When you wake up on moving day, one of the last things you want to see is rain drizzling down the windows. Rain definitely makes packing everything into the moving truck — and even driving the moving truck — more challenging. While you may want to postpone your move if the likes of the next category 4 hurricane are knocking on your door, it is possible to move safely during a more moderate rainstorm. Just follow these tips.

Protect furniture with heavy blankets.

You could run out and buy some tarps to cover your furniture, but if you have a bunch of heavy blankets on hand, they will do the trick. Drape them over any sensitive furniture, like items made from wood and upholstery, before loading the items into the truck. When you're finished, you can gather up the blankets. If the drive to your new place is more than a few hours, you'll want to dry the blankets (in the clothes dryer) before you leave. Otherwise, you can place them in trash bags and take them to your new home, drying them as soon as you get there.

Have some people work outside and others work inside.

This tip not only keeps your house clean, but it also keeps you safe because it keeps your floors from getting slick. Have a few people stay outside (wearing rain coats, of course) and have them work on putting things directly in the moving truck. Have other helpers stay inside and hand items out the door to those outside helpers. This way, you don't have wet people and wet shoes coming in and out of the home all day.

Put trash bags over your clothes and other delicate items.

Poke a hole in the top of a trash bag, and you can pull it over a whole stack of hangers loaded with clothing. You can also slip a trash bag around a box of overly delicate items, over a small appliance like a toaster, and so forth. You can remove the bag as soon as you get the item inside the moving truck so the water does not end up scattering and getting other things wet. These trash bags are not expensive, so this is a good, low-cost way to protect anything that can't get wet.

Park as close to the home as possible.

The shorter the distance you have to walk in the rain, the drier your things will stay — and the smaller the risk of someone slipping. If you have to ask a neighbor to move their car, grill, etc., so you can park closer to your home, so be it. You may also want to move items out the front door, rather than the back door, if this means you can park closer — or vice versa.

Plan your driving route beforehand.

Driving a moving truck in the rain can be a bit cumbersome if you're not used to such a big vehicle. You can make this task easier on yourself by planning your route beforehand and also having a passenger help navigate. This way, you are not fumbling with your GPS when your eyes really should be on the (slick) road. Drive slowly and cautiously, staying in the outside lane whenever possible. Remember to set the emergency brake when you park.

Know how the truck works before you leave.

You don't want to be just discovering how to use the windshield wipers when the rain picks up. So, make sure you know how everything on the truck works, from the emergency brake to the wipers, before you pull out of the moving truck rental parking lot. There should be a manual in the truck, and most companies are more than happy to show you how the truck works if you ask.

To learn more about your options when moving, check out websites like http://www.wheatonworldwide.com.

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