to stop them from getting soaked.

Call a company that offers packaging supplies for more information.

Make sure you have the things you need to dry out any wet upholstered furniture

Whilst buying the supplies described above should drastically reduce the number of items that get drenched during the house move, it is still possible that some of your things, including any upholstered furniture that you own, will get wet, as you won't be able to fully cover them when lugging them in and out of your van or truck. Because upholstery fabrics are absorbent, the upholstered pieces that do get rained on may take a while to dry out when you put them into your new home. This could be a problem, as the longer these fabrics stay damp, the more likely it is that mould and mildew will form on them. This could ruin these fabrics and even make them unsafe to use (as many people experience respiratory issues when they come into contact with mould).

Because of this, it is crucial to make sure that you have a stack of clean towels and a dehumidifier available when you get to the new property so that you can dry out the wet furniture as quickly as possible. By laying clean, dry towels on the furniture and then weighing these towels down with heavy objects, you can maximise the amount of moisture that they absorb from the upholstery. Switching on a dehumidifier and placing it near the furniture should also help to accelerate the drying process.