Best Tips for Moving During the Holiday Season

The holiday season is already a crazy time of year, but add on planning and making a move during this time and you could be driven over the edge! With all the gift buying, house decorating, and visits with friends and family, your plate may already appear full for the next month or so. Making a move during this time does not have to be a bad experience, and with a little thought and planning, it can be a great experience!

To ensure that your move does not disrupt your family’s holiday cheer, we’ve provided you with some great tips in order to make the process as seamless and stress-free as possible.

Holiday Season Timing

The holiday season is not typically thought of as a time where lots of people are making moves but for moving companies, this time of year can get to be very busy! Furniture movers have families too, and with time off likely scheduled for many, it is important that you book and secure moving quotes from a reputable local moving company as far out as possible!

Bear in mind that, as with most everything else, moving during this time will likely cost more than if you were to do it outside of the holiday season. Besides the cost aspect, moving will likely take more time during the holidays due to increased traffic from all the holiday travelers and shoppers. Keep in mind that the weekend before Christmas is typically the busiest day of the year for shopping.

Pack Smartly

Disassembling and packing away your beloved treasures and belongings can be a downer no matter the time of year, but tack on having to take down all your nice holiday decorations to it and a move during the holiday season can start to become a real drag.

To keep your holiday cheer intact once you’ve landed at your new home, pack up your decorations, presents, holiday wardrobe, and gift wrap separately from your other household amenities. If you’ve hired a local moving company, ask them to leave your holiday belongings in the living room of your new abode so that you can unpack them ASAP and get back to celebrating the holidays.

It’s understandable if you feel tired and overwhelmed with all that’s going on during this time, with the addition of a move, so even just partially redecorating your new home should be good enough to restore the holiday spirits!

Label Everything

Labeling all your boxes appropriately before a move should be a no-brainer in order to ensure a smooth moving experience. During the holidays though, labeling can be even more important. You’ll want to keep track of all your decorations, holiday wardrobes, and fine dinnerware so it can be unpacked right away! Some best practices for labeling boxes are to include the contents of the box, a “fragile” notation if needed, and what room they are destined for.

A hidden benefit of making a move during the holiday season is that you don’t have to worry about going up to your attic or down into the basement to dig out your Christmas tree and other holiday livery ; you can have the movers do it for you and they can even set it right where you want it in your new abode!

Donating Your Unused Items

Making a move is a great opportunity to get rid of some of your old stuff that you no longer use or have no room for in your new home. Selling or trashing old belongings can be a real hassle and the effort is often not worth the returns. Consider donating your unwanted items to charity instead!

Donating is great any time of year but during the holiday season, it is likely even more appreciated! To make donating even more convenient, charities such as Habitat for Humanity, The Salvation Army, and Goodwill will happily pick up items fit for resale, free of charge! Donating has the added benefit of extra cash in your pocket come tax season, so make sure you keep any receipts you get from donations! The extra money will surely be helpful after the holidays and with the added expenses of a move.

Watch the Weather

If your move is taking you to or from the Midwest or Northeast regions of the U.S., less than ideal moving weather is likely to occur. Blizzards, iced over roads, and sometimes below-zero temperatures can all add onto the stress of a move. With a little foresight, planning, and preparation a move during the winter months does not have to be miserable and will likely go off without a hitch!

To prepare for a cold-weather move, make sure you have adequate moving supplies for the season including waterproof plastic bins. Cold-weather clothing will likely also be necessary. Gloves, hats, and boots should be at the ready to keep the cold at bay and to keep you dry during your move.

One last tip for a cold weather move includes ensuring your electricity and heat is turned on and ready for you for when you start moving. Moving your belonging into a freezing home is not fun and having to stay in one for a few days until the utilities are turned on will be even worse!

Holiday Time Off

If you happen to be taking time off work or school for the holidays, a move during this time could prove to be ideal. With more time to plan, organize, and pack your belongings, holiday time off makes for a nice alternative to having to do it all after a hard day’s work. If you happen to have children who are off for the holidays as well, they can be put to work packing up their own belongings as well!

In a perfect world, you’d make your move during the holiday season on the days between Christmas and New Year’s. During this time, many people have time off and are at home spending time with friends and family. You may even have some family and friends around that are willing to help with the move!

Create a Plan

A well-thought-out plan goes a long way to ensure your holiday move goes as swiftly and smoothly as possible.

Start by going through your home and try to determine what items you are willing to part with and donate them to the charity of your choosing.

After you’ve gotten rid of what’s not being moved, you’ll want to get organized and start packing everything away. Make sure you’re clearly labeling all boxes and try to keep like items together for easier unpacking later. Try to keep a few of your more treasured belongings and your holiday decorations at hand so you’ll be able to unpack them right away and get back to enjoying them!

Budget Wisely

The holiday season already takes a heavy toll on most people’s wallets. Adding a move to the list of expenses and suddenly, the reserves can start drying up real fast!

Plan ahead if you can and start saving money, so you have some extra padding in your account come your holiday move time. Moving companies typically offer lower prices if your move is scheduled mid-week so keep that in mind to shave off a couple bucks from the cost of your move. Moving on a holiday weekend is likely to be much costlier due to companies being short staffed.

We at Four Guys & A Truck are offering competitive rates this holiday season and would make your move a stress free and budget-friendly experience. Consider scheduling your holiday move with us, a local, woman owned company! The transition into your new home will be seamless, with your wallet intact!