Moving homes is one of the most stressful tasks for any homeowner. Anyone who has tried moving understands how tiring a moving day can be, especially if you are relocating miles away from your previous residence. Some even take several months to prepare to ensure nothing goes missing and a smooth moving process.
Homeowners who have a sufficient budget rely on moving companies to handle all moving-related tasks, from the preparation, packaging, and transportation of your belongings. They use moving trucks or any type of cargo vehicle to transport even the heaviest and the most fragile items. Some moving companies also use portable axle weighers to avoid overloading and ensure a safe journey during the relocation.
Indeed, there are plenty of things to consider when moving. Not only is it emotionally challenging, but also physically. Acquiring physical injuries is a certain outcome if you’re not paying attention to your movements. In this case, you have to be aware of how to avoid injuries and other potential incidents during the moving day. With that in mind, here are safety tips when moving homes.
Avoid last-minute preparations
Injuries happen when you’re too much in a rush to leave the property. You skip breaks, take shortcuts, and push yourself beyond the limits all for the effort to finish the job within the specified time frame. This situation is often avoidable only if you start earlier or have a concrete plan.
Start your moving plan the moment you list your house. Declutter, source moving tools, find a moving company, and start packing a few weeks or months before the moving day. Starting early can save you a lot of money, time, and effort.
You can also create a moving timeline to ensure everything gets done and nothing goes missing during the moving day. Without the unnecessary stress, you feel more prepared and alert to prevent injuries.
Get more active
This tip applies to the least active people who will carry out all the moving tasks. Without proper conditioning, forcing your body to handle, lift, and carry heavy objects can lead to loss of balance, lower back pains, posterior disc, and musculoskeletal injuries, such as sprains and strains.
If you’re planning to move by yourself, make sure to set up an exercise routine a few weeks before the move. You can try planking, sit-ups, and weight lifting to strengthen your core and build back and abdominal muscles. Every morning, stretch for at least five minutes to maximize the range of motion of your joints and improve your performance in physical activities.
Other exercise routines include short walks, aerobic activities, joint rotation. You should also fuel up your body by taking high-protein options, such as eggs, protein pancakes, avocado toast, and oatmeal.
Keep a first aid kit
No matter how extremely careful you are, accidents can still happen. That is why it’s important to have a first aid kit ready in case someone gets harmed.
When packing a moving first aid kit, make sure it contains bandages, scissors, tweezers, gauze pads, alcohol wipes, antibacterial gel, medical tape, and antibacterial cream.
Keep the kids and pets away
Kids should never be around during the moving day, no matter how much they want to help. Assign a relative or a friend to look after them since having them around can be dangerous, especially if the adults are too busy to mind about their presence.
Keeping the little ones away from the heavy packages and moving equipment will help you fulfill your moving tasks smoothly. For pets, you have to ensure they’re in a quiet and safe space to prevent putting stress on them.
Clear the path
Inspect your current and new home to identify obstacles that can potentially cause injuries. Make sure all stairs, paths, hallways, and outside areas are free of possible hazards that will compromise the safety of your moving day.
Remove scattered boxes and ensure all paths are clear of water, mud, snow, and ice. For the yard, cut protruding branches or debris on the ground to avoid falls and trips. A great tip is to assign a spotter to warn movers of unforeseen hazards when carrying items around.
Things can be very hectic during the moving day. Since you will be busy and stressed all the time, the overall safety becomes ignored. Therefore, it is important to prioritize safety and prevent situations that can hamper the moving process. For better peace of mind, you can hire a reliable mover to handle your moving tasks.
