Even if you don’t realize it, the date on which you decide to move out plays a big role in the big picture of your move.
Sometimes you don’t really have a choice and the move-out date is decided for you. One way or another, circumstances – the ones that are usually out of your direct control – force you to set a moving day and then you make everything possible to organize the entire move around that specific date.
Other times, though, you are given the rare opportunity to decide on a moving date yourself without any external influences of any kind. In such cases, you should really take advantage of your flexibility and pick a date that will bring you a number of benefits, including possible moving cost reduction.
Here’s what you should know when setting a moving day provided that you have a say in the relocation scheduling task.
Here’s how to make the date you decide to move on work for you!
When your moving date is already fixed
Due to the concrete set of circumstances that force you up and move house, you may not be able to pick a moving date that’s actually favorable to you. In such a relocation case, the date on which you have to move out will be chosen for you.
This can be a good thing, more or less, because you won’t have to worry about choosing the best date for you – it’s already decided and there’s nothing you can do to change it. However, being left without a choice when scheduling the house move can also prove to be rather disadvantageous.
Your lease is ending
If you’re renting a place, the end of your lease agreement is just around the corner, and you have no intention to extend your stay there, then your move-out date has already been decided, hasn’t it? According to the terms and conditions of the lease contract, you should be expected to vacate the rented property at the end of the month in which the lease expires.
In such a case, make sure you complete your end of the bargain – moving out on time and leaving the place in good condition – so that you can get back your security deposit from the landlord without any problems.
You’re starting a new job
One of the most common reasons for people to move house is a new job, often in a new state altogether. Job-related moves have been steadily on the rise, so if you’re getting ready to move out because a new job is waiting for you in another city, then you’ll have little or no control over your moving date.
As a new employee, you will be expected to start work on a specific date, which basically means that you’ll have to move out of your current place shortly before that so that you have time to move into the new home, unpack a few essentials boxes, and then start work at the new workplace.
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You’re moving to college
Sometimes you don’t really have a say in WHEN to move.
If you’re moving out to continue your education at a college or university, then you won’t have much flexibility in choosing your moving day since you’ll need to be there shortly before the start of the academic year, right?
When it comes to scheduling your move, you may still have a bit of wiggle room depending on whether you’ll be living on-campus or off-campus. Nevertheless, you’ll be expected there within a specific time frame, so the date of your move will, once more, be decided for you by external circumstances.
You’re moving with school-aged children
When you’re moving with children who go to school, then you have to take into account the start of the new school as a big factor in your decision when to move house.
As a rule of thumb, it’s better for your children to move during the summer break so that they have a bit of time to adapt to the unfamiliar surroundings before the new school year starts. Changing schools can be a serious issue for some more sensitive children, so you should use all your strategic abilities to schedule a move date that will be the least disruptive.
The thing is that you may not always have a say in deciding when to move house – things can change rather quickly, and for better or worse, you may be facing a moving date that is already set and you feel powerless to do anything about it. Nevertheless, you can still make it work and the fact that you now have a concrete deadline may even help you stay more organized and structured during your pre-move preparations.
When your moving date is flexible
If you’re planning on moving house in the near future but circumstances don’t force you to do it on a specific date or within a concrete time window, then you should consider yourself lucky since you’ll be able to pick the most favorable date for the upcoming move.
As mentioned above, the moving date alone can bring you numerous benefits and you should definitely take advantage of the uncommon flexibility in picking a date for your house move.
So, when is the best time to move house? Well, the best moving date can only be determined on a case-by-case basis, but there are some general guidelines that will make you understand why moving during a specific time can be good or bad for you.
Season
What’s the best season to move house?
Well, if you’re flexible enough to be able to pick a season in which you can move to another home, then you should at least understand the basic pros and cons of moving during each season.
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Moving out in late fall can prove to be quite advantageous.
Summer. The pros of moving in the summer are that the weather is nice (unless it’s too hot), adults can use paid vacation to organize the move, and children are off school during the summer break. The cons of moving in the summer are the higher moving company prices and the low availability of great moving companies.
- Winter. The pros of moving in the winter are that moving companies tend to charge less because of the fewer jobs and the availability of reputable movers is far greater. The major disadvantage of moving in the winter is the cold weather, which can also be rather unpredictable in terms of snow, ice, blizzards, etc.
- Spring and fall. Spring and fall are arguably the best seasons to move house, especially late spring and early fall. The weather is mild and the movers’ prices should be reasonable enough. The greatest disadvantage of moving during those seasons seems to be likely disruption of your kids’ school year.
Month
When scheduling a move, it’s important to understand which days in a month are more advantageous for house moving and which ones are less so. It’s great to have the freedom to pick the date of your move freely, but the idea is to also get some sort of a bonus – reduced moving costs in most cases.
Bear in mind that the first few days and the last few days of a month are the busiest ones regardless of the moving season. Why? These are the days when rental leases end, so many people are moving out of and moving into rental properties at the same time.
As a result of this, moving companies will charge more money during those days due to the increased interest by people looking for professional moving services. If you choose to move by yourself, then you should know that truck rental agencies will also charge their customers more money because of the increased demand for their rental trucks.
Therefore, given the flexibility of picking the date of your move, go for a day somewhere in the middle of a month when the demand for top-rated movers tends to be lower – except for the peak moving season, that is.
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Day
Picking the right day of the week for your move is crucial for the success of your relocation project.
What you need to know is that weekends are always more expensive than weekdays, and the reason is easy to guess – the demand for professional moving services is considerably higher on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, therefore the moving prices will also go up. And the reason for the increased demand is even easier to guess – most people are not working then and wish to move house without having to take any extra days off work.
If you happen to have the luxury to pick any day of the week to move, then aim at the middle of the week when you should be able to get a better deal from your movers.
Hour
An afternoon move can give you an advantage in the pricing and availability of top-rated movers.
For obvious reasons, most house moves take place in the morning. During the hot summer months, mornings are still bearable in terms of heat, so that’s why the early morning hours are the preferred time of the day to complete a house move. And in the case of local moves, most people would like to be in their new homes by the end of the day too.
Generally, you should also go for a morning move, whenever possible. However, your mover might give you an extra discount should you choose a time of the day when most people tend to stay away from – for example, a late afternoon mover or even an evening move.
To sum it up, you should be able to get the biggest price discount from movers if you can pick your moving date
- during the off-season (September – May),
- roughly in the middle of a month,
- on a weekday, and
- in the late afternoon or even evening.
To learn exactly how much you will be charged for the upcoming move, request free cost estimates from the best movers in your area.
