Moving house is always stressful but even more so if it happens to be in extreme weather or during the holidays. Especially during Christmas which is supposed to be a magic-filled family holiday without any stress. However, plans don’t always have the best timing and we have to play the cards we’re dealt.
So, the best you can do is to prepare for what’s coming. The Fantastic Removals team explains what to do when moving house over Christmas. Moving during the winter holidays is no different than moving in any other time of the year. There are just a few additional things you have to think about before unwrapping your gifts.
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Pros and Cons of Moving Home at Christmas
To try and cheer you up a bit, we’ll start with the good side of having to spend your Christmas break dealing with packing, landlords and movers, and travelling.
Five pros of moving home at Christmas
1. Everyone is on break
You’ve probably already requested your time off work for the holidays and now you can be even more productive and kill two birds with one stone. Kids are also not at school and the best part, friends and family who can help you pack and move are also free and ready to assist you.
2. You don’t have to think about decorations
Even though everyone loves the holidays and spending time with their family, it is no secret that it can be stressful. You can use your move as an excuse to skip some family meetings you don’t want to attend. And the biggest plus for some people is they don’t have to deal with decorations and cooking elaborate festive meals.
3. Getting a better deal on packing and removal services
Winter is the slowest time of the year for removal companies, so it’s very likely that you can get a good deal on the services you’ll need. If you have time, you should check out a few companies and get quotes before deciding on the one you’ll use.
4. Perfect time to declutter and donate
Take some time to decide which items you don’t want to take to your new home and near Christmas time a lot of charities accept various donations.
5. Getting better deals on cleaning services
If your lease specifies you need to do the final cleaning of the property, you can also get a discount on an end of tenancy cleaning service as winter is also an off-season time for cleaning services as well as removals.
Cons of moving home at Christmas
1. The weather
It’s not pleasant to have to do pretty much anything when it’s cold outside. What is more, everyone will be walking in and out of your properties with their wet and dirty shoes on and you’ll have to clean more. The low temperatures can also interfere with the vehicle’s performance, so keep a close eye on the weather forecast for your moving day. If necessary, and if possible, try to reschedule to avoid the dangerously low temperatures.
2. Travel conditions are less than good
Even though we don’t get much snow in the UK, there are other factors to consider. Many festivities take place, roads are closed, many people are on their ways to families or out of town and the traffic can be bad.
3. Missing out on family time
If your moving day is just before, on or the day after Christmas, you’ll surely not have time for festive dinners with the family. Moving a house isn’t a quick thing you can just do in a couple of hours. It takes days to fully complete it.
4. Most if not all administrative places are closed
Changing your address entails a number of serious administrative changes and documents, so don’t leave these out for the last moment. See which documents can be filled and sent online, and for which you’ll have to go to an office. Make the calls, ask around what the time period is for filing important documents.
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Tips for moving during Christmas
Prepare for the weather
If this winter happens to be very cold and snowy, make sure to wear a warm coat, hat, and gloves. Not only that, but you also need to take precautions against slippery surfaces. When loading your luggage in your vehicle, you would have to do a few return trips to your property, during which not only is it possible for you to slip up, but also drag in snow inside the house. A path of cardboard patches will help you avoid both.
Another thing to prepare is your vehicle – if you’re using your own transport, check if it’s durable enough to last you through the entire trip, especially if you’re going cross-country. Have the winter tyres on, equip your vehicle with a ramp and tyre chains, and take a bag of sand for those difficult, icy sections. It also wouldn’t hurt to take it to a technician, just in case.
Plan your entire trip
The first thing on your agenda should be to choose a moving day in accordance with the weather forecast. If there is snow in the forecast, choose the least troublesome day of the week for your house move. If that’s not possible, pick the safest road instead. If your trip is going to last more than four hours, make sure that you ride through an area with enough places to have a break.
Restaurants, hotels, motels, and coffee shops will fill you with enough energy to last you until the end of your trip. Also, don’t forget to check which ones are open during the holidays.
Consider all utilities
The worst thing you can do is to forget to pay your bills before leaving. Make sure to review your latest bills from your electricity/gas supplier, water supplier, internet supplier, building taxes, and from anyone else you might be missing. You might also need to inform some of the latter that you are moving in order to seamlessly resume your payment schedule at the new place.
Another thing you should keep track of is your household utilities and the condition of your new home. You don’t want to arrive on Christmas day and not have access to electricity or running water. Not to mention that if you spot some faulty wiring or other inconvenient damage, you might not be able to find an available professional electrician to fix it.
That’s why you must take care of this in advance to be certain nothing will ruin your holiday.
Give everyone your new address
The Fantastic Removals team can offer you a detailed change-of-address checklist to help you remember to update your coordinates. But, that can wait until after the holidays. For now, all you have to do is tell your friends and family that you’re moving house so they will know where to send their Christmas cards and presents.
Have food and hot drinks close by
Supplying your vehicle with enough food and hot drinks along the way will make your move a lot more bearable. Just keep in mind that not all stores will be open around the holidays. So, fetch your large shopping bags and buy your food and drinks well in advance. Also, think about food and drinks for when you arrive. Will you bring something with you, or will you order takeout, are there open restaurants for your first night in your new home?
Bonus tip: Prepare something for the movers – hot tea and cookies would mean a lot to the lads. It’s also a good moving home etiquette.
Confirm your moving date
Hiring professional movers is a great choice since a lot of companies are available on Christmas mostly because almost no one requires moving services at that time (except for you).
It’s a slow season, so you can expect the charge rates to be low. Of course, this is individual for every company, and if you leave it for the last minute, it will have a significant impact on your final price.
Organise your packing
Start with the items you least need and keep going little by little. By the time you have to move out, the only remaining items in your home should be the clothes that you will wear and the last bed sheets you’ve used the night before. Here are more house moving tips.
All important documents, jewellery, money, and credit cards should be safe with you.
Don’t forget to defrost the fridge a day before the move. While you’re at it, make sure that you’ve eaten all the food in it, too. You don’t want to carry perishable food with you on your trip. If you’re using the services of professional packers, explain which items are fragile, so they can label the boxes accordingly.
Takeaways
With the right preparations, moving house over the winter holidays might not be nearly as troublesome as it sounds. The Fantastic Removals team wishes you a Merry Christmas!
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