You know all about the benefits of moving in the summer, don’t you? Nice weather, days off from work, kids out of school – it all sounds like the perfect time for a house move.
Yes, summer is the most popular season to move house, with more than 70% of all house moves happening between May and September. But that doesn’t mean that your summer move is guaranteed to be as smooth as silk… unless you’re familiar with the best ways to prepare for a summer move, of course.
Learn the do’s and don’ts of moving in the summer – the very tips for moving during the peak season that will guarantee the success of your own move.
DO’S when moving in the summer
Follow these hand-picked tips for moving in the summer to have the smooth summer moving experience you’ve been hoping for.
- DO CREATE a moving budget to monitor and control your summer moving expenses. Remember that summer is the most popular season to move and such, the moving company rates, in general, will be higher during the height of the moving season. {moving budget}
- DO REQUEST cost estimates from reputable summer movers in your area and make sure those moving estimates are done after in-house surveys, not over the phone or via e-mail. DO FILL a free moving quote to get that important initial contact with the best summer moving companies in your area.
- DO COMPARE the cost estimates you’ve received to pick an affordable mover. Is it more expensive to move in the summer? Yes, the demand for professional movers will reach its peak in the summer and, generally speaking, professional moving companies won’t be willing to lower their rates simply because their moving services will be in high demand. {compare movers}
- DO RESERVE a good moving company as early as you can. Why? Because top-rated movers get booked way in advance and you may have to hire the services of a rather mediocre company if you choose to wait too long. Besides, some movers may give you a discount for early booking. {reserve movers}
- DO SCHEDULE your summer move for a weekday somewhere in the middle of the month to get a better price. It’s not a secret that the majority of people reserve moving companies for weekends and at the start and end of each month when rental leases tend to expire. {weekday or weekend}
- DO AIM for an early start to beat the intense summer heat. If possible, start your move quite early in the morning to avoid the 11 am-4 pm period when the sun’s intensity is the strongest. Find a professional mover that will accommodate an early-morning move.
- DO FOLLOW a moving checklist to force order and structure into a potentially chaotic summer move. Strategic planning will make your summer move as problem-free as possible. {moving checklist}
- DO BE careful which items you choose to move with you. The more things you take with you, the more money you’ll pay for their transportation because the total weight of your shipment will be increased. Why would you pay to move unwanted and useless things only to wonder what to do with them after the move? {declutter home}
- DO INVENTORY your entire home and get rid of anything that’s already stopped to be of any real use to you. Moving experts advise that if something’s not been used in over a year, then that thing is not worth keeping during a move. {moving inventory}
- DO ORGANIZE a profitable summer move sale to try and sell the household items you’re leaving behind, like some of your furniture pieces, for example. When moving in the summer, every extra dollar toward your moving budget will make a difference. {moving sale}
- DO LOOK for free moving boxes in order to lower your packing costs. Ask your friends for packing boxes they don’t need anymore or take a tour around the largest stores in your area in search of free cardboard boxes they are required to recycle anyway. {free moving boxes}
- DO SECURE all the packing supplies you need in addition to cardboard boxes. Don’t forget that having too many people move house during the summer will mean that the major packing materials such as packing paper, bubble wrap, stretch wrap, etc. will also be in high demand. {packing supplies}
- DO START packing up your things as early in your summer moving preparation as possible. A serious moving mistake is to keep postponing that crucial moving task for later, and when that later comes, to reschedule its actual start to even later. Remember that packing for a move always takes more time than you think. {packing timeline}
- DO BE careful when you’re packing heat-sensitive items for your summer move. The heat in the back of the moving truck can become extreme and may damage some of your more delicate things, such as expensive electronic equipment, for example.
- DO KEEP yourself protected from the intense summer sun on the day of the move when you’ll be going in and out of your home the entire time. Wear lightweight breathable clothes, wear a summer hat to protect your head and have sunglasses to shield your eyes from the strong direct sunshine. {moving day wear}
- DO CONSIDER using sunscreen lotion to protect the exposed parts of your body – usually the face, ears, neck, shoulders, and arms, especially if you plan to spend more time outside during the early and mid-afternoon hours when the summer sun is the strongest. Purchase sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, then apply it approximately 10 minutes before going out into the sun. {moving day mistakes}
- DO HAVE portable fans inside the house on Moving day unless the air conditioner is already on and blasting some cool air in the summer heat. Portable fans will help you stay cool during a summer move and the best thing is that they are fairly cheap. You can even buy some battery-operated fans, if needed. {moving day help}
See also: How to prepare to move out of state
DON’TS when moving in the summer
The above do’s of moving in the summer will help you prepare for your summer move in the best possible way. To complete the picture of your summer relocation, here are the things you shouldn’t do when moving in the peak moving season.
- DON’T SPEND too much time and energy looking for a super-cheap moving company that will offer you an amazing summer moving deal. Instead, bet on reputation and experience while you yourself use proven cost-saving techniques to bring down the moving price. {reduce moving costs}
- DON’T LOSE precious time wondering what to do next once you’ve tackled a particular summer moving task. Consult your detailed moving checklist so that you always know what your next moving task is, thus never wasting any time during your summer move. {moving timeline}
- DON’T UNDERESTIMATE the extraordinary amount of time you’re going to need to finish packing up all your things. Remember that packing for a move is the most time-consuming tasks of them all. {pack quickly}
- DON’T ASSUME that labeling your packed boxes is a waste of time. One minute spent in labeling a moving box properly will mean many, many minutes saved in searching for the boxes you need in the mountain of freshly-delivered boxes in the new home. {label boxes}
- DON’T PAY for professional packers unless you really can’t do without their extensive packing experience. Leave only specialty items for your packers, like your priceless grandfather clock, for instance, and pack whatever you can by yourself to save money during your summer move. {extra moving services}
- DON’T UNDERESTIMATE the importance of staying properly hydrated throughout the summer move. Drink enough liquids (water’s best) to replenish the fluids your body must have expelled by sweating in the summer heat.
- DON’T MAKE any serious moving and packing mistakes that will result in you losing valuable time, you wasting hard-earned money, or you having a nervous breakdown in the middle of a super-stressful house move. {packing mistakes}
- DON’T BECOME a victim to any dishonest moving companies that take advantage of the demand for movers during the peak moving season in order to scam people. DO USE our quote form at the top of the page to get in touch with reputable movers that are properly licensed by the U.S. Government – that way, you and your items will stay 100% protected when you’re moving to a new home in the summer. {avoid moving scams}
Must-read: 10 Steps to select a good mover
