Any time of year can be peak moving season, depending on where you live and where you plan to relocate. If you know what off-peak season is in your area, and you’re able to move then, by all means, do so! Your moving company or realtor can help you understand when is the best time to move based on the local busy season.
While movers and realtors typically encourage people to plan their moves for the off-peak season, sometimes it just can’t be avoided. Luckily, Wheaton has been in the moving business for 80 years, so we know the best tips and tricks to make your move smooth, no matter when or where!
Contact us to get an estimate on your move well before busy season.
When Is the Best Time to Move?
Ideally, the best time of year to move is the fall, winter or early spring. Peak moving season in nearly every U.S. city varies, so if it’s a busy moving weekend in your hometown, it will likely be a busy moving weekend in your new city, too. But generally, you can expect a peak season to be the months between May and August. Avoid these months for an easier, more cost-effective move.
What Makes Peak Moving Season So Busy?
So why are the spring and summer months so busy for moving? A few reasons:
- Military Relocations: Military members often get their orders to change command during the spring and summer.
- Family Moves: Parents often plan moves to new homes in the summer months so they relocate while their children are on school break.
- University Semesters: If you live near a university, expect peak moving seasons to correspond with the beginning and end of terms. On the bright side, the start of fall may be a good time to schedule a moving van for a long-distance move, because there will be many vans in the university area doing one-way long-distance moves for students and staff.
- Seasonal Workers: Temporary workers and interns may also hire every moving crew in an area when their jobs or internships are over. This group includes people working at busy seasonal tourist attractions, training camps, teaching hospitals and other venues.
These factors mean there’s often a mad rush for half of the spring season—and nearly all summer—to rent moving vans, crews and relocation coordinators. But between local realtors, rental agents and your moving company, someone will know exactly which dates are the high-demand peak moving seasons for the school, camp or facility near you if you ask around.
5 Tips for Surviving a Peak-Season Relocation
If you absolutely must move during the summer months, we have a few helpful tips to make the experience less stressful.
Book Your Move ASAP
Before anything else, book your moving van as soon as possible to confirm your date. Relocation experts recommend that you reserve your moving company’s vehicles and services at least four weeks in advance of a move—or sooner during peak season.
Hire a Crew to Move Your Stuff
Let the professionals handle the planning, packing, loading, van driving and unloading for you during peak season. There will be many DIYers on the road alongside all of those extra-busy moving company vans. Let a professional driver and crew handle the big truck on the highway and the sofa up the stairs. When you hire experts to deal with the hard parts of moving, you get to focus on the comfort of your family and yourself as you head toward your new home.
Book a Relocation Coordinator
If the thought of actually planning your move is overwhelming to you, hire a moving planner through your moving company. You’ll receive expert care to help with the logistics of your relocation. A dedicated relocation coordinator makes moving a dream compared to doing it yourself. The planner helps with a variety of issues, from connecting your utilities to ordering specialty boxes for your most precious items, making moving day smooth.
Contact Wheaton to get in touch with an experienced moving planner.
Know the Laws Wherever You Drive
Research the laws in the various states where you’ll be driving to make certain your vehicle, insurance coverage, car seats and driving habits are legal in each state. You may receive a ticket in some states for having a radar detector, heavily tinted glass or some other forbidden or missing car component. Smoking with kids in the car is a bad idea, and it gets you an instant ticket in some locations. Ignorance of the law rarely works when it comes to reducing traffic fines, so be aware of the laws before you leave home.
Stock the Car for Comfort
Since weather conditions will typically be toasty during peak season, pack a cooler with ice and plenty of bottled water and fruit juice. Also, hire a qualified mechanic to check your air conditioning and coolant systems thoroughly before you head out of town. Few things are worse than being hot, cranky, lost and driving around with no A/C. Lastly, toss a tote or backpack full of snacks, games and other distractions for passengers in the vehicle, too.
Make Your Move Smooth With Wheaton!
Contact Wheaton World Wide Moving to learn more about peak moving seasons, relocation planning and our full range of services and payment methods. We have the experience and staff to provide you with a professional and successful move, no matter where you’re headed next. Get your free estimate today!
