So, it’s a fact – a house move will shortly be upon you. For one reason or another /see below/, very soon you will need to initiate the required preparations that prelude what is often considered to be one of life’s most stressful events. Of course, one of your first priorities during the preparation period is to set a moving date – not only because you must know exactly how much time you have until the Big day, but also because you will need to coordinate that specific date with your chosen moving company.
And no, you don’t have to go to a fortune teller to learn the exact date of your upcoming move – rather, it is something that you alone should decide based on a number of circumstantial considerations. Above all else, before deciding on a moving date, think about whether you have the freedom to select a relocation day in the first place.
So, when is the best time to move out?
Are you moving by force of circumstance?
For better or worse, sometimes you don’t really have a choice when scheduling a move simply because the special set of circumstances in your case forces their way into your reality and makes this important decision instead of you.
Start of a new job
Job related moves have always been one of the most common reasons for people to relocate from one place to another. Thus said, if your first day at your new job is already set in stone, then you have to schedule your move in such a way that you don’t show up at work a week late. It’s not very polite, to begin with.
End of your lease agreement
If you’re a renter, then your rental agreement may be coming to its end and having no intentions to extend it means that it’s time for you to move out of the rented property. Therefore, you will need to set up your moving date so that it follows the main clauses of the rental contract and as a result, to get your security deposit back from your landlord without any problems.
Recent property sale
If you have recently sold your house or apartment, then it’s important that you select your moving date with extreme care. In the event of a property sale, things can get really tricky, really fast. If you move out of your sold home too early, then your new home may not be ready for occupation yet – or worse, it may not have been found yet. On the other hand, if you stay too long in your current home, then your delay will most likely inconvenience the new owners.
Change in marital status
Any changes in marital status often lead to one of the person ending up moving in with the other partner or having to move out to another home altogether. Such house moves cannot be always predicted and planned beforehand, especially when it comes to break-ups, so choose the best time to move house in an effort to make the transition as trouble-free for everyone as possible.
Things to consider when deciding on a moving date
There are a number of important things to consider when deciding when to move out – from general circumstances to strictly personal reasons to relocate on a specific date. Make a list of all your personal factors that can influence your choice one way or the other, and compare your results with the general moving day considerations below to reach the best possible decision.
Unwanted clashes with previous plans
A house move scheduled right before a major holiday (Easter, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, etc.) or a special family occasion (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) is surely a bad idea. Due to the scheduled relocation, the focus and attention of everyone will be shifted away from the celebration and that alone will affect the festive spirit in a very negative way. Thus said, setting a moving date shortly after a big event can be very beneficial as the high spirits alone will make the transition easier for everyone involved in the move.
Also, if you have vacations planned right before the residential move, it won’t make much sense to cancel or postpone them unless you really have to. If you find yourself with some kind of control over your moving date, then don’t dampen the mood by cancelling or postponing a happy event that everyone in the family has been eagerly expecting for months, or even years.
Seasonal pre-move considerations
A good moving date is one that has been found to conform to the specifics of the season as well. Scheduling a move during the summer will most likely guarantee you good weather and maybe even more free time on your hands, but due to the higher demand for top rated movers, the busiest season of the moving industry will probably surprise you with fewer experienced helping hands and higher moving rates.
On the other hand, deciding on a moving date during the winter will give you lower prices and more experienced movers but don’t forget to factor in the unpredictability of the wintertime weather.
Is school a factor at all?
If you have school aged child or children, then all of a sudden, the school year becomes a major factor when having to decide your move out and move in dates. The majority of parents believe that summer breaks are the most opportune time to change schools because the disruption of the school year will be minimized. This way, your kid(s) will have more time to say their goodbyes to their school friends and to get used to the new city environment a bit better before the new school year starts.
Another theory states that students tend to adapt more quickly to their new schools and unfamiliar surroundings if they have much less time to think about what might, can and will happen after the move. This immersive approach is based on the fact that the immediate interaction with other children and instant preoccupation with school matters will take their minds off the negative post relocation emotions.
While searching for the best answer to the question “When is the best date to move out?”, the trickiest part stems from that fact that the best date to move into a new house is determined on a case-to-case basis. For example, what looks like a great moving date for you will most likely be a bad time for your neighbor to move out, and vice versa. The personal reasoning behind each scheduled move out/move in date plays the most fundamental aspect in the decision making process, but the general considerations discussed above should never be ignored either.
