Tweet

RSS

It’s no joke that Halloween to Christmas can sometimes feel a bit like a marathon, or even a sprint. We get tired and worn down by even the fun and festive parts of this time of year. There are many gatherings and parties to attend as well as décor to purchase and put up, food to make and gifts to buy. That’s why adding a move into the picture can seem downright unmanageable. But if you find yourself needing to move this holiday season, don’t fret. There are ways to set yourself up for success! Here is a handy checklist for moving during the holiday season. 

Be sure to schedule dates that are set in stone as early as possible. Write them in your calendar to avoid overbooking. Include the end of your lease or a closing date. Also include exam dates for your kids in school as well as any major travelling or vacations you have booked for the holidays. You can then schedule in the non-essential activities afterwards as you see how much time and energy you will have. 

Next, it’s a great idea to actually schedule packing days into your calendar. This will help you remember and stay on top of packing so it doesn’t get postponed until the last possible second. It’s easy to procrastinate packing, especially with all the other fun activities and parties to attend this season. However, packing tends to take a bit longer than we usually anticipate. So blocking off good chunks of time to get started on this will help tremendously. 

While the holidays can get expensive for those who celebrate, it’s still important to maintain a separation between your holiday spending budget and your move budget. Yes, perhaps you spend less this year on gifts than normal because of the move. That’s ok. But to prevent unnecessary stress, budget separately for the move. This way it won’t feel like you’re choosing between packing supplies and a present for your child. Allot the amounts needed for your moving truck (and crew), packing supplies, time off work or childcare, food out while the kitchen’s packed and some extra for unforeseen expenses. 

Because it’s the holiday season, it also follows that the weather might take a turn. Prepare for this potential outcome by having shovels, car scrapers and salt at the ready. Keep warm clothes and outerwear in overnight bags and even some extra blankets in case the temperature really drops. You’ll also want to protect your floors by laying mats by the doors and covering hardwoods with plastic and carpets with cardboard. We end up tracking a lot of snow, ice and dirt in with us during a wintery move. Stay ahead of that mess by prepping. 

When we move, we often purge and discard a lot of the belongings we forgot we even had. It feels especially good around the New Year to organize and minimize what we take with us. But rather than throwing any items away that are still usable, donate them so that others can enjoy them! This is such a great way to give back over the holidays. 

Keep this checklist close by if you are preparing to tackle a holiday move this year. Let us know how we at Smithfield Storage can help facilitate your storage needs!