Moving during peak moving season has its specifics and can be rather different than a house move during the off-peak moving season.
But when is peak moving season?
Statistical data shows that around 70% of all house moves in the U.S. take place roughly between Memorial Day (the last Monday in May) and Labor Day (the first Monday in September). And as you can guess, this May-September moving period intensifies during the summer months for a number of advantageous reasons (see below).
The peak moving season is a very busy time for both people on the move and professional movers. Therefore, it’s quite possible that you’ve also picked the most popular time of the year to move house. And if that’s the case, then you must make sure you’re fully prepared for the peak season for moving.
Need some advice when moving during the most popular months to move house? These 20 tips for moving during the peak moving season will get you as ready to move out as you can ever be.
But first, let’s see why May-September is the most popular period for move house.
Top reasons why summer is the peak moving season
There are a number of advantages of moving in the peak moving season and that is exactly why most people choose to move in the summer. There are some disadvantages of organizing a summer move as well, but in most cases, the pros outweigh the cons significantly.
Here are the top reasons why summertime happens to be the peak moving season:
Fine weather. Generally speaking, the weather during the high season for the moving industry should be good enough to not cause any serious problems. The heat, rain, or even a summer storm could still affect slightly your move, but nothing compares to the dangers of the cold, snow, ice, or blizzards during the cold months of the year.
School. Many families with school-age children prefer to move during the summer school break when there are no classes. Those parents know too well that moving during the school year can prove to be too problematic for their kids for variable easy-to-guess reasons.
Work. Most adults tend to take days off work during the summer for a well-deserved vacation. Moving house during the peak season for moving may mean they won’t need to take unpaid leave to pull off the move.
Students. University students who live in college towns relocate at the beginning and end of the summer, responding to the end and start of the academic year.
Tips for Moving in the Summer: How to Survive Your Summer Move
1. Make a choice: movers or DIY?
In most cases, hiring professional movers is the better option to move house.
The very first thing you have to decide when moving during the busiest moving season is whether you should hire professional movers or try to organize a self-move.
There are pros and cons of each house moving option, and your best bet is to analyze your specific relocation parameters:
move distance,
number of household items,
specialty items to pack and move,
remaining time until Moving day,
reliable friends,
previous house moving experience,
overall safety, and
move-related stress.
Ultimately, the right decision – movers or DIY – will be the one that works best for you under your unique set of circumstances.
Hire Movers or Move by Yourself?
2. Create a moving budget
The thing to remember is that moving during peak season is more expensive because of the much higher demand for top-rated movers. As a result, your moving budget will take a bigger hit and you’re going to have to dig deeper into your pockets.
Stay on top of all move-related expenses by creating a moving budget. This way, you will be able to monitor and control the inevitable moving costs in a timely manner before they get out of hand.
Despite the higher moving company rates during the peak moving season, there are a number of things you can do to lower moving costs.
What to Budget for When Moving Out
3. Request cost estimates
It’s important to know how much your move during the peak season will cost. In general, moving company rates are higher due to the increased demand for trustworthy moving companies, but you have to know exactly how much you will need to pay for the relocation service.
And the only thing to know your moving price in advance is to request in-house surveys from the best movers in your area. After the on-site inspection, the moving experts will be able to quote you an accurate cost estimate based on your specific situation.
Click here to request free moving estimates from top-rated movers near you.
4. Stay away from rogue movers
Because moving services are in great demand during the height of the moving season, dishonest moving companies do tend to pop up here and there with the sole purpose of scamming people of their money.
You must make sure you go with legitimate top-rated movers, properly licensed by the U.S. government so that you and your items can stay protected during the local or long-distance move. Don’t take any chances – research your movers to be sure they are legitimate and trustworthy.
5. Pick an advantageous move-out date
Pick an advantageous move-out date.
Schedule smartly your move in late spring, summer, or early fall. Keep in mind that moving during the peak moving season is costly but bad scheduling can make your move even costlier than you’d like.
Moving company rates are the highest at the beginning and end of each month, and at weekends too. The reason is clear – the demand for moving services during those times is at its peak.
Also, avoid scheduling your move on national holidays. If possible, aim at booking your summer move on a weekday roughly in the middle of a month to keep your moving expenses from escalating.
How to Choose the Best Date for Your Move
6. Book your movers early
The moment you have decided on a moving date is when you should book top-rated movers without delay. The reason for this booking urgency stems from the fact that the best movers in the country get booked fast, so if you wait too long, for no good reason, to secure a good mover, then you’re running the risk of having to work with a mediocre moving company, or worse – an outright bad mover.
One bonus of booking a moving company early in the house moving process is that you may get a discount for early booking from your mover.
7. Use a moving checklist to your advantage
Things are likely to get a bit chaotic during the busiest moving season. Therefore, in order to organize your move exactly the way you want, you’re going to need a moving checklist to guide you through the entire house moving process.
A good moving checklist will help you use your time efficiently – the thing is that you don’t want to waste precious hours or even days wondering what you should do next.
And the best thing about using a moving checklist to organize your relocation during the peak moving season is that you can customize the moving planner to suit your own needs.
Interactive & Printable Moving Checklist
8. Sort out all household items
When moving during the height of the moving season, one thing you should remember is that packing and moving all your belongings without sorting them out first will increase the overall moving price and slow down your preparation progress.
Do you really need to move all the things found in your home?
Inventory your things and sort them out in three piles: 1) items to pack and move, 2) items to sell or give away, and 3) items to throw away for recycling.
How to Make a Home Inventory When Moving
9. Get rid of any unwanted things
Remember that the more things you choose to take with you, the more time and money you will have to invest in their transportation. What’s more, you’ll also need to find enough storage space for your belongings in the new place.
The smart thing to do when moving in the peak season is to get rid of any things that you no longer want and like, or the things you won’t use in the near future. Moving experts advise that it’s a good idea to not bother moving any items you haven’t used in the last 12 months.
How to Get Rid of Stuff Before Moving
10. Organize a profitable moving sale
Organizing a moving sale is a good way to help your budget.
When moving during a period when moving company rates are the highest, one good way to help your budget is to organize a moving sale where you can try to sell your unwanted items for a profit.
Having a garage sale before you move out is kind of feeding two birds with one scone: you’ll get rid of the things you no longer need and you will earn some money to help cover the inevitable moving costs that are coming your way.
An interesting alternative to selling your things at a yard sale is to attempt to sell them online.
10 Tips for a Profitable Moving Sale
11. Get free moving boxes
It’s a fact that moving during the peak moving season is more expensive than moving during the off-peak moving season. Nevertheless, there are numerous ways to bring down the moving price.
One proven way to pay less in the end is to use second-hand moving boxes that you get for free. That’s right – free moving boxes should be readily available from friends or local businesses provided that you have the time to look for them.
Make sure the free cardboard boxes you do get to use are strong, dry, and infestation-free.
Where to Get Free Moving Boxes
12. Secure all packing supplies
Packing up an entire home will require more than just cardboard boxes, so before you start protecting your things and arranging them into boxes, you’ll also need to secure the rest of the required packing supplies such as bubble wrap, packing paper, stretch wrap, packing tape, and a set of permanent markers.
By preparing the necessary packing materials in advance, you’re making sure that you won’t lose valuable time in search of more supplies, ultimately resulting in unnecessary interruptions of the house packing flow.
13. Start packing your things ASAP
Oftentimes, moving in peak season is all about proper time management – once you organize your time well, things should fall into place, leading to a successful end of your relocation story.
To guarantee yourself enough time, it’s critical that you start packing up your things right after the house move becomes only a matter of time. One of the worst packing mistakes you can make is to underestimate how much time you need to finish the packing task.
Initiate the packing process from the rooms that are the hardest ones to pack – usually, those are the storage areas in your home such as the garage, basement, attic, closet, and spare rooms.
Packing Checklist: Packing Timeline for Moving
14. Avoid common packing mistakes
Packing mistakes can really slow down your progress and could even ruin your chances of completing the house packing task as scheduled.
While some packing mistakes are more serious than others, it’s important that you try not to let any of them affect your pre-move preparation too negatively.
Don’t start packing unless you have a working packing strategy and don’t leave any packing jobs for Moving day. Also, packing up all your things without sorting them out first is often considered a rookie mistake that should be avoided at all costs.
10 Packing Mistakes to Avoid When Moving
15. Don’t pack any forbidden items
Don’t risk packing and moving hazardous items to the new home.
Due to their hazardous nature, some household items are not allowed to be transported between two homes and professional moving companies will not pack and move them as a result.
Even when you’re moving by yourself, you still shouldn’t pack and transport any hazardous items such as flammable, explosive, or corrosive substances. Such dangerous goods present a serious threat to people, animals, and property, which means that you are required to dispose of those non-allowables properly, in a safe and eco-friendly manner.
When using the services of a mover, they will not usually agree to move perishables items, plants, or pets for you as well.
16. Pack heat-sensitive items with great care
One thing you should keep in mind is that moving during the hot months of the year will also mean having to deal with high temperatures. And when you’re moving a bunch of heat-sensitive items, then the intense heat outside could cause a few problems for you.
Household items such as sensitive electronic equipment, media disks, candles, perishable food, and plants will be at risk during the peak season move unless you pack them up properly and transport them with the care they need.
If possible, transport heat-sensitive items in your own car where you’ll be able to control the temperature. Bear in mind that the temperatures inside the back of a moving truck can reach extreme values unless the vehicle is climate-controlled.
17. Aim for an early start
If you happen to live in an area with a particularly hot summer, then you should do all in your power to start the move early in the morning to avoid the intense sunshine of the 11am-4pm interval.
Speak with your movers about your desire to start early enough. Of course, your best chance of getting a favorable move-out time is to book the pros early enough in the process.
However, if your movers cannot accommodate your summer move in the morning, see if they can agree to an evening move with the purpose of staying away from the hottest hours of the day.
Moving Day Mistakes? Err Another Day.
18. Stay hydrated
Moving during the height of the moving season often means moving in the hottest months of the year. Therefore, you must take precautionary measures to stay protected from the sweltering heat outside (unless it happens to be raining on your Moving day).
Be sure you drink plenty of fluids (preferably water) to stay properly hydrated throughout the move-out day. The last thing you’d want is to start experiencing the unpleasant side effects of (mild) dehydration.
If possible, provide a healthy supply of bottled water for everyone – you, your family, and your professional or non-professional helpers.
Moving Day Checklist: How to Survive Moving Day in 20 Steps
19. Keep the air conditioner on
During a summer move, you’ll do good to keep the air conditioner on to cool down the air inside the home while you’re working. This will keep you and your movers from overheating or maybe sweating profusely while packing and taking your things to the awaiting moving truck outside.
Don’t forget that moving out on a hot summer day can be a bit tricky when it comes to controlling the microclimate inside your home. Placing several portable electric fans can also help cool things down as they will keep the air in constant circulation.
20 Moving Safety Tips: Stay Safe When Moving
20. Mind what you wear on Moving day
Stay safe on Moving day by wearing appropriate clothes and shoes.
The final advice when moving during the peak moving season is, once more, related to personal safety.
On Moving day, you should always wear clothes and shoes that are appropriate for the occasion and fitted for your specific house moving circumstances.
During a hot summer day, wear lightweight and light-colored clothes made of breathable fabric and have closed shoes with anti-slip soles. Consider applying sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to protect your skin.
During a rainy day, wear a raincoat when it’s drizzling or wait it out during torrential rain.
The post 20 Tips for Moving in Peak Moving Season appeared first on The Moving Blog.
