Here are the Worst Days to Move During the Holiday Season

There are few things more stressful than moving during the holiday season. From fighting heavy traffic to paying exorbitant moving prices, relocating to a new home during the months of December can be a real nightmare before Christmas (get it?). Fortunately, if you’re stuck with the less than holly jolly task of relocating to a new home, there are steps you can take to make your move slightly less stressful and expensive. The first step is to figure out the worst time to move during the holiday chaos and plan accordingly (read: by avoiding that move date). Thankfully, we’ve done the hard part for you. According to various research, here are the worst days to move during the Christmas/New Year’s time period.

The worst time to move if driving a truck rental this holiday season

According to Bloomberg the busiest brick-and-mortar retail shopping day of the season is “Super Saturday,” aka the Saturday before Christmas Day. This means the worst time to move during the Christmas and New Year’s Holiday period is most likely the weekend before Christmas Day . This is especially true if you’re planning a DIY move, where you need to drive a large truck rental or make multiple trips to and from your home. In addition, any moving companies that are available and working during this weekend may charge higher than usual rates due to high demand, heavy traffic and the fact that their workers are having to work through the holidays.

Besides Black Friday (the obvious!), other busy shopping and high traffic days include the entire week before Christmas. The U.S. Department of Transportation states that the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s periods are among the busiest travel times of the year. Of course, you’ll also need to take into account the specific day that Christmas falls on during the week. For instance, the U.S. Department of Transportation points out that in 2001, when Christmas fell on a Tuesday, the Saturday and Sunday preceding were the busiest travel days of the 17-day holiday period. However, if Christmas fell on a Thursday, this may change the travel patterns. In 2023, Christmas will fall on a Monday, which means roads and highways will be full during the preceding weekend of December 22-24.

The worst time to move if flying this holiday season

Flying this holiday season? If your move involves boarding a jet plane, you should also take care to avoid moving and traveling on a weekend day during the 17-day holiday period before and after the Christmas/New Year’s period. Smarter Travel points out that the worst days to fly “ depend on when the weekends fall in relation to the holidays, since lots of people want to travel over convenient long weekends.” Instead of flying on a holiday weekend, experts recommend flying on a Tuesday or Wednesday. These days tend to be less busy and cheaper, even during the holiday season.

Bottomline: Whether you’re driving a truck rental or flying to your new home, I recommend aiming for a mid-morning move during the workweek – not the weekend. This way you’ll avoid the influx of holiday shoppers and travelers, as well as the rush hour commute. If you can manage your move at the beginning of December or hold off until after the New Year’s holiday, I also recommend doing so.

More tips for moving during the holidays

Whether you’re moving during the peak holiday rush or waiting until after the chaos has died down, moving to a new home during the holidays isn’t ideal. However, it can be done. Thankfully, there are other ways – besides choosing an ideal moving date – to make your move a merry one. Here are a few other suggestions:

Create a budget – Everyone knows that moving during the holidays can get expensive. From moving boxes and supplies to Christmas presents and expensive moving company rates, there’s nothing cheap about relocating to a new home this month. So before you begin the moving process, I strongly recommend deciding on a budget with your family. This will cut down on any extra stress you have surrounding your end-of-year finances. To cut down on moving costs, consider a DIY move with a truck rental or portable moving container . You can also avoid paying for moving boxes by picking up free ones at local liquor stores, offices, Craigslist , or U-Haul Box Exchange .
Pack holiday gifts and decor separately – Whatever you do, don’t let your holiday gifts and decor get lost in the sea of boxes. As you begin the packing process, be sure to pack these holiday knick knacks separately and in clearly labeled boxes. This way you’ll be able to unpack those holiday treasures as soon as you move into your new house.
Hire a reliable moving company – The last thing you want happening during the holidays is for your belongings to become damaged or (worse!) lost forever. To avoid this and other moving mishaps, I strongly recommend hiring a reputable and reliable moving company. Watch out for red flags and scams, and be sure to check company reviews and ratings before hiring any moving company for the job.
Prepare for the weather – Unless you live in sunny Florida, you’ll most likely be dealing with cold weather conditions when moving this holiday season. Prepare for possible icy roads, snow and frigid temperatures by dressing appropriately and bringing plenty of winter weather supplies with you. I recommend wearing and/or packing in an overnight bag a pair of boots, hats, gloves, shovels and salt (if snow and ice are a concern). Also, be sure to pack your things in waterproof bins and containers, instead of cardboard boxes. If using cardboard boxes, I recommend putting valuables and electronics inside plastic baggies. As you load and unload your belongings, watch out for slippery walkways and stairs. Finally, don’t forget to also turn on your heating and utilities before moving in.

Ready to move this holiday season?

With the help of the right movers, y ou’ll be able to deck the halls of your new home in no time! Fortunately, Moving.com’s extensive network of reputable and reliable movers makes it easy to find and book the best moving company for the job during the Christmas and New Year’s period. All relocation companies in our network are licensed and insured, so you can rest assured that your move will be in good hands. Best of luck and happy moving!