Moving Over the Holidays
Moving to a new home over the holiday season comes with its own host of challenges. By planning ahead and taking advantage of some of the unique circumstances of the Christmas Season you can still make it a relatively low stress move for you and your family.
Change of Address included in Holiday Cards:
You will already be sending out a holiday card to all your friends and family - even those you don’t speak with much during the rest of the year. Take advantage of this perfect opportunity to let everyone know about your big move! This is the perfect time to let everyone know all at once what your new address will be and when you’ll be moving into your new place.
Think About Weather:
One of the difficult parts about moving in the winter, to or from Northwest Arkansas, is the weather. Snow levels don’t tend to be super high, but rain, ice, and sleet are definitely common occurrences. Make sure each member of your family has boots, hats, gloves, and the appropriate layers for your destination (especially if you are moving to a place with different weather). You may also need shovels and salt in case of snow or ice on your new (or current) walkway or driveway. You will also want to make sure your belongings are protected. It’s a good idea to pack your belongings in waterproof plastic bins to prevent damage. You will also want to be sure the heat and electricity are turned on at your new place by the time you arrive to prevent cold and unhappy family members on an already emotional day.
Plan Ahead:
The weather is not the only thing you will want to think ahead about. Also be sure to book a mover early - some have reduced hours during the holidays. Traffic also tends to be bad around the holidays. Thanksgiving weekend has the worst traffic of the year - definitely avoid moving on this weekend if you can help it. One benefit of moving this time of year is the option to take advantage of Black Friday. You can get excellent deals on plastic bins, boxes, tape, and wrapping material if you use this weekend to buy packing materials as well as your Christmas gifts which could save you hundreds on the cost of your move.
Give Time to Pack:
The holidays are already one of the busiest times of year in a regular year. Adding moving to the list adds a lot more to your “to do” list, and potentially a lot more stress. Give yourself plenty of time to pack, start in November if you can. A good way to start is by packing up all your year-round house decorations. Replace these with some of your Christmas Decorations so that you can still feel happy and in the holiday spirit even in the midst of your move. Pack up the things you won’t miss early on: specialty dishes and cookware, warm weather clothing, books that have been collecting dust on your shelves, even Christmas presents (but put these in a specially marked box). Doing this ahead of time will ease the burden of packing closer to Christmas. When you do finally pack up your Christmas decorations be sure to put them all together in clearly marked boxes. Have your movers put these in the center of your new living room so you can unpack them and quickly throw up some decorations to keep the festive energy going in your new home!
Save Your Delivery Boxes:
Speaking of Christmas gifts, be sure to save all of your delivery boxes and padding material. The costs of buying boxes for your move can really add up. Meanwhile, you have boxes piling up on your front steps as this year’s haul gets delivered. Use these for your packing needs! If keeping empty boxes around feels too cluttered for you try this; every time you unbox a new package, immediately pack the box with belongings for your move. This will help break down the packing process a little (filling one box is a lot less overwhelming than packing a dozen at once) and it will keep you from storing a massive pile of empty boxes somewhere in your house.
Donate:
As you are going through your things to pack up your home, make a box of what you no longer need - things that don’t serve you or bring you joy and would just be clutter in your new home. The holidays are the season of giving after all, so it is a great time to pass belongings along for their next life in a new home. Many donation-based stores will also pick up heavier furniture from your home free of charge, making it easy to pass on that China cabinet you don’t have a space for in your new home. Save your donation receipts to get refunds on your taxes - this is especially helpful after all the costs of moving.
Budget for Both:
Overall moving may very well make this your most expensive holiday season ever. If you’re hoping to celebrate Christmas with the same budget as past years, be sure to create a budget for both Christmas AND your move. Mapping out all of the expenses of your move ahead of time can help you see where there are opportunities for savings - either by taking advantage of sales or DIYing some tasks yourself. Alleviate the stress brought on by each credit card swipe by knowing from the get-go how much you want to spend and having a plan for sticking to it.
Phoenix Moving is a top-rated mover in Northwest Arkansas. We offer labor and transportation rates with no hidden costs or fees - just an hourly rate! We help clients with local moves, long-distance moves, and moving of specialty items.
