Cooler weather, furniture discounts, more available housing… need I say more?
Moving is brutal no matter the time of year. It’s tedious, sweaty, and sometimes expensive. But, you can make your move a lot easier if you wait for the autumn months.
There’s just something about the fall… The leaves are changing, the air is light, you’re sipping on a pumpkin latte, and you are so excited about moving into your new place.
Here’s five reasons that moving in the fall is the absolute best:
1. There’s Less of a Rush
Families with kids often have to move in late spring or early summer to enroll their kids in a new school. Peak moving season runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and, seeing as families make up a large chunk of homeowners, the competition for housing increases during this time of year.
Avoid the peak season by moving later in the year, when fewer people are on the lookout for that perfect house. Sellers might also be motivated to lower their prices in the fall and winter due to a less competitive market. For single people and/or couples without kids, the struggle to find housing can increase when there is competition between them and families with children.
2. There is More Available Housing
When you think of who typically moves in the fall, you may think of college students. Towns with colleges try to prepare for the influx of students during the summer months, especially if previous years’ sales have been proven to rise when the students come back to town.
Landlords will use this time to prepare their rental properties for students who are in need of housing by the fall semester. This is great for both college students and non-college students because more housing becomes available. Those renters who are not going to school might benefit even more from this because they might have a more extensive rental/job history, making them a better candidate to be a tenant on paper. For example, if the landlord had to choose between a 19 year old student and a 30 year working professional with a solid rental history, the landlord will probably choose the latter.
3. Discounts Are Everywhere
Renters and homeowners also get great discounts during the fall with back to school or pre-holiday specials. Moving companies typically compete to have the best price or better deal during the off seasons, leaving you with more room in your wallet.
When it comes to organization, you can also save money this time of year. Most big name companies have their best discounts in the fall. Labor Day sales get it started, but the sales continue all season long. Plus, Amazon has 7 days of Black Friday sales! The ad hasn’t been released for this year’s deals but last year, a record $7.9 billion was spent through Amazon, according to Bloomberg, causing other major companies to make their deals even sweeter.
This is all good news for us consumers, who should take advantage of big company competition and get better deals on moving, storage, and organization.
4. Thrifty Finds Are Easier to Find
The fall is also a great time of year to find second-hand goods. People start saving up early in September, October, and November to buy Christmas presents in the winter. Some folks may try to earn some extra cash for presents by having yard sales or selling their used stuff online. Craigslist, Offer Up, and eBay are hot spots for getting rid of stuff quickly, and sometimes you can find sought after furniture for next to nothing.
So, if you are more on the thrifty side, the fall and winter months can be a great time of year to get some vintage wares. Antique and thrift shop owners also have big fall sales because they too need money to buy holiday presents!
5. The Weather Can’t Be Beat
The fall is also a great time to move because the weather is perfection!
Early spring can be nice too, unless you have you have crazy allergies, which is no fun when you are moving and stirring up dust. The days are cooler and the air is crisper in the fall, which makes it much easier to lug all your stuff around.
No matter how many times you’ve moved, you always forget how difficult it actually is. You get overheated and exhausted much quicker because you end up spending a lot of time outside. The heat can also damage and melt some things, especially when locked inside of a metal moving truck or pod.
Any time of the year, you’ll still end up breaking a sweat, but if you move later in the year, you will see that it is way easier to move when it’s cooler outside. And If you live in a more temperate climate, you can probably get away with moving during the winter months too!
