Moving During the Holidays: Benefits and Drawbacks

Thinking About Moving During the Holiday Season?

Whether your relocation is related to work, military deployment, or any other type of life-changing event, preparing to move out can be hectic and stressful, especially during the holidays. Fortunately, moving houses around Christmastime is not as overwhelming as you may think.

Moving during the holiday season may distract you from fully enjoying a traditional holiday celebration with family and friends. However, you can make great use of your extra paid time off to get settled into your new home.

If you’re considering moving during the holidays, you can find additional benefits and tips below to help you plan ahead while still getting into the holiday spirit.

Benefits of Moving During the Holidays

There are many advantages of holiday relocation that you won’t get to experience during other seasons. Keep reading to learn some of the benefits of moving during the holidays.

You’ll Likely Have a Welcoming Place to Stay

If you’re moving out of state this holiday season, chances are your relatives who live on the way to your new destination will welcome you into their home for the holidays.

Safely gathering with family and friends is what the holidays are all about. If a close relative opens their home to you while you’re traveling to your new place, you’ll get to experience their festive holiday décor but, more importantly, their company. Getting to see your loved ones and enjoy time with them is sure to boost your holiday cheer.

There’s a reason why happy Christmas movies always have big families: the more the merrier.

You Can Avoid Stressful Holiday Hosting

If you want to avoid the stress from hosting holiday parties, moving during Christmastime can help you ditch that role this year. Ask other family members or friends to take the spotlight instead so you can devote your time to moving into your new home — and so you can avoid any potential family drama.

If you still want to host, you can never go wrong with a simple holiday get-together

Changing Schools Mid-Year Has Benefits

Another advantage of moving during the holidays is that starting school in the middle of the year can be beneficial to your child.

Teachers and students usually take a lively interest in getting to know a newcomer. New students typically receive specialized attention to help them adjust to a new school and environment.

Overall, starting school mid-year may seem scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Teachers are trained to help new students transition and catch up with school, all while making sure they’re comfortable with the new shift in their education.

Drawbacks of Moving During the Holidays

While there are several benefits to moving during the holidays, there are disadvantages to consider as well. Knowing these drawbacks can help you be prepared, avoid potential problems as you move to your new home, and still enjoy the holiday season.

You May Have Less Time During the Holidays

As obvious as it is, moving during the holidays without enough preparation can add stress to your holiday plans. You may find yourself rushing to buy Christmas gifts for friends and family. Or, you may have to hurry while packing your belongings, which can create even more chaos.

Additionally, professional cleaning companies are usually extra busy during the holiday season. If you decide to move during the holidays, make sure you plan in advance and give yourself time to hire move-out cleaners.

Winter Weather May Slow You Down

Transportation will likely be an issue if you live in an area heavily affected by the winter season’s low temperatures, snow, or even storms. You will face the same problems if the place you’re moving to is prone to inclement weather in the winter months.

Expect delayed flights and moving trucks and higher transportation costs due to the influx of holiday travelers.

You May Have to Skip Holiday Celebrations

Moving during the holidays may result in sacrificing a proper holiday celebration. Instead of putting up Christmas lights and shopping for gifts, you may find yourself packing decorations and saving money for your move.

If you decide to move during the holiday season this year, your festivities will look different — but it doesn’t mean you can’t get into the holiday spirit.

Even if you can’t put up holiday lights on your former home due to your move, you can still look for lights with your family as you drive to your new destination. What’s more, moving during the holiday season is the perfect opportunity to establish new holiday traditions in your new home.

3 Top Tips for Moving During the Holidays

Fortunately, there are ways to minimize the drawbacks of moving during the holidays. Below are tips to help you as you move to a new home this holiday season.

1. Plan Ahead of Time

If you’re planning on moving during the holidays, we suggest creating two to-do lists: one for moving and one for holiday tasks.

By separating these tasks, you’ll be able to set realistic schedules and avoid added stress instead of rushing to get all your tasks done last minute. For example, you may want to start packing things you won’t need for a while two or more months prior to your move. This will help you be ahead of the game in terms of packing and organizing.

Additionally, to avoid the rush of last-minute holiday shoppers, we recommend writing down all the people you want to buy gifts for and the items you want to buy for them. Then, schedule a dedicated holiday shopping day as soon as you can.

2. Prepare for Inclement Weather

Anyone moving houses should consistently check the weather forecast to best ensure a safe and seamless move. This is especially true for those moving during the holidays.

If you’re moving to a colder place, buy winter clothes and boots prior to your move. If you’re on a tight budget, shopping at a thrift store can help make sure you’re stocked with jackets and other warmer clothes.

Additionally, delayed flights are sometimes unavoidable, so packing additional clothes and snacks may come in handy. When you arrive at your new home, be sure to set up towels or sheets to keep snow, dirt, and water off of your new floors before going in.

3. Keep Holiday Celebrations Simple

You don’t have to fully skip and sacrifice celebrating holiday traditions.

Decorations and presents may be scaled down, but a sprinkling of holiday lights, a smaller Christmas tree, seasonal pastries — and your loved ones — are enough to help you have a fun and merry celebration.

Ease the Stress of Your Holiday Move-Out

Moving during the holiday season may seem stressful, but planning ahead, preparing for extreme winter weather, and enjoying a simple holiday celebration will help you have a smooth move-out and a delightful season.

The team at Moveout.com wishes you a festive holiday season, a happy new year, and a stress-free move. To reduce your workload, you can hire a professional cleaning service to handle your move-out cleaning. Find a trusted cleaner near you at Moveout.com.