Selecting a Moving Day
11/9/2011 12:38:59 PM
Picking the right day of the week, the right week of the month, and right month of the year will help your move go smoothly. Every mover, rental truck facility and other service provider, like the cable and phone guy, has peak busy times. Scheduling around those will reduce the stress of moving.
Peak moving season starts about the middle of May and runs through the middle of September. This is true for across town moves as well as long distance moves. It’s the busiest time because it coincides with the school calendar year and the weather is cooperative. No one wants to change schools in the middle of the year nor do you want to move during an infamous Omaha, Nebraska snowstorm! If you have to move during this time, book your mover or rental truck early. Pick your dates as soon as you can to avoid a last minute scramble to find availability. This also makes it easier on all of the other services you may need. Change of address at the post office, turning the utilities on and off, changing bank accounts, etc. There are a lot of people involved in this process and all get swamped at the same time. Keep their stress levels and yours low by planning around the busiest times.
Avoid the end of the month if you can. Leases are generally up at the end of the month and closing dates are usually scheduled for the end so taxes and insurance don’t have to be prorated. Both of these things mean crunch time for moving the last week of any month all year long. You will get the best deal and service from movers and rental companies if you can avoid that last week.
The best days to move are early in the week – Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Avoid Friday and Saturday because most people want to move on those days and use the rest of the weekend to get settled into the new house. Friday is the day of the week that most moving companies are stretched to the limit because of its popularity as a moving day. The moving crews (those strong guys that lift heavy objects all week long) are fresher at the beginning of the week, too. Truck rental companies are generally swamped on Friday and Saturday. Most do-it-yourself moves happen on the weekend with a rental truck, some buddies, and pizza and beer. Reserve that truck early and serve the pizza and beer AFTER the work is done!