What Time of Year is Best for a Big Move?

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It has long been an assumed real estate rule to shop for, buy and move to a new home in the spring or summer months. This advice gets passed around to anyone who is interested in moving to another part of the country or even just to a new community in the same state. The reasons for it are many, but they are not always the whole picture.

If you have a big move in your future, consider carefully when the best time to move will be.

Minimize Travel Problems

Moving in the warmer spring and summer months can minimize travel problems due to bad weather for people in the northern parts of the country. Snow and ice storms are the last things you want to experience when you are packing boxes and a big truck and driving a long distance.

When it comes to warmer climates like Texas, however, the chances of snow storms are so slim that they fail to be a true factor in deciding when you should move. Instead, you might want to avoid hurricane season.

Competition and Cost

Because so many people accept the rule of shopping for a new house in the spring, competition for the properties may actually be higher. This can not only stop you from getting the property you want, but also drive up prices more than you want to pay. People may be more eager to sell in the off season.

However, because of this same idea on timing, there will undoubtedly be more houses to choose from in the spring and summer months. If you shop during the winter, you may miss out on the perfect option that will only become available once the weather gets balmy.

Moving With Kids Who Are Still in School

One of the major reasons why moving in the summer months is popular has to do primarily with not interrupting the kids' educations. It is both academically and emotionally tough for kids to move to a new school, but it becomes even more difficult if you switch them in the middle of a school year. They have to worry about making new friends and catching up with classes that may be very different than they are used to.

When it comes to moving to a new state or just across town, choosing the right time of year can make the process that much easier and less stressful. Although the classic suggestion or spring and summer for moving makes sense in most cases, it is possible to realize some benefits from shopping for houses in autumn or winter as well.

In the end, most people move at a certain time of year because they have to. A new job often forces people to move at a precise time that may not be ideal in the market. When there is time to make a choice, however, focusing on the weather, ease of finding a great property and minimizing the negative impact on kids and the whole family are the best considerations to make. 

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