Moving During Peak Season – Plan the Perfect Move at the Perfect Time

When you think about it, peak moving season is “peak” because it is the perfect time for moving and a great number of people want to avail of its benefits. This “popularity”, however, results in moving experiences that are quite far from perfect.

If you wish to move during this busy relocation period, you’ll have to overcome challenge after challenge and there can be no guarantees that the process will be smooth and the outcome – favorable. To have a chance of success you need to plan everything well in advance and plan it right.

Here are some proven tips for moving during peak season to help you plan your perfect move against all odds.

When is Peak Moving Season?

More than 75% of all house moves in the U.S. occur between April and September. During these months, the demand for moving services is very high, so this period is referred to as peak moving season.

There is a good reason why so many people choose to move during this particular time of the year – moving in the summer has many clear advantages:

• Favorable weather conditions – the nice weather in late spring and summer ensures a higher level of comfort during the relocation process, promises safe and efficient loading, unloading, and driving, and eliminates the risk of accidents due to slippery driveways, icy roads, or frozen hands and feet;
• Real estate market opportunities – statistics show that there are much more houses for sale in the spring than in the fall, so people have a greater choice when searching for a new home;
• School year – children have just completed a year of their education and the summer break provides a good chance to relocate, find a good new school, and get ready for the next school year; 
• College – the academic year starts in late August, so students need to move in the summer too;
• Business activity and seasonal work – a lot of people find temporary employment for the summer in other cities and states and need to move closer to their workplaces. Besides, many companies (as well as the military) tend to relocate their employees during the warm months when business activity usually falls into temporary decline;
• Newlyweds – it is a fact that the majority of weddings take place in spring and summer, so the newlyweds move to their shared family nest during the high season as well;
• Free time – many people take their paid leave from work during the summer which means that there will be more friends and relatives who have the time to help with the move;
• Moving sales – when the weather is nice, it is easy to organize a garage sale to get rid of unwanted items before moving.

Bonus tip: Consider moving in off-peak season

If you have the liberty to choose your moving date and don’t have specific reasons to move during the busy summer months, you can save a lot of money and nerves by moving in off-peak season:

• Lower moving costs – most moving companies offer considerable discounts (up to 30%) for moves during the off-peak season to attract more customers;
• Greater choice of reliable movers – reputable moving companies are the first to be booked, so you may have to put up with less experienced and less reliable carriers when moving during the high season. When moving between September and April, however, it will be easy to secure the services of a trustworthy and affordable moving company for your relocation;
• Convenient dates available – you can reserve pick-up and delivery dates whenever it is most convenient for you because the movers are not so busy and will probably be able to accommodate your demands.

Oftentimes though, the circumstances necessitate that you move in peak season despite the higher costs and tighter schedules. In such cases, be sure to take a closer look at the expert peak moving season tips below – they will help you achieve success despite the greater challenges of the busiest relocation period.

How to Prepare for Peak Season

It’s entirely possible to have a smooth and stress-free relocation even in the height of peak moving season. To accomplish this feat, however, you need to prepare really well:

Plan ahead

The early bird catches the worm, you know. Harness your organizational skills and plan as far ahead as possible. If you beat the crowd, you will have greater options – you will be able to work with some of the best movers in business and to arrange favorable conditions for your move.

Create a moving timeline to see your goals more clearly and keep better track of your progress. Follow a detailed moving checklist to ensure you don’t overlook anything important and be sure to complete all relocation tasks in due time and proper manner.

Bonus tip: Try to provide for all kinds of unexpected situations and always have a plan B – just in case something doesn’t go according to plan A.

Provide sufficient budgeting

If you are planning on a peak season move, your finances will be shown no mercy. So, make your moving budget carefully and plan for hidden costs and emergency expenses as well. Then, research all possible ways to cut down the moving costs and find out which of them will work for you.

As you can’t schedule your move for a more financially beneficial date, your best money-saving option is to reduce the number of items you’re relocating. Sort out your possessions to decide which of them are worth moving to your new home and get rid of unneeded items to lighten the load and lower your moving costs.

Bonus tip: Try to sell (online or at a moving sale) as many of your unwanted items as possible to obtain some additional resources for your upcoming move.

Specify your needs and requirements

Make an inventory of the items you have for moving and think about what relocation services you’re going to need. If you have specialty items (a grand piano, a collection of crystal figurines, etc.) or large furniture that doesn’t fit through the doors and that can’t be disassembled, for example, you will need specialized moving services (crating services, hoisting services, etc.) that require specific equipment and appropriately trained movers.

So, be sure to consider any potential difficulties and specific circumstances in advance to know exactly what you’re looking for and to ensure that everything necessary will be available on Moving day.

Find trustworthy movers

Enlisting the services of professional movers can make a huge difference to the entire relocation process. The pros will take care of all arduous moving tasks in a safe and efficient manner, your belongings will be delivered to your new home intact and unscathed, and you will have nothing to worry about.

Peak moving season, however, is a very challenging time for the moving industry because the capacity of the moving services is being pushed to the limits. Some companies sign up for more jobs than they can accommodate as they don’t want to turn down any chances for extra work and higher profits. This means that when Moving day comes, temporarily hired workers may appear at your home instead of experienced professionals and the moving equipment they bring may be old and inappropriate. This increases the risk of accidents and other problems, not to mention the scenario when no movers show up at all.

So, you need to be very careful when choosing your relocation partners in peak moving season:

• Start looking for movers well in advance (3-4 months before your desired moving date) to avoid the rush of people who will need moving services in the summer;
• Ask for recommendations (See also: How to find recommended movers);
• Read moving reviews and check moving company ratings to get an idea of what to expect from different movers;
• Get free moving quotes from several licensed and insured professional movers to see what they have to offer;
• Ask three or four movers who seem to best suit your requirements and available budget for on-site estimates of your moving costs;
• Interview the moving company representatives who come to your home to find out as much as possible about the movers and the moving process;
• Compare the received offers – be sure to check if all your requirements are clearly stated, as well as any demanded extra services and their rates;
• Negotiate any additional conditions, possible discounts and insurance options (See also: How to negotiate with movers);
• Double-check the legitimacy of the movers you consider hiring for your relocation – be on your guard as moving scam is most active during the peak moving season. When pressed for time and shocked by the lack of options, people easily fall victim to rogue movers. Misled by low offers and sweet promises, unwary customers may lose not only their deposits but even all their cherished possessions to scam artists.
  So, research your company with extra care and call the FMCSA’s safety violation and consumer complaints hotline to ask about complaints and problems reported by previous clients of the specific company. Read thoroughly the movers’ paperwork and make sure you understand and agree with all the provisions (and the fine print) in the Bill of lading before signing it to avoid unpleasant surprises and moving fraud.

Book your chosen movers without delay

As soon as you have found the right movers for you, book their services without delay! The earlier you reserve your move, the higher the chances that you will be able to set up a convenient pick-up date. Besides, you’ll get much lower prices by booking in advance. (See also: How far in advance to book movers)

If possible, don’t book your move on a national holiday and avoid weekends, especially in the beginning and the end of a month (the last weekend of July is reportedly the busiest “moving weekend” of the year, followed by the weekend of Memorial Day).

Don’t forget to call your hired moving company a week before the agreed move date to confirm that everything is as planned and all the required equipment for your move, as well as a professional moving crew, will be available on time.

Keep in mind that the delivery date cannot be guaranteed during the peak season due to the heavy traffic and the need to consolidate shipments. (To increase their efficiency during the peak moving company season, movers often consolidate shipments going along the same moving route. If your belongings are shipped together with somebody else’s, you will pay less but will have to wait longer for the delivery. If you want your items to be shipped separately, you will have to pay extra for the exclusive use of the moving vehicle.)

Bonus tip: Allow flexibility – If your moving company has too many urgent assignments, you may be offered a significant discount if you’re able to adjust your move with a couple of days. When flexible, you can save a lot and ensure better moving services, so in case your schedule allows flexibility, take advantage of it!

Have a smart packing strategy

You can save some money on your summer move by packing your items yourself, so you’re advised to leave only your most valuable and most delicate belongings to the pros and pack everything else on your own.

Have in mind though that in peak season, packing materials are in as great demand as moving services. It is, therefore, a good idea to get hold of a sufficient amount of adequate packing supplies well ahead of time – boxes, packing tape, furniture pads, moving blankets, bubble wrap, etc. See if you can find free moving boxes and use some alternative packing materials to save on packing expenses.

Start packing way before Moving day – spend a couple of hours a day on the task, so you can complete the packing process in a timely and efficient manner. Start from the items and the rooms you need the least and keep the good work until your entire household has been properly packed. (See also: Packing timeline – What to pack when for moving)

This way, you will avoid hectic packing in the last minute and will have enough time to organize your items well and provide them with the best possible protection. Just be sure to follow the fundamental rules of packing and steer clear of rookie packing mistakes.

Also, remember that it is particularly important to buy additional insurance for your valuable items when moving in peak season, as many accidents happen during this busy and hectic period.

Bonus tip: Know what not to pack

Get a list of the items your moving company won’t ship for you for safety reasons and don’t waste time and nerves packing them. You can transport the non-allowable items you want to keep yourself, but have in mind that some flammable and/or explosive materials may literally explode or catch fire when overheated, so it’s best not to take any such items when moving in the hot summer months.

Regardless of whether you have hired movers or decided to perform a DIY move, never pack goods that can melt, spoil, or warp because of the extremely high temperatures (such as candles, perishable food, CDs, etc.) when moving in the summer.

Take care of the paperwork

Another important task to complete when preparing for moving in high season is to take care of the required paperwork – change your address, notify all the people and institutions you have dealings with, pay your bills, cancel your subscriptions, retrieve medical and school records, transfer your driver’s license and car registration, etc.

Last but not least, transfer utilities, as you will need electricity, gas and water in your new place immediately (just imagine arriving in your new home after the exhausting moving day in the scorching mid-summer heat to find out that you can’t turn on the air conditioning because there is no electricity or that you can’t take a shower because water isn’t running yet).

Tips for Moving During Peak Season

Only when all the preparations are over and Moving day knocks on your door will you experience the incredible challenge of moving in peak season. To survive the Big day and your summer moving adventure safe and sane, you’re advised to:

1) Use portable moving containers

To reduce the moving chaos and avoid accidents when taking your belongings out of your old property and loading them on the moving truck in great hurry on Moving day, consider using a portable moving container.

If you choose this option, the container will be dropped off at your place a week or so before moving day, so you will be able to load up your items over the course of a few days and won’t need to rush in order to complete all the work in one day. You will have enough time to arrange your belongings well and secure them properly and will be able to work in the cool early morning hours, avoiding the unbearable mid-day heat.

2) Perform your move very early in the morning

Summer mornings are usually very pleasant but the temperatures can quickly get unbearable.

So, be sure to schedule your summer move for as early in the morning as possible and try to have all your household items loaded before the heat becomes too intense. In the event of a self-move, it may be a good idea to get the moving truck the night before the move so that you can start loading it in the evening or before the sun comes up. 

3) Plan for kids and pets

Young children and pets can get hurt (or cause someone to get hurt) in the moving chaos, so they should be kept away from the hectic activity on Moving day. You can arrange a babysitter or a friend of yours to take your kids and/or animal friends for a long walk or to a playground while the movers are in your house but your young ones can’t stay outside all day long if it is too hot.

So, if possible, let kids and pets stay with a friend or a relative in their safe and cool home on Moving day. If not, keep your children and your animal friends occupied in an air-conditioned room away from the relocation chaos.

4) Mind the weather

This is common sense but also one of the most important tips for moving during the summer – be well prepared for the weather conditions on moving day:

Stay cool and hydrated

More often than not, scorching heat will keep you company throughout the entire laborious moving process when relocating in peak season. The combination of high levels of stress, exhausting efforts, and extremely high temperatures may pose a great risk to your health, so take precautions:

• Dress in light-colored and lightweight comfortable clothes – they will make you feel a lot better during the strenuous parts of the move and will allow for good air circulation (very important for preventing heat stroke). Remember that light, long-sleeved and long-legged clothes will help you avoid sun burns and heat exhaustion and will prevent dust and dirt from coming in contact with your bare skin. A wide-brimmed hat that will block the UV rays of the sun will also come very handy;
• Drink lots of water – water will help you stay hydrated and keep your body temperature relatively low. It’s a good idea to keep lots of cold drinks at hand for you, your family members and your movers, but to avoid icy beverages and energy drinks which can be harmful to your health;
• Eat fresh fruits and vegetables and light, wholesome snacks that will give you lots of energy. Avoid sweets, fatty or spicy food, and hard to digest meals;
• Use quality sunscreen lotions that will provide some protection to your skin from the intense summer sun;
• Have a cold wet towel ready – if you or anyone involved in the moving process feels too hot, place a cold wet towel on the back of their neck. It helps lower body temperature very quickly.

Prepare for potential weather hazards

Heavy rainfall or thunderstorms may occur even in months when the weather is typically nice and even in places with mild climate.

So, be sure to check the weather forecast the day before Moving day and prepare accordingly if there is any chance of rain – provide tarpaulins to keep your belongings dry and safe, place doormats in front of the entrance to your home and protective coverings over the floors to keep mud and dirt out of your old property, etc. (See also: Tips for moving in the rain)

Keep in mind that severe storms or extremely high temperatures may ruin your moving plans entirely – you may be forced to postpone the relocation. This is why it’s important to leave your schedule flexible to accommodate changes and unforeseen difficulties.

5) Have your essentials with you

Roads are very busy in the summer and storage space is limited during the peak moving season, so your shipment may be delayed considerably. You may arrive at your new home long before your belongings, so make sure all your valuables and essentials travel with you. Prepare a larger essentials box than usual to be sure that you have everything you need to survive for a week in your new place without the rest of your belongings.

May you successfully perform a stress-free move in peak season! Be cool and take comfort in the fact that more than 20 million Americans share your fate and move houses in peak moving season each year.