Important Things To Consider When Deciding On A Moving Date

So, when for one reason or other you are faced with imminent relocation, you need to come up with a smart strategy in order to plan and organize a trouble-free moving process. And regardless of whether you are a sworn fan of numerology and regularly consult Lunar calendars and any relevant Feng Shui principles whenever you have to make an important decision, or you are just mocking the idea of celestial predestination, you still need to take into consideration several factors when scheduling your move and setting a moving date. If you intend to follow all the good luck rituals before moving in a new house, you are going to find yourself in the middle of a mind-boggling whirlpool of requirements, canons and personal preferences. Otherwise, you will have to weigh your options and conform to a variety of functional and realistic aspects that may actually help you strike a truly auspicious moving date, not for superstitious reasons but for practical ones.

Actually, you may not always be at liberty to decide when to move due to circumstances beyond your control.

Is Your Moving Date Already Fixed By Force Of Circumstance?

Before deciding on a moving date, you’d better answer the following questions.

Are you on a lease agreement?

If the property you are about to leave is a rented one, you will need to comply with the terms of the lease. Check the provisions of your rental contract and go through all the specific renters’ moving out rights and obligations you have signed below. Read the fine print carefully and find out how soon you need to notify your landlord about your move and how to proceed in order to get your security deposit back. Make sure that you are familiar with all the clauses in your contract, that you have fulfilled all your responsibilities and that you know how to terminate the rental agreement, so that you can avoid any penalties and conflicts.

If you are planning to move into a rental, you will have agreed on a specific move-in date and, of course, you will not be able to relocate prior to that date. So, you will need to organize your move in accordance with the already negotiated conditions.

Are you selling your old property or buying a new home?

So, your old property is for sale. If somebody were interested in it and you were able to receive a good price, you would have to move out before the future owners move in, right? Plan your course of actions carefully because the situation is quite tricky:

• in case you haven’t found your future home yet, you will have to provide temporary housing for your family and storage for all your personal possessions;
• on the other hand, you will probably want to sell your old place as soon as possible to cash some extra money for your move and for buying a new house.

If you bought a new home, you will have to negotiate the date when you will be able to move in with the previous owners. Also, don’t forget that you may need extra time for any required repair works or desired renovation projects.

Are you starting a new job on a specific date?

If you are about to start a new job in a new city and your first day at work has already been defined, you don’t have much of a choice. You need to move in time to be able to settle in and put your personal affairs in order before that date. This will probably be your top priority and you will have to organize the entire relocation process having this specific date in mind.

Is school a factor?

• If you are moving to college – well, you will have to be there in time for the start of the academic year, right?
• If you are moving after college – you will have to move soon after graduation, either back with your parents or to a new place where you can pursue your happiness and begin your new life;
• If you have a school-aged child – you will have to consider school start-dates and the effects of an eventual mid-year move. Many psychological factors come into play when moving with children, especially when they have to change schools, so research your possibilities and be extra careful when deciding on a moving date.

Flexibility in choosing the best time to move is really a privilege you should take advantage of. If you are in the favorable position to be able to set a moving date according to your preferences, check the following tips on how to choose the best date to move into a new house.

Seasonal Considerations

If you can choose the season and the month when your move will take place, have in mind the following factors.

Fit Your Move Into Your Budget

It is no secret that summer is the busiest moving season and if you prefer to avail of the favorable weather and all the available help from friends and relatives who are free in the summer, be ready to dig deep into your pocket. Spare the time to check the schedules and the rates of different moving companies before hiring the one that best suits your needs. Also, remember to book their professional services as early as possible to ensure that your chosen movers and a moving truck will be available for the time you require. Have in mind that most reputable moving companies are understaffed during the peak season and sometimes students and other temporary crew replace the experienced movers which could result in damages and a further drain on your budget.

Moving in the winter, on the other hand, may be much cheaper but also hides certain risks. Scheduling a move anytime from September to mid-May will significantly reduce the moving costs and will guarantee you the help of an experienced moving crew at the most convenient time for you. However, it is very troublesome to deal with all the tedious and complicated moving procedures when the weather is so adverse. More often than not, transportation is extremely difficult and the moving truck could be caught in a snowstorm and delayed – if your household items loaded in it freeze and thaw, they may sustain considerable damage.

Depending on the climatic conditions in the specific states you are moving from/to, you need to decide when it is safest and cheapest for you to move across the country.

School Year

If you have school-aged children, you will want to make the transition to a new educational facility as easy and trouble-free for them as possible, right? This means that when you have the liberty to decide when to move, you will have to take into account the school calendar.

It is generally believed that summer is the most appropriate time to change schools. Wait until all the classes are over, the final school play has been successfully put on stage and your kids have said their goodbyes to school friends. Don’t rush things – allow your children to adapt to the idea and prepare emotionally for the big change. Find the time to visit together all their favorite places, to say goodbye to all neighbor kids and to invite their best friends to a fare-well party. Do your best to spark their curiosity and help them accept all that is new in a positive way.

However, make sure you arrive in your new home and settle in at least a month before the start of the next academic year. This will give your little ones time to explore the neighborhood, meet kids their age and get a bit used to their new lifestyle.

Another hypothesis, however, states that children adapt more easily and much quicker if the move takes place during the school year, especially if they don’t like their current educational facility and are not popular among their peers. If you choose this approach, your kids’ minds will be preoccupied with school issues and they will not have the time to feel nostalgic about what they will lose after the relocation. Besides, they will be in the company of their new classmates and this will give them the opportunity to quickly make new friends and to join attractive extracurricular activities. Also, they will have a chance to adapt to the new teaching methods and requirements.

Depending on the age of your children and their attitude towards the move, you can decide on a moving date that will benefit both your plans and your kids’ social development.

Previously Planned Events

The last season-related factors you need to consider when deciding on a moving date are the various special occasions throughout the year.

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  Holidays. A move prior to a major holiday, such as Christmas, or a personal holiday, such as a birthday, is definitely a poor decision because the event will lose its magic unless celebrated with close friends and family. After all, holidays are all about the reunion with your beloved ones and it is their pleasant company that makes the moment jolly and festive.Actually, planning your relocation immediately after a holiday is quite a good idea because you will have sweet memories to cheer you up, will have availed of the opportunity to say goodbye to everyone and will have plenty of time to settle in before the next holiday;

• Vacations. If your kids have been looking forward to the first summer month to go to the Boy Scout camp by the seaside, postpone your move for after that. Or if you have already planned a trip to Europe, don’t ruin it with moving preparations. Provided that you are in a position to decide when to move, make the most out of it;
• Guests. If your sister visits once a year or your foreign friend has finally found the time to stay with you for a week or two, you may as well plan your move for after your dear guests have left, right?

Having specified the season and the month of your move-out date, you should determine the day.

Best Day To Move House

Here is a detailed checklist to help you set the most advantageous date for your relocation.

How To Move Cheap

If possible, opt for a day during the second half of a month (15 – 25 is usually the perfect ten-day period to perform a move). Most people need to move on the last or the first days of a month because of rental agreements, job-related considerations, etc. Avoid this peak period if you can. Also, have in mind that many prefer to relocate during the first half of a month, soon after they have received their salary and feel more confident about covering their moving expenses. Go out of the ordinary if you want to organize a cheap and easy relocation.

As far as a specific day of the week is concerned, the weekends are, of course, the busiest. Tuesday is said to be the least preferred day for a move, so you may receive a significant discount if you settle for a Tuesday move (or Wednesday, or Thursday, for that matter).

How To Get Help Moving

Even if you have hired a moving company, you may need some help on Moving day itself (a reliable friend or a relative to look after your young children or to take care of your pets, for example). And if you have put your mind on a DIY move, you will definitely need as many helping hands as possible. So, before setting a moving date, contact your helpers and make sure they will be available. This will usually be their day off, most probably during the weekend.

How To Avoid Heavy Traffic

Moving during the weekdays may be cheaper but you will probably have to deal with much heavier traffic. You may put your navigational skills to a test and devise an escape route along secret back roads, especially if you will be driving your rented truck, but just consider the pros and cons before taking a final decision.

How To Choose An Auspicious Moving Day

If the patterns of the stars and the ordains of fate are your thing, you hour has struck! Consult your Feng Shui handbook to choose the most favorable moving date of the month and plan every ritual that will bring peace to your mind and good luck to your new house and your new life.

Once you have scheduled your moving date, it’s time to think of the hour.

When Is The Best Time To Move House

The early bird catches the warm, yet it may turn out that arranging to have a moving truck parked in front of your home the first thing in the morning may not be the best option in your case. First thing to consider is the size and the destination of your move.

How much time do you need?

If you are relocating a small home, allow for several hours in the early morning before your movers arrive to prepare the last details and then have your moving truck fully loaded just before noon. However, if you are about to move a four-bedroom house, several hours will not be enough to get everything ready. Besides, loading the truck will take a considerable amount of time, too. Arrange for a larger moving crew and start as early as possible.

Another very important factor to consider is the distance you will have to travel. If you are moving across town, the actual transportation of your items should take only a couple of hours, so you will have plenty of time. In case you are moving long distance, maybe it’s best to schedule your movers for the afternoon, load the truck and then have your items shipped overnight (or over several nights, for that matter). You will meet the moving crew on a fresh morning and will have enough time to have your possessions unloaded and unpacked.

When will help be available?

If your friends are busy in the morning but have promised to come and help later on, postpone the actual moving of your belongings out of your old home and onto the moving truck for the early afternoon. Or if your neighbor will be able to take care of your small children only before noon, arrange to have the moving procedures finished by then. Just be flexible.

Traffic And Parking Issues

Once again, take measures to avoid heavy traffic and ensure a parking space for the moving truck. Reserve the elevator in your building, plan for the truck to arrive after the neighboring kids have left for school, whatever is necessary to find a really convenient time gap for completing all the tasks related to your move. Your careful planning will pay off with a speedy and trouble-free moving experience.

When deciding on a moving day, give yourself enough time to prepare the relocation, especially if you are moving a large household across country. A well-organized relocation requires 8 to 12 weeks. Otherwise, you risk rushing things and committing a variety of moving mistakes. Be considerate about the practical and the emotional needs of every family member and allow sufficient time for the idea of moving to take shape and to be approved of. Don’t miss the small details – they will bring a true sense of achievement and satisfaction after a smooth move.

One last word – provide for unexpected events. Schedule your move as early and as meticulously as possible but when setting a moving date, allow some extra time for surprise events. It is always better to be ready a few days in advance, instead of being a few days behind schedule.