3 Tips for Moving into a Home by the Water
Not all singles, couples or families move into a standard home in a traditional neighborhood. Perhaps you’re a cottager who loves living on the lake, or maybe you want to live on a houseboat. The point is, every move is different and comes with its own challenges, especially when you’re buying a home in an unconventional location. You’ll have to consider things like “what if the new home is boat access-only,” or “what if there’s an increased flooding risk?”.
Before moving into your home on the water, be sure to tell your moving company the location and the challenges that may be posed by such a location. Your mover will appreciate the heads-up, offering suggestions when they come out to your home to give you a free moving estimate. Here are three tips for packing for a waterfront move.
1. Carefully Wrap Items
Using your own boat to transport cardboard boxes? Is there a possibility they could be exposed to the water or the elements? Better to be safe than sorry. Cover them with a plastic sheet on your way to the dock. When packing, wrap all your items carefully, opting for waterproof materials if you have fragile or easily-waterlogged items.
And because a dock will handle much less weight than a driveway, make trips directly from the boat to the house rather than pile all the boxes on the dock.
2. Consider Weight Distribution
If you are moving into a floating home, it’s smart to consider the distribution of weight. This means you should take care to even-out the items on move-in day. If you load all your belongings to one side of the home, it may tilt. Make a plan beforehand for where you will store things, keeping the distribution of weight in mind when it comes to appliances, furniture and even books, which can get heavier than you realize.
You may have the option of upgrading the flotation so that you can add more weight.
3. Hire a Barge Rental Service
If your cottage is only accessible by boat, you will of course have your own vessel for making trips back and forth on a daily basis. But you don’t want to rely on this small boat to move your belongings in. Too much could swamp the boat. Too little, and you’re making a zillion trips back and forth.
To save time and effort, hire a barge rental service to minimize the number of trips back and forth. If the barge is big enough, the movers may even be able to drive the truck right onto it.
Contact Luke’s Moving Services
We have experience moving people into homes on or near the water. Get a free estimate when you contact us in Hurst at 817-752-9766.