Moving During Christmas: How to Prepare
So, you have decided on moving during Christmas. There are some benefits to this, like the winter break and sales everywhere. However, there are quite a few downsides, such as not celebrating Christmas properly and crowds everywhere. You can still have a good Christmas if you organize yourself well, and we are here to give you some tips on how to do that. We have collected these tips from Best Long Distance Movers who have been doing this for years and know exactly how difficult moving can be, especially during the holidays. That is why we want to make sure your move goes as smoothly as possible and that you still get some time to celebrate Christmas with your family.
Moving during Christmas: balancing the move and holidays
You have planned the date for the move somewhere around Christmas. The first thing you need to do is get out your boxes with decorations, but don’t decorate anything! Especially, don’t put up the Christmas tree. It will be an unnecessary difficulty to take down later. You can put up a few lights that are easy to take down when you seriously start packing for the move.
Plan the presents as well as what to pack way in advance. This will give you an upper hand when you start seriously preparing for the moving day. Also, carefully plan what you will buy for holiday sales (such as Black Friday), you can even buy some packing equipment. If you are moving to f.e. Florida, long distance movers Florida will not have any weather trouble with the weather, because there probably won’t be snow. This is always a plus!
Preparing for the move
So, how do you actually prepare for the move during the holidays? Well, the first thing to do is to choose the best long distance movers for you. Always consult with them about your wants and needs, as they are most likely to meet them.
One thing you need to be absolutely certain of is how much your move is going to cost you. You should always go to the about us page, see what the company values are, and decide whether to contact them for a professional moving estimate. They should only do the estimate in person. Additionally, remember to get to know the new country and its cost of living. Getting to know where everyday things are, such as hospitals, is important.
Some things you should also consider are:
- salaries
- expenses (such as rent, utilities, as well as schooling, and transportation)
- the general cost of living.
Check out if you need any extra paperwork. These can range from work permits and school paperwork for your children to opening a new bank account. And, the most important of all: residency paperwork.
Packing your things
After your moving company tells you the moving estimate (which you should only do in person), it’s time to start packing. You need to decide which of your things are coming with you and which are staying behind. Knowing how to pack is important and staying organized is crucial. Some moving companies might have a packing option, for which you will have to pay extra.
There are a few rules to packing your things:
- Keep it organized. You can make a list, or define sections. But it is crucial to keep the packing process organized.
- Pack bigger items first. After taking out smaller items from bigger ones and packing them, pack the larger items.
- Try to keep everything as clean as possible.
- Take photos of items that need to be deconstructed so you can reconstruct them.
- Have an ‘essential box‘. Put in the box everything you will need immediately after moving.
- Christmas rule: put the boxes with Christmas decoration somewhere you can get them easily. That way, as soon as you move, you can decorate your new place.
The emotional aspect
The first thing on your mind is the technical side of the move, but don’t forget about the emotional aspect. This is a stressful time for you and your family. Especially because it’s the holidays.
Children usually have a harder time understanding what is happening during the move. New big changes can be quite confusing. Whereas adults are able to view the situation in a logical way, to children, it might seem like they are leaving their whole world behind. The joy around them can make them even sadder because they are leaving all of that behind. You should pay extra special attention to the children.
This will be a hard job, but try to make this period as normal as possible. Try to keep the holiday spirits high. But don’t forget to talk to your children and make sure that your children feel supported and understood. Be their crying shoulder if needed. They could be worrying about living in a new environment, starting a new school, having to make new friends, and celebrating Christmas alone. That is why they need support from their family.
Also, before the actual moving day, you can organize some type of a small celebration, just so all of you can relax. Give your presents to the people dear to you and tell them goodbye.
Moving during Christmas is not as scary as people think
To be completely frank, moving during Christmas is not that different from everyday moving. If you look at the technical side. However, emotions are heightened during Christmas. This can especially be hard on the children. One thing that you might enjoy is seeing the long distance movers Alaska arrive with your things, while it is snowing. A truly white Christmas that you can enjoy with your family.