10 Refreshingly Cool Tips for Moving in Spring

Just like the process of moving from one home to another, the spring season is all about change too.

Spring is this uniquely blessed time of the year which we all associate with rebirth and renewal. The frostbitten world around us starts to slowly wake up and catches us gazing dreamily at the beautiful spring flowers in bloom and enjoying the caressing rays of the warm sun.

This phenomenal winter-spring transition affects most people as they feel the urge to literally move again – to shake off their “frozen” bodies by engaging into familiar refreshing physical activities.

In fact, some people may have missed moving so much during the long and cold winter months that they sense deep inside that it’s time to once more transition straight into a new chapter of their lives. In short, they make up their minds to move house during the spring.

Planning to move out of state right after the winter surely feels like a new beginning – a fresh start that also happens to be a very beneficial period for organizing and executing a residential move.

Learn the true benefits of a spring move and pay attention to these refreshing tips for moving in the spring.

1. Pay less for more and get more for less

Is spring the best time to move?

The seasons of spring and fall (preferably late fall) are considered by many moving experts to be the best times of the year to move house. This well-known secret has solid reasoning behind it and the majority of people tend to overlook the great number of clear advantages of moving in the spring simply because of how common it is to relocate in the summer.

It’s important to note upfront that a spring move combines the benefits of both winter and summer moves, and unless you are willing to dig deeper into your pockets, you won’t be able to find any obvious downsides of the shrewd decision to move house in March, April, or May.

Here’s why moving in the spring is a great idea:

• Competitive prices: Before the peak of the moving season, the majority of professional moving companies and truck rental companies have not yet started to charge the highest rates so that they can attract more customers, and thus secure more jobs. You probably won’t be able to find a real bargain like you would if you were moving in the middle of winter, but you’re almost guaranteed a good deal compared to a summer move.
• Experienced movers: Professional movers tend to be understaffed during the height of the moving season which could force them to employ temporarily helpers with very little experience in house relocation. When moving during the spring, you are almost certain to get the most experienced movers out there.
• No scheduling conflicts: With the abundance of relocation jobs in the summer season, some less reputable local or nationwide movers could take the liberty of sacrificing your scheduled move for a more lucrative one. By contrast, a moving company would think twice before disregarding a booked residential move in the spring.

Important things to consider when deciding on a moving date

2. Get yourself a top-rated spring mover

It’s one thing to be aware that, as a rule, most movers still offer competitive prices after the off-peak winter period is over, and it’s yet another to know how to hunt down such a professional company and how to get the best relocation offer out of them.

Regardless of the calendar season, you need to make sure the mover you’re hiring for your spring relocation meets these three major requirements:

• Affordability: Get multiple quotes from licensed and insured movers by filling out this quick Moving Cost Calculator. Once the initial contact is established, request in-house surveys from the relocation specialists so that you can receive and compare their accurate price estimates. As mentioned above, moving during the spring is a good time in terms of pricing, but at the end of the day, you will need to know just how good these prices are.
• Good reputation: Reputation is very important for a moving company, as well as for any company for that matter. Visit our section of moving reviews and company ratings to learn how other customers value the services of the movers you are reviewing at the moment. You’ll do good to avoid moving companies with too many negative reviews since the added risk is just not worth it.
• Professionalism: Top-rated moving companies should be able to accommodate your move day without any problems because spring just happens to be the transitional period between the height of the off-peak moving season (winter) and its counterpart at the other end of the spectrum – the summertime. So, as long as you’re okay with the quoted price, you agree to the overall conditions and you have checked the movers’ reputation, you’re good to go. Besides, your communication with the experts up until that point should have given you enough indication about their level of professionalism.

3. Turn spring weather into your ally

After a long, cold, and harsh winter, the first mild days of spring are surely much appreciated. In fact, most people will agree that nothing beats spring weather – the warm sun, the gentle breeze, the crisp and pure air, the pleasant songs of the birds in the trees.

The numerous perils of moving in winter /extreme cold, winter storms, icy roads, water damage, etc./ are now gone while the scorching summer heat is still to come. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? In most cases, it is.

However, you shouldn’t take ideal climatic conditions for granted and assume that you will have perfect spring weather on your moving day. Spring is notorious for its quickly changeable temperament, at least in most places, and torrential rain and strong winds during your Big day is always a possibility.

In any case, don’t get too comfortable as a spring storm is never out of the question either.

So, one of the better tips for moving during the spring that you can get is to keep close watch on the weather forecast and respond quickly to any unfavorable climatic changes.

And yet, unless you are really unfortunate, you should expect to have the mild weather you need to make the relocation process much easier. And worrying about one less thing automatically means a reduced level of stress for you and the members of your family.

Rain on Moving Day – Troubles or Good Luck?

4. Sell your home with an added bonus

Our mini guide to moving in spring continues with practical advice on how to stage your home properly if you’ve decided to sell your house before moving out.

Spring is considered by many to be the best season to sell a home for various good reasons:

• most people prefer to purchase a new home and settle in by the arrival of summer;
• most homes look organized, tidy, and inviting because of the proverbial spring cleaning;
• the sunny skies, beautiful flowers in bloom and lush shrubbery make homes look more attractive and contribute greatly to excellent first impressions.

So, you can use the opportune moment of moving in the spring to sell your home more quickly and for a better price than if you were relocating during another season.

Remember that the majority of potential buyers feel the need to imagine themselves living in that property without the immediate necessity of any considerable fix-ups or major repair works.

Yes, in order to stand out from the crowd and beat the competition, you must play your cards right.

• Spring cleaning of your entire home is a must. Be mindful that such a big and ambitious project will inevitably involve an overwhelming number of chores and will require a considerable amount of your time. If you’re not sure where to begin, consult a detailed spring cleaning checklist to save time. Hiring a professional cleaning company to do this job for you is another good option, especially if you’re running out of time and you can afford it, of course.
• Your property should be in excellent condition to sell well. Fix any known problems inside or outside your home no matter how insignificant they may seem at first sight. Arrange the issues to be fixed by qualified workers if you can’t spare the time or if you don’t have the required expertise.
• Create the right interior look and proper curb appeal of your home by paying special attention to the little details that most sellers would easily overlook. Put the finishing touches to impress the future owners and walk out of the deal with a big smile on your face.

How to stage your home for a profitable sale

5. Declutter your home for a fresh spring move

Moving in spring gives you yet another strong incentive to declutter your home of any unnecessary stuff before moving out. Of course, the biggest motivation for you to pare down your possessions should be the fact that the fewer items you pack and move with you, the less money you will pay for their transportation.

Spring is a symbol of a new beginning, a new opportunity springing into life. So, don’t think twice when it comes to reducing drastically the number of things you’re taking with you. Unnecessary stuff just seems to accumulate and accumulate over the years, so now your spring move presents the perfect chance to take it down a notch or two.

First, you just have to understand why decluttering your home is a great idea when moving house in the springtime:

• Lower transportation costs thanks to the lower shipment weight;
• Plenty of packing time saved as packing fewer things will be faster;
• Extra cash pocketed from the selling the items you no longer need;
• More storage space available in the new home;
• Reduced level of stress as a decluttered home also means a decluttered mind.

And secondly, you have to know how to approach the whole house decluttering project when moving during the spring. Basically, all you have to do is go throughout your home and look for items that are simply not worth packing and moving to the new place.

• Broken or worn-out items such as shoes, clothes, furniture, children’s toys, and even electric appliances. Don’t bother moving items that you will throw away soon after the move anyway.
• Shoes and clothes that don’t fit you anymore or ones you’ve never liked in the first place.
• Items past the expiration date such as medicines, cosmetic products, or food items.
• Duplicate items that serve the same purpose. Think of the storage space in the new home as well.
• Books that you don’t see yourself re-reading ever again or ones that have no sentimental value for you.

How to Declutter Your Home Before Moving

6. Organize a garage sale for the ages

Interestingly enough, one of the best spring moving tips you can take advantage of is to get rid of any household goods that you won’t really need in your new home, including the stuff you’ve never liked in the first place.

The good news here is that as a result of your successful spring decluttering project, you will have a complete and updated inventory of your residence – a detailed inventory checklist that will highlight clearly which items are worth your time and money to relocate, and which belongings are simply not worth your efforts.

As explained above, the process of purging your home before the spring move will offer you two indisputable bonuses one after the other:

• Bonus 1: The more items you decide to leave behind, the less you will pay in the end as the overall weight of your shipment influences directly the transportation costs.
• Bonus 2: Your decision to sell some of the items that still have a good market value will flow fresh finances into your moving budget.

And speaking of pre-move sales, one of the best ways to discard your unwanted or no longer needed items, and earn some cash at the same time, is to organize a profitable moving sale.

Here are a few major points to consider for a successful spring sale:

• Your very first task is to classify and catalog your items for sale;
• Assess their current condition and assign fair prices to each one after a bit of preliminary research;
• Decide on the best date and time to hold your garage sale – Saturday mornings are usually a safe bet but there are other considerations to take into account to get the timing right;
• Think about the best way to promote your pre-move spring sale so that more people will be able to come and look around for bargains;

Follow the link below to learn a whole lot about what you should and shouldn’t do at your yard sale in order to maximize your profit.

How to Organize a Garage Sale Before Moving

7. Get busy organizing your spring move

Spring is a very energetic time of the year and the feeling of rejuvenation it brings after the winter slumber will only end up working in your favor.

Unless you’re currently suffering from spring fatigue /read below/, you should do wise to use that reviving energy and invest it into organizing an exemplary spring move.

So, how to plan your post-winter relocation? Get ready to take notes of the following organization tips for moving in spring:

• Start your moving preparations as soon as possible to avoid the side effects of last-minute stress. Remember the old saying, The early bird catches the spring worm.
• Create a relocation budget to get a rough idea of how much you will spend for the entire house move. A customized moving budget should also enable you to react quickly should a job become too greedy and suddenly require more money for its completion;
• Have a winning relocation strategy by creating a personal, personalized, and customized moving calendar. Each hour wasted in disorganization might hurt you badly in the end, so keep your comprehensive to-do list by your side and consult it frequently to win the race with time;
• Purge your home of anything unnecessary and unwanted – the must-do step that guarantees lower transportation expenses and can even secure more money to finance your relocation project;

The upcoming packing process is where you need to show your utmost organization skills just because the most time-consuming pre-move task is a true challenge that should never be underestimated. Be sure to have a look at our revolutionary method of packing an entire home in exactly 60 steps.

The Greatest Moving Checklist of All Time

8. Spring into action by packing by yourself

As discussed above, organizing a house move in the spring can be hugely advantageous for you on a number of levels. And as long as you find the best way to tackle the packing task, things should be just fine.

Now, the easiest way to solve it is to hire professional packers to do it all. Understandably, that’s also the most expensive option too. So, in most cases, you’ll find out that the in-between alternative – packing whatever you can by yourself and having professional packers handle any specialty items you may have – will work nicely for you in the end.

• Complete the home decluttering task on schedule;
• Gather the required packing materials such as moving boxes, wrapping paper, bubble wrap, packing tape, permanent markers, and so on;
• Find and use free moving boxes to minimize the packing costs. As long as you have enough time, ask your friends for any leftover containers or do a quick tour around the largest stores in town to score the necessary cardboard boxes for free;
• Start packing up your things as soon as you can to ensure you’ll be ready prior to the move-out day. Don’t make the rookie mistake of underestimating how much time it takes to pack a home by yourself;
• Pack the premises of the home that seem particularly difficult to sort and pack (all storage areas such as basement, attic, garage, closet, spare rooms) and move on to the easier rooms to pack while you still have enough energy and motivation.
• Don’t skimp on wrapping paper and bubble wrap when packing fragile items. It’s those padding materials that will keep your breakables intact during the spring move.

The Best Room by Room Packing Checklist

9. Lower your spring moving costs

Since you’ll be moving between the off-season and the high-season of the moving industry, there’s a big chance that you get a good deal by a local or cross-country moving company. And that’s always a huge bonus because not paying more than absolutely necessary should always feel nice – after all, money doesn’t grow on trees, right?

Another great advice when moving in spring is to go one step further and cut moving expenses to save even more hard-earned money. And to do that, you should be actively searching for efficient ways to bring down the moving cost:

• Always get at least 3 price quotes from different moving companies, then compare the estimates in terms of costs and extra services.
• Book your move as soon as you’ve picked a mover for a possible early booking discount.
• Schedule your move for a weekday, away from the start and end of March, April, and May. That may not be possible, of course.
• Try to negotiate a lower price with your moving company. Polish your negotiation skills and give it a shot – the worst that can happen is to get NO as an answer, and that’s OK.
• Get as many free packing supplies as you can, especially when it comes to cardboard containers of assorted sizes.
• Slim down the number of items you’re moving between the two homes.
• Pack whatever you can by yourself – that’s right, you shouldn’t have any problems boxing up your clothes, shoes, and books.
• Follow a good PACKING CHECKLIST to save valuable time. You know what they say, right – Time really IS money.

How to Cut Moving Costs and Expenses

10. Be aware of the challenges of moving in spring

Finally, let’s end our spring moving advice with 3 challenges you should always keep in mind when moving in the spring.

#1. Spring allergies

Unfortunately, spring is the season that is also associated with pollen allergies.

Should you happen to have allergic reactions such as itchy eyes, a runny nose, coughing, sneezing, etc. to the flower blossoms and buds dancing devilishly in the air, don’t forget to keep your allergy medication close by.

Also, avoid the hours when the pollen density is rather high – usually from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.;

#2. Spring fatigue

After the relatively dormant state throughout the winter months, the spring season tries to wake us up by encouraging our bodies to do more physical activities.

And when this extra demand for energy is combined with the increasingly longer days of spring, some of us find it really hard to adjust to these sudden changes and the result can be the so-called spring fatigue.

Here you can learn how to manage spring fatigue so that you can have the energy to bring your spring move to a successful end.

#3. Children and school

If you have school-aged children, then spring can be a good time to move to a new city, especially if you schedule your relocation during the spring break.

This way, your son or daughter will be able to make the transition to the new school with no adverse effects on their grades and with minimized disruption to their routine.

And yet, moving house with children is usually a greater challenge than most parents realize, so be sure to first consult our complete practical guide on moving with children.