Is fall a good time to move? Certainly, yes! Congrats on moving during the best season of the year – Fall. You’re absolutely in luck!
As the housing market begins to slow down in most areas of the country, you can get a better deal at this time of the year. Not only is moving in the fall relatively affordable, but the balmy weather also makes it the most flexible time to move.
In a nutshell, lower temperatures, better prices, and decreased competition all align with your moving plan. With that said, a lot can go wrong during a move.
You’d be better off planning and organizing as much as possible to make your relocation as smooth as possible. As the weather begins to get crisp, you are bound to face a whole new set of challenges and concerns — but rest assured you’ll get a good deal!
Tips for Moving in Fall
Every move is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all guide of moving tips that will fit each scenario. Regardless, here are a few things that will help you in packing and moving as the days get shorter and the nights get chilly.
Hire the Best Movers at Affordable Prices
Roughly 80% of moves in the U.S. take place during summer (between April and early September). This means now you can hire the best movers in town on a day that suits you.
As the peak season subsides, moving companies are now free from the heavy workload. This is because many families with school-going children prefer to move while schools are off. Similarly, college towns also see a lot of moves before the term starts in September.
Not only can you choose a date that’s flexible and more suitable, but you are also most likely to get a moving discount due to the low demand for moving companies.
The logical course of action before finalizing a moving company is to compare costs, get estimates, and try to negotiate the best deal while keeping in mind the importance of choosing the right company. Moving companies will vary in price based on the level of service they can deliver. Remember who you hire will be in your home and know where you live and exactly what you have. Stay away from companies with low hourly rates as they will be hiring the types of people you do not want in your home. Keep an eye out for the difference in costs between peak and off-peak season for NJ moving services. The peak season normally ends after September 30th. However, the end of each month is always busy as this is when all the real estate closings happen.
Look for Movers That Offer Storage
Some NJ moving companies, especially the established ones, offer storage options to make your relocation more manageable. These Licensed New Jersey Moving companies license will start with the two letters PC.
PC: a combination license which permits both moving and warehousing. PM: which is a license to move only and PW: which is a license for warehousing only. This is because they understand that house hunting, staging, estate sales, and handing over your previous accommodation doesn’t always align on the same date.
Similarly, suppose you have a lot of items that you will not need during the harsh winter months (clothing, patio furniture, lawn supplies, grills). In that case, they can conveniently stay in storage while you pack and unpack the things you need immediately.
Lighten Your Load
With the rise in temperatures, you will be left with multiple clothing items, outdoor toys, swimwear, and beach accessories that you probably won’t need anymore.
Rather than packing them up, it’s the best time to bring out your inner Marie Kondo. If you don’t know, Marie Kondo is a renowned tidying expert who helps people transform their cluttered homes into inspirational spaces.
Give away everything that’ll never survive long enough to see the daylights again.
Take this opportunity to declutter your wardrobe, donate old clothes, and discard all items you won’t need in the future. The lighter you pack, the less you’ll be paying to move the stuff. Moreover, the easier it will be to unpack and settle down into your new abode.
Maintain a Moving Folder
Keep a record of all your expenses, important phone numbers, addresses, estate agents’ contracts, and legal documents in one folder.
The folder will not only help you tremendously during the move, but it will also help you keep track of your budget and expenses.
It’s also particularly helpful for those who are planning to relocate in the near future.
Ensure Utilities Are Functional Before You Relocate
It’s no fun to be welcomed by a dark and dreary house. Similarly, it’s downright inconvenient to wait for the heater to start working.
We’ve also heard horror stories where the folks had to wait for days to get the house in running condition.
Hence, it’s crucial to ensure all utilities – water, gas, and electricity- are completely functional before moving day.
Contact the service providers beforehand and arrange to have your basic utilities fully functional. After all, it’s nothing short of pure bliss to soak in a warm bath after a long and exhausting move.
Prepare for Rain
A rainy day is, perhaps, the worst day to move! As much as you would like to plan your move far away from rainy days, it’s virtually impossible to rule out the possibility altogether.
Apart from praying for a dry day when your mover’s trucks park outside your doorway, you can take some sweat off your forehead by packing intelligently.
Here are some ways you can prepare yourself if it starts to drizzle or pour down heavy on your moving day.
- Clear your driveway so that your moving truck can park as close to your house as possible. This way, you can minimize the risk of your belongings getting wet.
- As the movers make their way inside your house, they might end up ruining the carpets and floors. A professional NJ Moving Company will have Carpet Shield on hand to cover your carpets as well as floor protection to cover your hard wood floors. Therefore, keep a few old bedsheets, towels, and rags within reach, so you are not left with unsightly stains.
- There’s no such thing as too many umbrellas when preparing to move. You might want to ask your friends and family and hoard on to as many umbrellas as you can.
Plan Your Move Way Before Holidays
Shifting to a new place isn’t a one-day job. It will take you days, or perhaps months before you can fully settle down.
You need to furnish the rooms, install fittings, purchase appliances, work on outdoor landscaping, and stock your kitchen with all necessary supplies before your house begins to feel like home.
Not to mention, moving during the school year will mean you will be spending more time with your kids as they settle down in new schools.
Therefore, it should be wise to plan your move during early fall, so you are completely settled before the holiday season.
This way, you’d be ready to welcome friends and family to your new place and entertain them to the best of your abilities. In addition, you can enjoy Christmas and Thanksgiving without having to worry about running after hundreds of chores.
Make Optimum Use of Sunlight
When planning a move during the fall, you must account for the shorter days. Planning a move early in the morning will not only ensure you have access to bright sunlight, but it also means the weather will be pleasant.
Neither will you break into a sweat, nor will you find yourself snuggled into multiple layers of clothing.
Staying as Clean as Possible
When moving during the fall, it’s imperative to protect your old and new house from dirty footprints, mud, and leaves. Try to be realistic with your expectations.
To be honest, you don’t want to spend the next few days scrubbing your old house clean from all the mess made while the movers made their way around the house. So, what can you do?
The simplest is hire a cleaning service to come in the next day.
Bonus Tip: You can also line your new house with sheets to protect the flooring, carpets, and rugs as the movers unload your items.
Don’t Dress to Impress
This one’s a bit of a doozy! Does it even matter what you wear on a moving day? Yes, yes, and yes!
See, most people believe jumpers and running shoes is all they need to make it through the moving day. Sorry to disappoint you, but moving in the fall requires you to add a few more layers to your outfit.
Keep a warm jacket handy, so you can pull it on as the day goes by. In case it rains (always a possibility), you’d be glad to have your raincoat around too. I recommend a jacket with zippers. this way you can zip up your items and never have to worry about them. Losing your car keys or cell phone on moving day can be a disaster. Put your jewelry in a safety deposit box the week before moving. Moving is so stressful and it’s easy to lose items when you are not paying attention. You will also be having people in your home that you do not know such as the cable company, plumbers, painters, electrician, cleaners, junk removal, inspectors, realtors, buyers, and of course your NJ Movers.
As for shoes, try to wear a comfortable pair that grips well since you will be out and about the whole day.
To Move or Not to Move in Fall?
If you plan ahead, there’s no reason why you won’t enjoy your move during autumn. After all, packing up your life and moving across the city doesn’t have to be disastrous. Instead, it could be fun, adventurous, and thrilling!
With that said, if you have no time to plan or think about all the complicated stuff, leave it to professional NJ Licensed moving company to assist you and help you settle down in your new space before you know it.
Take a deep breath and take the pressure off yourself as you walk into a new era of your life.