Moving At Christmas Time: Three Ways To Stress Less During A Holiday Move
Many people make an effort to move at the least busy times in their lives, such as a vacation or summer break, when the kids are out of school. But for some families, moving can't be postponed. Maybe your home has sold more quickly than you anticipated or a big new job will start in another area. If you have to move during December, here are some ways to minimize your stress levels and the impact on your family:
1. Hire professional movers, even for a local move.
It's not unusual to think that professional movers are only for long, cross-country moves. "We can pack things up for the move across town," you may think, or "It's just one state over. We can do it ourselves with a rental truck."
While it's true that you can manage shorter moves by yourself, the holiday timeframe makes professional packing and moving an especially wise choice. You can get everything done in one day; the movers will arrive, box things up and transport them in a few hours. Especially with a short move, if you're on your own, it's tempting to spread things over a longer period. After all, it seems like it should be easy to take several small loads over a few days. But this actually takes more time -- time that you'd like to be spending with your family during the holidays.
One piece of good news: Often December is a slow time for moving, and so you'll be more likely to schedule movers on the exact day and time you want them. Sometimes in the busy summer months, you have to work around a general date when you want to move, depending on the moving company's bookings. You may also get reduced rates for a winter move.
2. Try to keep the same traditions.
Your kids will already be disrupted by the move. So even if you think it's better to not put up a Christmas tree this year because you won't have time to enjoy it, do it for the children. If possible, decorate your new home -- even if you'll only be there a couple of days before Christmas.
Likewise, if you have some events you take part in, like a community tree lighting, caroling or a visit to Santa, make sure you schedule in time to do these activities in the middle of a move. If you're moving within the same city or a short distance away, plan to do the same things you've done as a family in the past. If you're too far away to easily return, find similar happenings in your new location.
Finally, make sure your gifts are packed separately so you don't accidentally give away the surprise. You don't want your kids to see the box with the new bike or video game system as it's carried out to the moving van. Even better, see if a nearby friend or relative will store the gifts for you.
3. Unpack a living room or family room first so you have a location to hang out together.
You may have to order take-out or go to a restaurant for Christmas dinner, and your bedrooms may feature just a bed and a lot of boxes, but try to have one space that is set up for comfort. You can spend time as a family, open gifts and enjoy holiday music and movies if you have at least one area with all the furnishings and no boxes.
For more information, contact Bekins Van Lines Inc or a similar company.
