Here in the UK we don’t get that many hot days each year. Even in the height of July and August sunshine and warm temperatures are never guaranteed and if we do get a scorcher, the next day it’s just as likely to have turned cool, cloudy or for it rain all day!
That said, when we do have a heatwave they can often take us by surprise. With our small, air conditioning-free homes, hot weather can lead to us seeking refuge in any cool spot we can find. Being active when it’s very hot is no fun at all and can prove energy-sapping, so if you’re moving during the summer months in particular, it pays to be prepared just in case it’s a rare, very hot day.
1. Fling windows and doors wide open
Moving around inside the house, lifting, carrying and having more bodies in rooms than usual will make a hot day feel even more stifling.
Where possible and of course where it’s safe to, maximise airflow in your home by opening as many doors and windows wide as possible.
If it’s windy, a through draft can often cause doors to bang shut which can be frustrating when you need to be in and out of rooms continually, so use door wedges or prop doors that are prone to slamming shut open.
2. Take it slowly
Heat exhaustion can lead to heatstroke which can hit fast and is a medical emergency. When it does hit, it can take time to recover from it. The last thing you want is to be out of action for any length of time on moving day.
Pace yourself, perhaps allow a little extra time if at all possible and make sure you take plenty of breaks to simply rest and give yourself chance to cool down before cracking on again.
Making sure you’re aware of the signs of heat exhaustion is crucial. Some of the signs include feeling dizzy, confusion, headache, feeling sick, excessive sweating and loss of appetite. Check out the full list of symptoms on the NHS UK website.
3. Take hydration seriously
We’re meant to drink 2litres of water in an average day and on a very hot day and a day that you’re going be highly physically active on, you’ll need to drink significantly more than this. Staying well hydrated will help you cope with the heat better and will make you feel like you’ve got more energy for all that lifting and carrying.
Make sure you have water on hand all day long for you and anyone else that’s helping you to move and use refillable insulated water bottles and keep them in the fridge for as long as possible so they are nice and cool.
You should be sipping water frequently throughout the day, don’t wait until you’re gasping for a drink! As a rule of thumb, if you feel thirsty, you’re not drinking enough!
4. Don’t let safety slip
If it’s 30° and blazing sunshine then the desire to wear shorts and flip flops on moving day will be strong, however, carrying furniture and heavy boxes up and downstairs in flip flops is an accident waiting to happen.
Don’t compromise your safety, make sure you wear footwear that isn’t likely to slide off your feet, and make sure that if you were to drop something on your foot, that your footwear provides at least some protection from impact.
5. Use electric fans
Rooms can quickly heat up and feel stuffy, so even with windows wide open, if you only have one fan, consider moving it around with you as you empty and pack room by room.
Even better, if you know there’s a heatwave due, investing in a couple more electric fans or even in an industrial fan for the day could be well worth it.
No matter what time of year you plan to move home, don’t forget that you can save money by using an online conveyancing service like Move Home Faster.