Moving is difficult, and the holiday season can be tiring. Combining them both can be challenging and overwhelming. Our tips for moving during the holidays can help you get through this stressful period.
Read our tips on moving in the winter to help prepare you and your belongings for a cold-weather move.
Send out address changes to family and friends with your holiday greetings. Don’t feel pressured to send cards through the postal service. E-cards will do the trick. It may not be your usual holiday tradition, but you are moving. You can resume your tradition of mailing cards next year.
Plan for parcel shipments. Even if you have set up mail forwarding with Canada Post, parcels sent through Canada Post are not forwarded. Parcels sent through other courier services, such as FedEx, UPS, etc., are not forwarded either. Contact the sender and tell them your new address before they ship the parcel. If the parcel is already in transit, you will need to arrange with a friend, neighbour, or new occupant to collect it for you.
Forgo hosting holiday parties. You are packing your home into boxes, and you don’t want to have to unpack them just to find the ladle for the punch bowl. If you feel you must host, consider booking a restaurant or community centre with a catering service.
Be a good guest. Since you are not hosting the festivities this year, be a good guest at events others are hosting. Offer to bring food, arrive early to prepare, and stay late to help tidy up.
Pack decorations separately from the rest of your household goods, or at least label the boxes clearly. This will allow you to unpack and decorate your new home quickly and easily.
Shop online to deliver gifts directly to family and friends. You don’t want to accidentally pack and move gifts – especially if you are moving far away. Keep gifts for your own family members in one location. If you are packing, label the boxes so they are easy to find when you arrive. If you will be travelling or staying in a hotel on Christmas Day, stuff your stockings and pack them in your vehicle before the moving truck arrives.
Think about safety. Unfortunately, crime happens on the holidays, too, so ensure alarm systems are active in your origin and destination homes. Tell your neighbours when you expect your moving truck so they don’t assume that thieves with a moving truck are your movers.
Double-check holiday hours with real estate agents, lawyers, landlords, alarm system companies, and anyone else involved in the sale/purchase of your home. Ensure you have their emergency contact numbers in case there is a problem. Repair/maintenance workers often take time off between Christmas and New Year’s, so have a backup plan or somewhere to stay if there is a maintenance issue with your new home and you can’t get it fixed right away.
Prepare for the feelings. Moving during the holidays is stressful enough, but when you think, “This is the last time we’ll sing carols in this house on Christmas Day,” the tears might start flowing. Remember that this is normal. Savour the memories and look forward to the joy and adventure you will have in your new home. (And make sure the movers don’t pack all the tissues.)
Hire Out of Chaos to manage your move. We can provide services to make your move stress-free regardless of when you relocate. With our packing service, you can maximize your time with family and friends and enjoy what the holiday season offers. With our unpacking service, you can decorate your new home quickly and be organized and ready for the new year.
Contact Out of Chaos for stress-free moving during the holidays and any other time during the year.
