Moving is often inconvenient, especially during busy times of the year, like back to school or the holidays. No one wants to spend time during the holiday season packing and moving, but many families do it successfully.
To help, we’re sharing our top seven tips for a smooth move during the holidays, so you can keep your cool, have your holiday fun, and make a successful, efficient relocation.
1. Plan Your Move Ahead of Time
The holiday season is hectic enough without having to plan a move. Start planning your move at least one month in advance, giving yourself a minimum of three weeks to pack.
Ask your friends and family for help packing or hire a moving company to expedite your move if possible. Make sure you reward your friends and family with a delicious meal or gift to thank them for their help.
Keep track of everything by creating a detailed list that includes the following items:
- Your plan for packing items ahead of time (try separating parts of your home or types of items into categories, then schedule specific dates to tackle that category)
- Moving company or moving truck information
- Appointments for servicing your vehicle, especially if you’re driving long-distance
- Your realtor or new landlord’s contact information (include information like their phone number, working hours, and address if applicable)
- Mail forwarding information
- Donation pickup times
- Moving day information and timeline
2. Plan the Holidays Away From Your Home
Getting your home ready for a big family get-together is enough work without the messiness of moving boxes everywhere. If you typically host a holiday party or family get-together, ask your friends or relatives if they would be willing to host it or if you could arrange and throw the party at their home.
If you must entertain, lower your expectations, and reduce the guest list. Limit the number of guests staying at your home so you can continue packing up spare bedrooms. If you’re planning on having your kitchen packed up when guests arrive, host a potluck instead to reduce how much cooking you need to do.
If you aren’t hosting guests, start packing less-used rooms, such as guest bedrooms, closets, storage areas, and parts of the garage. Place all your supplies in one area, such as the guest room, to keep things organized and avoid tripping over moving supplies.
3. Keep a Few Holiday Decorations Out
You won’t want to feel like Scrooge with no holiday decorations in your home, so keep a few decorations up to enjoy the holiday spirit. Choose simple but impactful decorations like a wreath, a small Christmas tree, and stockings.
However, skip out on decking your entire home. You won’t want to deal with packing up boxes of decorations immediately after Christmas.
If you’re planning on moving right before Christmas, pack a box with your favorite Christmas decorations and keep it handy so that you can brighten up your new home for the holiday quickly.
4. Share Your New Address in Your Christmas Cards
Rather than send a moving announcement and Christmas card, why not combine the two?
Tell your friends and family members about the move and your new address on the holiday card. Sending cards is a classy, subtle way to let everyone know about your change of address.
5. Start Saving Now
Moving is expensive enough, but did you know that Americans spend, on average, $800-$900 on gifts each holiday season?
Add in the extra costs to travel, purchase holiday supplies, and deck your kids out in matching holiday pajamas, and you’ve racked up some serious bills.
Keep this Christmas simple by celebrating with experiential gifts, like a family visit to a zoo or an amusement park. It’s tempting to purchase extravagant gifts for your family, but don’t spend beyond your means and rack up credit card debt.
As soon as you know about your move date, start cutting back on miscellaneous expenses, like eating out, purchasing clothes, or impulse buys, and set these savings aside for your move and the holidays. You’ll thank yourself later when you don’t rack up credit card debt during this pricey time of the year.
6. Hire Professional Movers
A moving company saves you time and can handle heavy items, like furniture, fragile artwork, and delicate electronics, allowing you to avoid injury. Hiring movers will enable you to focus on your daily activities during the holidays and keep things as stress-free as possible.
Take your time to vet the moving service before signing a contract. Compare several companies and gather multiple quotes. Don’t be afraid to negotiate a better rate by telling one company what other companies have quoted you for the moving process. Our guide to the nation’s cheapest moving companies is a great spot to gather quotes for your negotiations.
7. Pack as Early as Possible
Without a doubt, packing and unpacking are the most time-consuming parts of the moving process, so start this process early.
Start packing as early as possible and follow your plan closely. Break up packing times with stretching and eating breaks to keep yourself focused and energized during the process. The packing will fly by if you break down each room into chunks. Make your unpacking process quicker by labeling everything clearly with visible labels on the moving boxes. On the label, list the items in the box, what room they belong to, and the number of boxes in that room. For example, you might label a box: Books, living room, box 1 of 10.
Final Thoughts on Moving During the Holidays
Don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends or family or hire a moving service to help with the move. The holidays can be a difficult time of year to move but beginning the new year in your new space will help you start the year fresh. If you decide to hire professionals read our list of top moving companies.
