Moving During The Holidays

 

Moving During The Holidays

Congratulations, your home mortgage closed with a short escrow, and you get the keys to your new castle right in the middle of the holiday season. So what do you do?
Start planning now, and the stress will be a lot less.

Your Budget

If you need someone else to help you with packing and moving, keep in mind that the rates will be higher during the holiday season. Call to get quotes now so you can see how much you need to budget, and if you can figure out some cost cutting measures such as:

1. Do all your own packing
2. Rent your own truck
3. Hire someone to load and unload the truck

Get at least three quotes from reputable companies. Also, don’t forget to ask for referrals.
Even if you have someone else do the packing and moving, you will still need to purchase boxes for the items you move by hand, like the antique vase your great-grandmother gave you.

Your Emotions

If you were the one to always host a holiday get-together, it may be difficult to accept that you can’t this year. Think of it as an opportunity for someone else to have a chance this year, and maybe a new tradition will blossom. The holidays are about spending quality time with loved ones. So remind yourself of that if you get the blues.
Also, keep some familiar things close to you (like the antique vase) as well as unpack a few of your holiday decorations and set them aside. When you get to the new house, put them up first thing to make the house feel like your home.
Invite people over, and have a picnic on the floor, either at your old place to say goodbye or your new place to say hello.

If You Have Young Kids

If you have young children and you celebrate Christmas, the number one question on their mind will be “Will Santa be able to find us?” So, to make the transition easier on everyone, talk with them about it in advance and have them put their new address in Santa’s letter.

If You Have Kids In General

All kids have the same fear – How is this going to ruin my life? You will need to spend time talking with them about how it will impact them, and if they can stay at their same school (and friends) or if they’ll have to transfer to a new school. Help them get involved with decorating their new rooms, and packing up their old stuff. This could be a good time to have them sort through items they no longer want.

Other Tips

Plan for delays. If anything can go wrong, it probably will, so have a buffer.
Let everyone who needs to know how to get hold of you, and your new address.
Make certain that on the day of the move, there isn’t a holiday parade going on that blocks access to one of your end points.
Talk with your loved ones about skipping gift exchanges this year, or setting a limit so you don’t have to worry about buying presents. And your money will be tied up with the move.
Have you ever moved during a holiday season?

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