Moving During the Holidays

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Pexels

Have you heard the term, “Home for the holidays?” Today I’m going to cover the ins and outs of what you need to know if you plan on moving from home during the holidays. Face it, the holidays are stressful to start with. Add to it the fact that during any major holiday, the roads become more crowded, since you and 100,000 of your best friends have decided to share the highways with you as they migrate to visit relatives. Depending on the holiday, such as the new year, there also comes the possibility of having to deal with snow and ice, should your move take you north. Should the time come when you are forced to move during the holidays, I have come up with 10 points of which you need to be aware if you want to avoid having a nervous breakdown.


1. Plan your move. – The first thing you need to know about moving during or even close to a holiday is that many movers like to have their holidays free, so they can be with family and friends. So, the first thing you must put on your plan is to start calling movers months in advance of a move (6 months is even better). Wait until 30-days before your scheduled departure and you might wind up finding out that your ship has sailed.

2. Don’t move your plan. – Once you have set the date and hired a moving company, you need to huddle with your family to plan the arduous task of packing. The problem with packing when a holiday is near is that everyone in your family has other things in mind. There’s shopping and decorating, not to mention dealing with the relatives. As a result, the best laid holiday packing plans can pretty quickly get derailed. To avoid having to deal with a mutiny, or even worse, not being ready to move as the big day draws near, you need to get creative. Sometimes this means hosting a packing party that combines the tedium of packing with fun and games. Sometimes it means bribing the kids to help get their belongings packed before the movers are knocking on your door. Whatever it takes, right?

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3. A well-fed crew is a happy crew. – Another useful tool to motivate your crew is food. Of course, the last thing you want to have to deal with while you are packing is cooking. The best way to satisfy both these needs is to offer to take your family out to their favorite restaurant, or have pizza delivered to your door, provided the days packing tasks are accomplished. Another way to use food as a reward that will motivate your family to pack is to provide snacks or dessert breaks. It is said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. But that doesn’t mean the rest of your family (especially teenagers) can’t be motivated by the promise of their favorite food. While this concept might take a little planning, it’s far better than having your kids think of packing as a form of child abuse.

4. Moving can be an adventure. – When it comes to keeping your family focused on getting ready for a move, you need to accentuate the positive. This can mean telling the kids about what awaits them in their new home. Remind them what they have a lot to look forward to, including more space, a bigger backyard, perhaps a pool or the promise of a new pet. Anything that helps light a fire under them is going to be far better than having them dig in their heels when you need to get everything packed.

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5. A holiday on the road is not necessarily a holiday lost. - If the move is going to take more than one day, you should also tell the kids about the hotel amenities and sightseeing opportunities that the whole family will get to enjoy on the way to your new home. You can even ask prospective innkeepers about local attractions that would be of interest to the whole family. This could make your road trip a holiday you will remember fondly for years to come.

6. Everyone talks about the weather... - Particularly if you are heading north this winter, you need to keep a weather eye on weather.com. While you might think you know what to pack to ward off the cold, most Floridians are babes in the woods when it comes to handling snow, ice and bone-chilling temperatures. Even your vehicle may not be prepared for what a northern winter can throw at it. Aside from having the wrong tires, southerners have the wrong mix of coolant to deal with sub-zero temperatures. As a result, you may find it difficult if not impossible to start your car the morning after you stop for the night at a northern hotel. Even snow tires are not always enough to deal with driving snow. Most northerners carry tire chains in the trunk of their car to deal with blizzards. Best to consult the realtor that sold you that home in Chicago or Boston as to what you will need to deal
with their idea of winter.

7. Apparel makes the man, or in the case of any destination north of the Mason-Dixon line, the snowman. Unless you are an avid skier who flies to the mountains every January, you probably don’t own a coat designed to deal with northern climes. Not to mention, gloves, hat, and long underwear. While you will be spending the majority of your time in a heated vehicle, what most southerners don’t factor into the equation is what happens if your vehicle breaks down? People have been known to freeze to death in their cars up north. Make sure you pack blankets, sleeping bags, food, and a camp stove just in case. Also, a shopping session on LLBean.com wouldn’t be a bad idea.

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8. Make sure your pets are prepared for the cold. – While dogs and cats can usually handle being cooped up in an unheated car while you make a quick meal stop, birds and fish are another matter altogether. Better to find a good home for Tweety and Nemo before leaving town than to find them belly up at a rest stop.

9. Winterize your belongings too. – Remember, the back of a moving truck is unheated. That means anything containing liquid runs the risk of bursting. The last thing you want to find when you unload the truck is a mess caused by that lava lamp you just couldn’t do without.

10. There’s nothing like the present. – If you still haven’t opened your Christmas presents, make sure you pack and label them prominently, so they won’t get lost in the clutter.

With over 4,000 moves, Scott's Discount Movers have handled moves of all sizes, including local and cross country. If you are looking to move your home or office, you can depend on Scott's Discount Movers to provide a stress-free relocation.