There are many factors to think about when deciding on when is the best time to move. Weighing the pros and cons of each is critical. But whatever you do, don’t overthink it too much! You can make the best of any move date as long as you plan ahead, take steps to prepare, and enlist professionals to help where needed.
And remember: even if your moving day is smack in the middle of winter, you can find ways to make it pleasant. In fact, we have a guide for that!
Moving during the summer
Moving during the summer is tricky for a few reasons. It’s a popular time to move because it lines up with college and university students’ schedules, which means that it can be difficult to get a moving truck on your preferred date. Plus, moving companies often charge more for their services in the summer since they are much busier at this time of year. On top of all that, you’ll be sweating through your clothes as you try to get everything from your old place into boxes and out of the house.
The heat can also damage electronics like TVs and computers if they’re left exposed in an open truck or unpacked until after the move. Of course, there are definitely ways to combat these problems—for example, making sure that you have a storage unit reserved ahead of time for any vulnerable items will ensure that they stay safe until you have a chance to unpack them properly at your new home. Another option is moving during the off-season (November–March), when companies offer lower rates, and there’s more availability on rental vehicles like trucks and trailers.
Moving when kids are out of school.
If you have kids, moving when they are out of school can be easier for the entire family.
- Your children will have time during the day to help pack and with other aspects of the move, which means that you’ll have more time and energy to focus on other things.
- There will be no worries about scheduling your move-around homework or other school activities and events.
- You’ll also be able to make sure that your children’s new schools are located near the moving truck at both drop-off and delivery points, so they won’t miss any classes due to an inconvenient location.
Moving in spring is a good idea.
Moving in spring is a great option. By the time spring arrives, you’ve spent enough time indoors to be ready for a change of scenery, but there’s still plenty of warmth and sunshine left to look forward to. Spring is also a good season generally in terms of weather and climate, so it can help with the transition of moving into a new home. Additionally, the winter cold has subsided. The summer heat has not yet arrived (for most locations). It’s hard to argue that any other season offers such ideal conditions for moving as spring does! In fact, many experts consider it the best time to move out of all twelve months in the calendar year.
Moving in winter can be hard.
Moving in winter can be hard. Weather like snow and ice makes for a tricky trek between your old place and your new place—and even if you don’t encounter a blizzard, the cold air can damage your stuff during the move. Plus, when it’s freezing outside, packing up all of the things in your house is going to be an extra-chilly experience, and you might have trouble getting help from friends or family members.
Hiring movers can add to the stress of moving in winter because—you guessed it—winter is often their busiest time of year (especially around holidays like Christmas). This means they may not have as much availability as they do during the summer months and that they may charge more too.
Move mid-week to save money on movers.
You can save a lot of money by moving during the middle of the week. Remember that weekends are peak moving times for many people, so movers tend to charge more for moves that happen on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. However, you can save on average 10% to 20% just by scheduling your move for mid-week.
If you do decide to hire a moving company, be sure to ask them about their rates and what those rates include. You don’t want any surprises in terms of hidden costs or fees. Always get at least three quotes from different companies through homeadvisor.com or similar websites before making a final decision. If you decide to rent a truck instead of hiring movers, remember that most truck rental companies have less business during the middle of the week than they do on weekends, so they’ll likely offer discounts as well if you schedule your move for Tuesday through Thursday.
If you need to move, try and do it mid-week in the winter or spring when kids are out of school, but it’s not too hot yet.
Winter is not the ideal season to move, but it can be done if you need to. The main reason is that the roads are more treacherous. When it comes to moving companies, they often have fewer jobs during the winter months, which means you may be able to negotiate a lower rate.
It’s much easier to move in the summer for a number of reasons. The weather is typically better, with temperatures hovering around 75 degrees (69 degrees on average). Also, since kids are out of school and families go on vacation during this time of year, there’s less competition for moving companies’ services and lower rates as a result.
Mid-week moves tend to be cheaper than weekend moves because moving companies offer discounts Monday through Thursday or Friday morning before business hours begin again at noon (typically). So if your work schedule can accommodate it, try scheduling mid-week if possible—especially during springtime when kids are out of school, but it’s still before peak moving season starts around Memorial Day Weekend.