Are you planning to move to a bigger and better home for the family? Are you looking for a better neighborhood community? Or are you downsizing?
Whatever the reason is, moving to a new home can be difficult, especially during the holiday season, particularly between December and January. Instead of wrapping gifts and enjoying the snowy weather, you’re moving and unpacking your belongings.
On top of that, the entire holiday moving process can be more challenging if you go right into it without a plan or whatnot. Without a concrete plan, everything could be messy, and you might not have enough time to enjoy the holiday cheer with your loved ones.
Interestingly, despite how hectic and stressful holiday moving can be, more households move during the winter season than you think. Perhaps, they see the process as a great way to start the beginning of the new year.
If you need help moving during the holiday season, check out The Big Boy Movers or other similar services in your area. You can also use this guide to plan the process so you can have more time to spend with your family and friends.
When Is The Worst Time To Move During The Holidays?
Brick-and-mortar shops are busiest during the last Saturday before Christmas. This is popularly known as ‘Super Saturday.’
During this week, most people are on their last-minute shopping, buying everything they need before Christmas, such as gifts, groceries, and brand-new clothes. This is also when retail stores offer exclusive sales and discounts, so expect a huge crowd wherever you go.
This means the week before Christmas is the worst time to move to a new home during the holiday period. It’s especially true for many DIY movers who rent trucks and make multiple back-and-forth trips.
On top of that, truck rental companies may charge higher rates during this week due to high demand, holiday labor, and heavy traffic.
You should also consider when the day Christmas falls to anticipate and avoid heavy traffic. For example, if Christmas falls on a Monday, the weekend preceding will probably be the busiest day. But if Christmas falls on a Thursday, the traffic flow might change.
What To Do When Moving By Plane During The Holidays?
If your move involves flying a plane, make sure not to move or travel during the weekdays of the holiday season before and after Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.
The worst days to move are on the weekends of the holiday since many people travel on long weekends. That said, it’d best to fly during the weekdays, particularly Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The roads are less busy, and the rates are much cheaper than usual, even if your moving day falls during the holiday period.
Whether you’re moving by land or air, it’s best to move during the weekday mornings. In this way, you can avoid heavy traffic due to rush hour and last-minute holiday shopping. If possible, consider moving during the first week of December or January.
What Are The Advantages Of Moving During The Holidays?
Although moving during the holidays can be stressful, it can be positive in some ways. Below are the advantages of moving during the holiday season:
- There Will Be More People To Help You
During the holiday period, people are most generous. You can ask your family and friends if they can postpone the holiday party until you move to a new home. You can also ask them to help you unpack your items or watch your kids while you’re storing your things.
- It’ll Be Easy For Your Kids To Start Schooling
After the holiday season, your kids might need to go to a new school. If you enroll your kids during this period, their teachers and schoolmates will go the extra mile to ensure they feel welcomed. Your kids will likely get more attention to help them adjust better.
- You Can Enjoy The New Year’s Celebration In A New Home
Have you got your New Year’s resolutions? If not, you might find some motivation if you move to a new house before the year ends. Spending the New Year’s celebration with your loved one in your new home is a great way to start the year with positivity and delight.
- You Don’t Have To Take A Holiday Leave
Most companies are closed during the holiday season. This is to give their employees enough time to spend the holidays with their loved ones. You might not need a leave of absence or additional personal days.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Moving During The Holidays?
Below are the downsides of moving during the holiday season. You might want to consider these disadvantages to prepare better.
- You’ll Be More Stressed
During the holiday season, there are plenty of things you need to do. You need to shop, buy presents, host a party, and cook a feast. However, it can be more stressful if you need to pack your things and move. You might not have enough time to enjoy the holiday with your family.
- There Might Be Delays
If you move during the holidays, it’d be best not to wish for a white Christmas. Holiday snowstorms and blizzards can delay your travel. You have no choice but to wait for the weather to calm down. Also, there’s a high risk of road accidents due to slippery lanes.
- Moving To A New Home Can Be Nostalgic
It’s not easy to leave the place you once called home, a place where you’ve made memories with the people you love and cherish the most. You might become more sentimental as you bid your last farewells to your old routines and adopt the new ones.
- You Might Not Enjoy The Holiday Cheers
Spending the holidays with family and friends is a common tradition. But you might need to make sacrifices if you plan to move during the holiday season. That’s because you’ll spend most of your time packing and unpacking your things and driving to and from your home.
What Are Some Tips To Help Move During The Holidays?
Since moving during the holiday season can be stressful in many ways, you might need some bright ideas to help you move efficiently. That said, here are some holiday moving tips and tricks you might want to know:
1. Plan Your Move Ahead Of Time
Moving without a plan can be disastrous, especially during the holiday season. Start planning at least a month before the moving day. This will give you around three to work weeks to pack and organize everything you need.
You might also want to list everything so you won’t forget them during D-Day. These may include the following:
- A list of everything inside your home (Categorize them based on where they are located, e.g., ‘frying pans: kitchen.’ This way, you can trace them easily. Also, include specific dates when you want to address every category to keep everything in order.)
- Moving company truck information
- Truck servicing schedules, especially when it comes to long-distance moving
- Contact details of your real estate agent (if you plan to buy a new home)
- Contact details of your new landlord (if you plan to rent a home)
- Mail forwarding details
- Timeline of the actual moving day
You may ask your family and friends to help pack things or hire some movers to facilitate your move as much as possible. Don’t forget to reward your family and friends for their help by treating them to nice restaurants or giving them holiday presents.
2. Consider Moving After Christmas
The best time to move during the holiday season is after Christmas Day. Therefore, the actual moving day will fall on the 26th up to the 28th of December.
If you move after Christmas, you don’t have to worry about heavy traffic, rush hour, and an influx of holiday shoppers. That’s because most people spend time with their family and friends in their homes.
So if you plan to move during the holidays, make it right after Christmas for the smoothest and easiest holiday move.
3. Reduce Your Holiday Decorations
During the holidays, it’s normal to install Christmas decorations everywhere across the home to make it more Christmassy. This is often true unless you want to be like Scrooge.
However, it’d be best to keep it as simple as possible—a few holiday decorations might be enough to feel the Christmas spirit. But make sure to choose impactful décors, such as the Bethlehem, a wreath, Christmas lights, stockings, and a Christmas tree filled with ornaments.
This way, you don’t have to deal with boxes of holiday décor after Christmas. You’ll have more time to pack important items and prepare for your move. Also, keep your holiday decorations handy so you can immediately illuminate your new home and instill the holiday spirit.
4. Celebrate The Holidays Away From Home
Celebrating the holidays with your loved ones isn’t an easy task. You need to fill your home with Christmas décor, cook a lavish holiday feast, and rearrange everything to create extra space for your guests.
Instead of hosting a holiday party at your home, you may ask your friends and relatives if they’re willing to do it in your stead. If you have no choice but to host the party yourself, you may consider reducing the number of guests to invite.
Lowering the number of guests can give you more time to pack your things. Also, consider a potluck feast instead of cooking all the dishes yourself. This can help reduce the amount of cooking you need, giving you enough time to fix your things for moving.
You should also host a party somewhere other than your home, like a small event place or a private pool resort. In this way, you don’t have to waste time cleaning and rearranging everything for your guests.
5. Hire A Moving Company
Hiring professional movers can help you save time, so you can still enjoy the holiday with your family and friends. They also know how to properly handle delicate and heavy objects, such as furniture, mirrors, artworks, and appliances, preventing injuries.
A moving company will also help you focus on what you need to do during this holiday season and ensure that everything runs smoothly and stress-free.
When choosing a moving company, make sure to read and understand everything stated in their contracts before signing them. Also, compare different moving companies based on the reviews and feedback they receive, costs, additional charges, and available discounts.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate with them. You can tell them that other companies have given you a better rate compared to them and have already given you a competitive quotation. With this, you might be able to grab a better deal.
6. Save Money
Moving doesn’t come cheap; in fact, it’s expensive. You have to pay for your new house and the movers or the trucks you hire or rent. However, did you know that Americans spend about USD$1,455 during the holidays?
Holiday expenses include holiday supplies, travel fees, new clothes (especially for kids), presents, and other bills.
Keep this holiday season simple with meaningful experience gifts. You can visit the zoo, share online class memberships, relax in a cozy winter cabin, or enjoy amusement park rides. You can still buy presents for your family, but don’t go beyond your capabilities.
You can start reducing your expenses once you’ve determined when to move. If you don’t need to eat out, cook whatever’s available at home. If you don’t need new clothes, then don’t buy them. This can help you save during this expensive season.
7. Pack Your Things As Early As Possible
The most time-consuming parts of moving to a new home are packing and unpacking your things. Therefore, it’d be best to start this process as early as possible.
When you start packing, don’t forget to label the boxes and categorize them based on where they’re located (e.g., ‘Box 1: Knives and Cutlery, Kitchen’). With this, you’ll be able to unpack things properly, and you don’t have to waste time guessing which box has this and that.
Final Words
Moving during the holiday season can be hectic and stressful, but don’t let this put you down. If you want to spend the holidays with your family and friends, plan the entire process and make use of the tips above. You can also hire professional movers for a smoother and more efficient moving process.
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