What Is the Best and Worst Time to Move Across the Country?

Relocation during each season has both pros and cons. A move in the summer will be the costliest, while winter relocation is the most affordable one. However, the winter move is the hardest to complete. Fall and spring imply relatively affordable costs, but they are not the favorable solution for school and college classes. Therefore, the right time to move will depend on the reasons you wish to do it and the needs you have to meet.

When Is the Best Time to Move? Discover When Relocation Is a Good Solution

Sometimes people tend to procrastinate the relocation process because they are not sure it is the right move. However, keep in mind that you’ll never be entirely sure of your decision. That’s why you should weigh all benefits and downsides a move can bring and compare them with your current situation.

So, when is the right time to move out? If you’re not sure what signs you should follow, here are some common reasons to move you should consider:

• You feel like you need more space – if your family is expanding or you just don’t have enough room in your old home,
• You wish to downsize – after the children have moved out, when taking care of a large home has become too hard, or when you are looking for a more affordable housing option,
• You are searching for a more favorable job climate – whether you’ve got a job that requires relocation, want to move to a place with good work opportunities, or even relocate a business to another state,
• You want to change the lifestyle and surroundings you live in – you may wish to move to a big city and enjoy all the amenities it can offer or move to the suburbs to raise a family,
• You’re looking for educational opportunities – if you are relocating for college or looking for a prime rate school for your kids,
• You’ve changed a relationship’s status – relocating for a relationship is one more common reason to move, but keep in mind that people will also move after the breakup,
• You wish to change the climate – you can’t change the place you are born in, but you can move to another that fits you better.

When Do Most People Move?

When you come to a conclusion that relocation is a good choice and start organizing it, one of the first things to consider is when you should do it. Did you know that one of five households in the States moves once per year? Most of them plan this life change during the peak of the season – more than half of all relocation in the US occurs between May and September.

The Right (Or Wrong) Date Can Affect the Success of the Cross-Country Move You’ve Been Planning

One of the most common moving mistakes is not thinking about a relocation date. You must count on many different aspects, such as finances, weather in cities you’re relocating from and to, availability of cross-country movers, needs of each family member (if you don’t plan to move to another state alone), the housing market, and so on. Any relocation date can be the best and the worst, and it differs from one person to another.

While you are the only one who can decide if moving cross-country is the right thing to do, we can help you determine when you should do so. After this simple overview, your decision will be far easier – and your move will be one step closer to success.

Organizing a Move During the Moving Season Will Cost the Most

If you’re planning a move with a limited relocation budget, you wouldn’t want to move around the season’s peak. Not only will it be much harder to get cross-country moving services, but when you do, you’ll be paying up to 30% more than with the off-season move.

On the other hand, keep in mind that seasonality also affects rent prices. Usually, the rent is the highest in the spring and summer months since this is when the demand for rental apartments is the highest. Of course, keep in mind that the high demand is directly related to the number of moves occurring during the summer.

So, why do so many people still choose summer (and late spring) months to move? Here are some of the possible reasons:

• College starts mid to late August,
• It is a way to avoid relocating during the school year, so that school-aged children won’t miss classes,
• It’s easier and more practical to move in a warm than in cold weather,
• Getting better accommodation is possible since the peak of the renting season offers more options.

How to Make a Summer Move Cheaper?

There are plenty of benefits of relocating in the summer, but those with limited funds may choose to ignore them in order to reduce relocation costs. However, some relocation hacks can help you lower the expenses, even with the summer move. These include:

High Temperatures Can Make Packing a Truck Much Harder

Relocating in warm weather is not the same as relocating during the scorching heat. Remember – relocation day involves a lot of physically demanding work. All the carrying, loading, cleaning, and making sure everything goes smoothly is hard as it is, but hot weather can make it even harder. Even if you opt for hiring long-distance movers, you’ll be running left and right, taking care of everything.

Not only that high heat can affect your performance during the move, but it can impact your health, both physical and mental. There is a reason why doctors advise limited activity during high temperatures – sunstroke, exhaustion, and heat cramps are a part of it. On the other hand, heat can also negatively affect your mood, resulting in many mistakes made and increased anxiety levels.

A Move in the Winter Is Most Challenging to Complete

Some would say that winter is the worst period of the year to choose for the move – and they wouldn’t be entirely wrong. Relocation in winter makes packing, loading, and all other move-related tasks more difficult. So you can protect your belongings adequately, they must be isolated better. Otherwise, some of your things may catch mildew, get damaged, and contaminate other belongings during the move. Additionally, if it is snowing or there is ice on the pathway, it needs to be cleared when you wish to prepare for movers or perform a DIY move.

It’s not only your belongings that need to be protected. If you want to drive your car to the new home or get professional vehicle shipping, a move in winter means it must be winterized. Since that’s the part of the relocation you must do on your own, take a look at the video below for some tips on how to do it properly:

Choose Winter When You Wish to Save Up

On the plus side, you’ll be able to find top-notch movers and book a move easily – it’s the slowest season in the industry. Low demand means lower costs, so this season is an excellent solution for all those looking for the cheapest way to move out of state. As long as you avoid relocating during the holidays (when demand is again on the rise), you’ll be able to save a pretty penny when getting cross-country moving services.

However, you must count on added packing materials as well as the proper knowledge on how to protect your belongings adequately. That is why many decide to get packing services and let professional packers deal with it.

Fall and Spring Can Be the Best Seasons for Planning the Move

Fall and spring bring the advantages from both winter and summer moves because:

• Most of the fall and spring months don’t represent the peak of the relocation season,
• They don’t bring extremes when it comes to the external temperature,
• There is no additional work needed for packing and protecting the belongings (except if you must move in the rain).

However, that doesn’t mean some won’t be faced with downsides when relocating to another home in fall or spring. For example, if you are relocating with kids, it means they must skip classes. Piles of leaves in the fall can be equally hazardous as the snow, while seasonal allergies can make relocating in the spring a much more challenging experience. It all comes down to looking at your current situation and weighing the pros and cons.

Consider the Weather in the City You’re Going to Live In

Maybe winter in your current city is not a lot to take on, but it can bring many inconveniences if you decide to move to a cold climate during these months. On the other hand, with fall known as the rainy season, you’ll have to be very careful when setting a date for relocating to a rainy place such as Portland or Seattle. As another example, summers in Florida are known to be unbearably hot, which can make unloading and unpacking work immensely harder.

Therefore, when relocating to a new home, you must consider if the climate and weather will be different once you arrive at a new place – and set a relocation date accordingly.

So, How to Know When to Move?

Each season can be good and bad, depending on many different factors. If you are relocating to another home with kids or going to college, you’ll see a summer move as ideal, but it will become less so if you try to reduce costs. On the other hand, fall can have as many negative sides as winter and as many pros as spring, depending on your current and future location. That is why it’s essential to consider your reasons for the move and see which period can bring you the most relocation benefits and fewest downsides.

Avoid Relocating During Weekends

Maybe you’ve decided which seasons to pick when relocating to a new state, but keep in mind that you must determine the exact date inside of it. The best option is to choose weekdays because they bring lower costs than weekends, and go with a middle-of-the-month move. The relocation industry witnesses higher demand at the beginning and end of the months since those are periods when leases start and expire.

Choose Prime Long-Distance Moving Services and Join All Those Who Have Completed Their Moves Successfully

By hiring a reputable and trustworthy cross-country moving company, you can provide a smooth and stress-free relocation, no matter when you choose to move. Whichever part of the year, month, or week you pick, they will ensure your belongings stay safe and protected. All you have to do is find the most reliable long-distance moving company near you – and book your move on time.