Moves can come up fast, especially if you are relocating for a job or to be closer to family after an emergency. That means that sometimes you will be moving during times of the year that could be considered less than ideal, like say, Christmas.
Typically moving during the winter is seen as being more difficult than moving at other times of the year, especially if you are moving to or from an area with cold, rainy, or snowy weather. And moving during the holidays does have some extra challenges, especially if you have kids. But there are some big advantages to moving during Christmas and other holidays too.
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The Challenges Of Moving During Christmas
The weather is the most common challenge that people think of when they think about moving during Christmas. But if you have reliable and experienced movers then you don’t have to worry about the weather. Experienced movers will get your household items to your new home safely.
However, if you are going to be moving yourself there is the possibility that you’ll be doing so in inclement weather. If you end up with snow or ice on moving day, make sure to take the proper precautions.
Bring the moving truck as close as possible to the house to minimize walking outdoors. Lay down materials to make the walking path safe. Take your time and be extra cautious driving the moving truck in the snow.
Outside of weather, some of the other challenges that you will face when you’re moving at Christmas include:
School Schedules
If you have kids that are in school moving during the holidays can be tricky. Ideally, you’d want to move during their holiday break so that they don’t miss school. And so that they can start at their new schools right after break without causing too much disruption.
But sometimes there’s not a big window of time to make the move happen because the school breaks of their old schools and new schools don’t line up.
If this happens to your family remember that kids are resilient. If they need to start at their new school a little late or leave their old school a little early they can handle that as long as you give them plenty of support.
Family Obligations
If your family is the one that always hosts Thanksgiving dinner or the annual Christmas party you may not be able to do that this year. If you have enough advance warning of the move you can ask another family to take over the holiday celebrations for this year.
Or, if the move pops up suddenly, offer to help pay for a rental location
that will comfortably fit the entire family and move the holiday celebration this year. You also may want to see if there’s someone else in the family that will take on the planning of the events because you will probably be busy getting settled in your new home.
Delays In Necessary Services
Another challenge that you might face if you’re moving during the holidays is difficulty getting necessary services for moving and for your new home. Home inspectors, real estate lawyers, rental offices, and other professional services that you will need during the moving process may be running only for limited hours.
With lots of other people also moving you might find it tough to schedule the services you need to get into your new home.
The Advantages Of Moving During Christmas
Christmas isn’t a bad time to move necessarily. In fact, moving during the winter has some advantages over moving in the summer. Some of the advantages of moving during Christmas time are:
Easier to Get Movers
In general, the most popular times to move are in the early spring and in the late summer.
Trying to schedule a move and get movers or even DIY moving trucks can be almost impossible during those times. And even if you can find movers with the availability you often need to be very flexible with dates and times to move. That’s not always possible for people who work or have families.
When you schedule a move during Christmas there will be a lot more availability and you should have a much easier time choosing the exact dates and times you want to move.
Lower Cost
Often you will get a lower rate on essentials when you are moving at Christmas. You will save money on the cost of the actual move.
But you will also save money on things like airfare, hotel, gas (for the moving truck and your personal vehicles), and other costs associated with the actual move. You can take advantage of Christmas sales to get furniture and décor for your new home if you need to as well.
Better Selection of Housing
If you’re renting a home you’ll usually find a better selection of housing on the market during the fall. Typically leases run from summer to summer or fall to fall, so any apartments that aren’t rented by early fall are usually priced lower to attract renters.
You may be able to negotiate a great price on a nice apartment by moving at Christmas time.
If you’re buying a home the available inventory of homes on the market may not be large, but you will have some negotiating power because the sellers probably want to get the house sold and get the closing done before Christmas.
Time To Settle In
When you move during Christmas you’ll have more time after the move to settle into your home. Schools will be on holiday break and workplaces often have reduced hours and at least a week off for Christmas. That will give you a chance to unpack at your own pace, figure out what you need for your space, and get used to your new home.
If your kids are going to be starting at a new school and you move during the Christmas break your kids will have an opportunity to get acclimated to their new town before they start school. That can help them feel more at ease once school is back in session.
Easier To Move Pets
If you’re moving with pets it’s a great idea to move during Christmas. The weather will be cooler so you won’t have to worry about the heat affecting your pet’s health as your travel. Whether you are flying with your pet or driving with your pet to your new home it will be much safer for your beloved furry companions to travel when the weather is cooler.
And once you get to your new home the holiday break will give you time to be at the new home with your pets while they get used to their new surroundings.
Is Christmas A Bad Time To Move?
There are pros and cons to moving during Christmas, just like there for any move at any time of the year. But for most people, the advantages of moving during Christmas outweigh the disadvantages.
