For many, the last quarter of any year is reserved for holiday festivities, obligations at home, and work schedules. People may ask you, “Sell my house now?” Their skepticism is understandable. After all, moving in the fall sounds like a terrible idea to some.

Moving during this time of year could be the best time for you, so we've compiled tips on how to make your move as simple as possible - regardless of the season.

Hire a Moving Company

Your move will be simplified by hiring a local highly rated moving company well before moving day. Gather recommendations from your family and friends, check out the company’s online reviews, and look at their Better Business Bureau profile. Then book your moving company of choice. 

Moving companies will explain their operating procedures in detail to avoid confusion. Some offer boxes and shipping labels that will streamline your move. Hiring a professional local moving company is probably the best way to make your move as painless as possible.

Get Rid of Unwanted Items

Like most homeowners, you probably have many items that you do not want or need. Moving them would be costly and time-consuming, so getting rid of them now just makes sense. Have every member of the family take the things they do not want and put them in an out-of-the-way (neatly stacked) pile. You can donate the items that are still useful and dump the rest.  Do not overthink the process. Sort fast and stick to your decisions.

Use Up Your Food Supplies

Local movers will not transport perishable food, so if you have a full refrigerator or freezer, it’s time to cook up a feast or donate food to local charities. If you prefer, you can offer your food to family members and neighbors, but you should only move a small amount of canned and boxed food items to your new location. Anything else complicates the move and may leave you with rotted food and a big mess to clean.

Hire a Trash Removal Company

Cleaning your garage and basement are daunting jobs that can make moving seem too difficult. You can save yourself a lot of stress by tagging the items you want to keep and having a trash removal company come in and take the rest. In truth, you will not miss the stuff they take away, and you will save yourself hours of hard, grimy labor.

Start Packing Early

Early packing does not mean a house crammed with half-full boxes that leave no room to move around. Instead, have every family member fill up one box daily and put the labeled boxes in a designated room. Tackling packing this way will prevent your family from feeling overwhelmed, and you will make real progress. Plus, you will make your local moving company happy by being organized.

Notify Everyone of Your New Address

You will avoid frustration if you send your change of address notice to the post office well before your move. You can choose the date when the change takes effect, so your mail will not end up at your old address. To avoid having your mail stuck in a slow forwarding pile, notify your credit card companies, workplace, government agencies, etc., before the move as well. By doing so, you will avoid the mail mixups that so many people experience when they move.

Pack Essential Supplies Separately

You will need fast access to certain items in the first few days after your move. To avoid frantically digging for phone chargers or toiletries, pack them in a special bag and keep that bag with you instead of sending it with the movers. Put everything in that bag you will need for a few days away to save yourself from moving stress.

Keep the Kids Entertained

Just thinking about dealing with small kids during a move can deter some people from selling their homes. If you have little ones, consider having them stay with a friend or relative on the day of the move. Of course, they may feel insecure, so check in with them frequently and pick them up when you are ready to travel. 

You will also benefit by having some new games or toys for them to play with while you get organized at your new home. They will be happy with these small gifts and distracted from the disorder. And remember, get the kids’ rooms unpacked first so they can settle in among familiar items.