Picking a Moving Date That’s Right For Your Needs

Deciding when you’re going to move is stressful. There are so many factors to consider to come up with the perfect date and you want to make your move as easy as you can on everyone involved. With a move already putting a strain on your everyday life, it is important to pick the perfect moving day that suits all of your needs.

Here’s what you need to consider:

If You Have Kids

If you have kids you’ll want to consider when is best for them. Most kids find it more difficult to move in the middle of the school year because curriculums are unlikely to line up at both schools. The stress of starting school in the middle of the year with no friends can often be overwhelming and result in a lot of stress and low grades. Because of this, it is a good idea to move during the summer.

You may be eager to get going right after your child completes a grade but it is likely they don’t feel the same way. Give them a week or two to say goodbye to all their friends, in and out of the neighborhood, and to allow them to adapt to the idea of moving. If you want to move at the end of the summer, be sure that it is a few weeks before school starts back up for your kid. Give them some time to get acquainted with the new house and the people in the neighborhood before throwing them back into school.

Unfortunately, the almost universal desire to avoid breaking up a school year leads most families to prefer to pick a moving date during summer break, and this means…

If You’re Worried About Cost

The summer is the most costly time of the year to move because it’s the busiest. With most people moving in late May to early October, and the absolute busiest days at the end of June and July, the rush of people hiring moving trucks in the summer results in higher rates. There’s only so many moving companies and vehicles to hire and the demand pushes up prices.

The weekends are also an expensive time to move with most people trying to make the switch when they aren’t working. It is best to avoid the holidays when it comes to moving because any time off will result in an influx of people trying to hire companies. The most cost effective time of the year is likely to be late fall before Christmas and Hannukah and winter.

Don’t wait until the last minute to hire your moving company. If you really need a specific day, you are going to want to hire them weeks ahead of time to ensure that you get the day and the company you want.

If You’re Renting

Most people try to rent during spring and summer. This is when people get off of work and out of school so you have many college students leaving their apartments. This means that there will be a lot on the market during these busy months so you will have the most options.

However, with so many people looking for a place, it gives you less time to decide if you really want to rent. You will likely not have the time to negotiate a lower price so renting in the spring and summer will be the most expensive.

The winter can be a very good time to rent because fewer people have a desire to move in the cold. Renters will be eager to get their places under contract and therefore will be much more likely to negotiate a lower cost.

If You’re Worried About The Weather

The weather is a very big factor when considering when you want to move. If you don’t want to get caught in the rain or snow or are incredibly opposed to moving in the cold, then you will want to schedule your move for summer. If you have wooden or even some plastic items that are very important to you, special preparations may be needed to protect them from the elements.

Moving somewhere cold to somewhere warm and vice versa can damage some of your belongings if the temperature changes are very extreme, so consider a summer moving date when temperatures are more forgiving might be a good idea. However, you’ll want to take into account that, in addition to moving companies costing more because of the number of people hiring them in the summer, they will also charge more due to the extreme heat.

If You’re Worried About Traffic

While during the day on the weekends there are fewer people out and about, moving between Monday and Thursday will be your best bet. Not only will it save you money because it is during the week but, if you go at the right times, you can also avoid rush hour. The best time of day to move is early to late morning.

Although you may run into some morning traffic with people rushing to work if you leave early, it will also give you ample time to get where you’re going. Leaving mid to late morning will allow you to avoid morning traffic and rush hour so you’ll arrive at your destination faster and not have to deal with the frustration of traffic.