Moving in summer comes with a lot of benefits. The weather is favorable, kids are on vacation, and you can take time off from work. Of course, moving in the peak season isn't easy, but if you take the right steps, you can do it efficiently.
The hot climate can make your summer move more arduous. Summer is a popular season for moving with over 70% of the moves happening around this time in and around May and September. You need to plan and organize your move well to make it a successful venture.
Let's first explore some of the pros and cons of moving in the peak season in detail and make the right decision:
Advantages of moving in the summer
- Nice weather- Summer is a warm season and frequently less prone to precipitation. This makes it a perfect time to move to a new house. Of course, there are cities where summer can be too hot, but nothing can be more annoying than moving in the snow. It isn't the cold course; in fact, it is much more dangerous. You can slip on the ice, mostly when you are moving heavy boxes.
- School’s Out- If you have school-going children, summer would be an ideal time for you to make a move. It is hard for the kids to handle a location change, even if they would be moving at their best time. However, moving during the mid-term of their school can make the situation more difficult for them. Moving in summer would help your kids in the following ways:
- Your children would get an opportunity to feel their new surroundings.
- They would have sufficient time to meet new neighbors and make new friends.
- Extra assistance- Since it would be a session break for both school and college-going kids, they would be more willing to help you prepare and pack for the move. In short, this would be a time when they don't have to worry about their GPA or extracurricular activities.
- Long days- The sun sets late during the summer, perhaps you will get more hours in a day to pack and move conveniently.
Disadvantages of moving in the summer
- Busy season- Most of the moving companies are packed at around this time. You may not have much scope for change and adaptability, which may need you to be certain as well as make advance plans before you hire movers. However, if things don’t go as planned, you may need to apply your creativity and pay extra bucks to get things done on time.
- Costly- Have you heard of the principle of supply and demand in economics? The same applies to the moving companies, they will increase their price as the demand goes high in summer.
- Hot weather- Overheating can lead to heat strokes if you are living in states like Florida or Arizona. Also, you may not get the chance to reschedule the moving day because the moving companies would be busier than usual.
- Overheating of belongings- There are a few objects that are more sensitive to heat. We recommend you to be extra careful if you have a lot of fragile items like antique furniture, instruments, and costly artworks to move. However, if you hire reliable professional movers like movers.com you might not worry about overheating.
Tips to move during summer- Dos, and Don'ts
Hire a moving company early
It would be a good idea to book a moving company in advance, rather than waiting for the late summer to schedule your move. Don’t worry, if you still haven’t fixed your exact moving day date, just book it. Later you might not get a good and reliable mover. Here, we have a few tips for your assistance:
- You can pay a deposit to the moving company and book your date, time, and other resources needed for the move.
- If there is a change in your moving date, the moving company should offer you flexibility and allocate you another date. Normally, you don’t lose your deposit, however, you should check the policy of the company you choose.
- If you are planning to move sometime around the closing date of your house sale, we suggest you hire movers as soon as the offer is accepted or is pending.
- Make sure to schedule your move at least a month in advance if you are moving in the peak season.
In a nutshell, it is never too early to initiate a conversation with your prospective movers as there are other considerations as well.
Shortlist reputable and licensed moving companies
We recommend you choose a reputable and licensed moving company due to the following reasons:
- If you choose reliable movers, you will not experience any problems, including damaged or lost items. In short, you will enjoy a smooth move, if the movers you choose are reputable and licensed.
- Connect with different reputable movers and ask them for quotes and estimates. Avoid going with the first moving company you come across and choose the one that suits your budget and requirements. Briefly, choose a company which gives you the best offer and quality services.
- Be ready to work with an average company if you don’t schedule your moving date in advance.
Start packing your belongings
If you plan to move during the peak season, possibly you might experience procrastination. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Make sure to pack your belongings a few weeks before the moving day.
- Packing your belongings early will help you reduce stress and stay organized.
- You will finish your tasks on time if you start packing your items early.
In short, if you follow the above steps, you may not have to rush in the blazing heat.
You may make a few mistakes while packing your belongings. Sometimes, these mistakes can be so costly that they will reduce the momentum of your work. Here are some useful tips to avoid common packing mistakes:
- Create a solid plan before you start packing your items.
- Don’t leave packing for the moving day.
- Always sort your items first and then start packing them. Of course, it will not waste your time; instead, it will offer you huge benefits. For example, it will help prevent chaos and reduce your stress.
- Avoid packing those items that are old and those that you don’t need anymore.
- Ensure you pack an essential bag as you might not get time to unpack as soon as you reach your new home. You can keep your nightdress, towel, and toiletries in the bag as you might them immediately.
- You should use packing supplies of good quality only and don’t assume that they are overpriced.
- Neither leave too much space in the moving boxes nor try to overfill them.
Engage your family, kids, and friends in the move
We suggest you seek the help of your family members and friends to pack your belongings quickly and efficiently.
Take breaks at regular intervals
If you start packing early, you will have sufficient time on hand. There wouldn't be any need to overwork. You may spend a couple of hours relaxing and unwinding. Though you will have plenty of other work to do, rushing with everything doesn’t seem the right option. It seems a great idea to go to a pool and have an ice cream or a smoothie.
Plan to move on a less busy day
Summer is definitely a peak season, however, there are a few days that seem to be less busy than other days of the season. You should avoid moving on a weekend and the beginning or end of the month, it is more than likely the movers would be packed at this time. Also, moving at this time will cost you more as a moving company wouldn't be willing to reduce their charges due to high demand. Alternatively, if you choose to move on a weekday, you will have to pay a comparatively lesser price than moving on weekends.
Take proper care of your belongings
You need to take good care of your items when moving during the summertime because not all items can handle the hot moving truck. Here are a few items that stand the chance of getting damaged in the extreme heat:
- Candles can melt in the extreme heat and spill wax all over your belongings.
- Musical instruments, CDs, vinyl records, DVDs, cassettes, and Blu-ray discs stand a chance of either getting damaged or warped in the blazing heat.
- High temperature can cause your leather furniture to fade, dry, stiffen or even crack.
- Electronics like tablets, smartphones, laptops, stereos, and compact TVs can get damaged in the hot climate.
- Perishable food and plants are also at risk of getting damaged if you don’t take adequate precautions.
Tip: We suggest you pack your furniture in a furniture wrap and carry smaller items along with you in the car.
How to beat the heat?
We recommend you Wear breathable, loose, and natural fabric outfits so that you can move around freely. You can put on a sunhat or a baseball cap to protect yourself from the heat. Also, you may Apply sunscreen, while you load and unload your belongings to and from the moving truck. Make sure to use a non-greasy cream, otherwise, things might slip from your hands and can even lead to an injury.
Keep sufficient cold water to keep yourself and the movers hydrated during the move. You can use a cooler as an alternative to your fridge and ensure that everyone stays hydrated. Most importantly, you should either plan to turn on the AC the day before the moving day or switch it on as soon as you arrive at your new destination. If you don’t get an AC connection immediately after reaching your new home, you can use a temporary fan instead to keep you cool.
Moving in summer isn’t as dangerous as you think if you follow the right steps. You can hire reputable professional movers to assist you in lifting heavy items, if not for the entire move. Overall, ensure to schedule your move in advance, otherwise, you might end up not finding a reliable mover. This would increase the chance of damaged items being delivered to your new home, spoiling your mood.