Picking the right time of year to move can be the difference between a stress-free breeze and a hellish experience you’ll shudder to think of for years to come.

What season is best for you really depends on your particular situation. Let’s take a look at each season’s pros and cons:

Summer

Pros:

• Peak Season. May-September is when most people are moving. There will be plenty of open listings to choose from, and if you’re selling, you’ll have more potential buyers to choose from as well.

• No School. Not having kids in school makes it easy for families to move long-distance.

• Warm Weather. Both house/apartment-hunting and moving day will be easier and more pleasant during the warm summer months.

Cons:

• Peak Season. You’ll have more people to compete with and less room to negotiate with landlords/agents. Moving companies will also be busier, often overbooked, and will charge higher rates.

• Hot Weather. If summers are hot and muggy where you live, home-hunting and moving day could be rough.

Takeaway: Plan far ahead, keep an eye on the weather, book moving companies well in advance, and be prepared to act quickly to snag a place before someone else does! This is the best time to move for families moving long-distance.

Winter

Pros:

• Dead Season. Almost no one moves during winter, which means if you find a place, there will be almost no competition from other buyers and you’ll have all the power during price-negotiations.

• Cheap Rates. Moving companies are at their cheapest during winter.

Cons:

• Dead Season. Less people moving means less places available. Selling a home will also be much more difficult during the winter.

• Cold Weather. When it’s freezing outside, looking for a new place is unpleasant and moving-day is miserable. Freezing weather can also damage items and cause safety hazards.

• Holidays. They can be stressful enough without dealing with a move on top of it all.

• School. Most people seem to agree it’s harder on kids to switch schools halfway through the year.

Takeaway: Difficult overall due to the weather and general lack of activity. But potentially much cheaper if you can find an open place. This is the best option for those with a tight budget.

Spring/Fall

Pros:

• Weather. Both seasons offer generally better weather, less competition and lower moving company rates than summer or winter.

• Selling. Houses typically sell for more money in the spring.

• School Shift. If you live near colleges or universities, many apartments will open as students finish school.

Cons:

• Less Activity. There will be fewer open homes and apartments for you to move into and less people looking to buy.

• School. Spring/fall are awkward times for kids to change schools. Spring-break is a potential window for families moving locally, however.

Takeaway: Both seasons are less extreme than summer and winter, making them great options for moving for pretty much everyone except families moving long-distance.

Once you’ve picked a season that will work best for you, keep in mind that moving companies are most busy on weekends (when people are off work), and at the end/beginning of the month (when most leases end).

If you can swing it, moving on a Tuesday or Wednesday in the middle of the month will typically be your cheapest option.

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