Preparing for Your Move Before and After the Snow

Winter moves require extra planning. Snow and ice create real challenges for moving crews and trucks. At LiteMovers, we want every move to go smoothly and safely. Here’s what you need to know about preparing your home when winter weather is in the forecast.

Why Clear Access Matters for Moving Trucks

Moving trucks are significantly wider than passenger vehicles. What seems like a clear driveway for your car may not work for our equipment. Here’s why complete clearing is essential.

Our trucks need the entire width of your driveway to operate safely. If only the center is cleared, several problems arise. The truck may not fit through at all. Even if it does, the wheels can lose traction on icy edges. This makes maneuvering difficult and potentially dangerous for our crew and your property.

Ice is particularly problematic. A truck carrying household goods needs solid footing to brake safely. If the driveway edges remain icy, the truck can slide when turning or stopping. Our drivers are skilled, but physics works against everyone on ice.

Before the Storm: Prepare Outdoor Items

If snow is in the forecast before your move, take action early. Items stored outside, in sheds, or in detached structures become much harder to access after snowfall.

Move items to your garage if possible. Patio furniture, grills, garden equipment, and shed contents should be relocated to an attached garage or inside your home. This keeps them dry, accessible, and ready for loading on moving day.

Frozen items create problems. A garden hose left in the yard becomes stiff and difficult to coil. Metal furniture can have ice bonded to its surface. Tools left in a cold shed may be stuck to shelves or floors. Bringing these items inside ahead of the storm prevents these issues.

Walk-Out Basements Require Special Attention

If you have items that need to be carried out through a walk-out basement, plan ahead. After a storm, that exterior access can become impassable. Snow drifts, ice buildup, and frozen ground make walk-out basement exits treacherous for movers carrying heavy furniture.

Contact your mover before the storm if basement items are a necessary part of your move. We may be able to adjust the schedule to retrieve those items before weather arrives. This small adjustment can save significant time and effort on moving day.

After the Storm: Clearing for Safe Access

Once the snow stops, your preparation work begins. The goal is creating safe, complete access for our trucks and crew.

Driveway Clearing

Clear the full width of your driveway, not just a car-width path down the center. Push snow piles far back from edges. Remember that a moving truck’s mirrors extend beyond its body width. Low-hanging branches weighted with snow can also catch truck tops.

Treat ice with salt or sand after shoveling. Pay special attention to shaded areas that stay icy longer. The transition point where your driveway meets the street often accumulates hard-packed snow from plows. Break this up and treat it well.

Walkway and Entry Access

Movers will travel between your home and the truck hundreds of times during your move. Every walkway they use needs to be completely clear and treated for ice. This includes front walks, side paths, and any routes to secondary entrances.

Steps require extra attention. Ice on stairs is extremely dangerous for anyone carrying heavy items. Salt or sand every step thoroughly. If you have metal-edged steps, those freeze quickly and stay slippery.

Protecting Your Floors on Moving Day

Winter moves bring moisture, salt, and debris into your home. Protecting your floors is essential, but the approach differs from warm-weather moves.

Wearing booties inside is not practical during winter moves. With snow and slush outside, movers would need to change booties every single trip. On a full household move, that could mean hundreds of bootie changes. It’s simply not feasible and would dramatically extend your moving time.

Similarly, constantly opening and shutting the door is not practical. During active loading, the door stays open to allow efficient movement. This is true regardless of weather.

Effective Floor Protection Strategies

Instead of booties or keeping doors closed, focus on robust floor protection. Lay down protective materials along all traffic paths. Masonite boards, heavy-duty floor runners, or moving blankets create barriers between wet boots and your flooring.

Place absorbent mats at each entry point. These catch much of the snow and slush before boots travel further into your home. Plan to replace or shake out these mats several times during the move.

Salt residue is particularly damaging. Salt tracked inside can scratch hardwood, stain carpet, and damage tile grout. Thorough floor covering along traffic routes is your best defense. After the move, plan to mop hard floors with a vinegar solution to neutralize any salt residue.

Communication Is Key

Winter weather is unpredictable in the Philadelphia region. If a storm is approaching and you have a move scheduled, contact us immediately. Don’t wait to see what happens.

We can discuss several options. Moving the date before the storm may be possible. Adjusting the start time to allow morning clearing might work. For larger moves, we might split the work across multiple days. The key is talking early so we can plan together.

If weather conditions make your move unsafe, we’ll let you know. LiteMovers won’t risk crew safety or property damage by attempting moves in hazardous conditions. But with proper preparation and communication, most winter moves proceed smoothly.

Quick Reference: Winter Moving Preparation

LiteMovers | 687 West Lancaster Ave, Wayne PA 19087 | PA PUC A-8916211 | USDOT 2173383