Planning your move to South Carolina is an exciting time full of brand-new opportunities and possibilities. While you might be looking forward to being all moved in, the steps to reach that point aren’t always easy–especially if you don’t have moving help.
There’s no doubt that hiring a moving company is crucial to a seamless and stress-free move to South Carolina. Many new homeowners struggle to determine when to book a moving company to ensure that they have the resources necessary come moving day.
So what timeline should you follow to ensure an efficient and well-coordinated move? This blog will discuss the main challenges of finding moving help to determine when to book a moving company and how to navigate the process. Let’s get started!
Challenges of Knowing When to Book a Moving Company
Homeowners often underestimate the need for a moving company because of the challenges they might encounter when determining the best time to book it. Homeowners need to consider the following possible obstacles:
- Availability: Many moving companies book up quickly, especially during peak moving season, typically summer. When you wait too long to book, you might find that the best moving companies aren’t available for your desired move-in dates.
- Last-minute arrangements: If you’re moving on short notice, finding moving help becomes even more difficult and stressful and can result in higher booking costs.
- Budget constraints: Depending on how much notice you give, when you move, and other factors, it can be challenging to appropriately balance the cost of hiring a moving company with your overall moving budget.
- Large or specialty moving items: Not all moving companies provide adequate services to move large and fragile items requiring special handling. Finding a company to manage these items appropriately within your budget and time frame can be difficult, making extensive research essential for planning an efficient move.
What to Consider When Booking a Moving Company
There are various factors to consider before booking a moving company. Keep the following in mind to determine the best time to book moving help for your move.
Seasonal Availability
Most homeowners find it easier to secure moving help when they move in off-seasons rather than during popular moving seasons. Summer is the peak moving season, meaning that labor availability during this time will be much more limited than usual.
The best time to move for maximum seasonal availability is anytime between mid-September through April. The majority of Americans move in the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, so try to avoid this time and schedule your move during the off-season if possible.
Accommodations
Consider other accommodations and requirements you’ll need to plan your move. If you’re making a long-distance move, you might have to plan flights, hotels, and transportation for children or pets. This will play a role in the best time to move–for instance, while summer is considered a busy season for moving, it might be the best for you and your family if you have children in school.
Depending on hotel and flight prices, you might change your decision on moving dates. Ultimately, remember that many factors play a role in what time you move and book a moving company–so make sure you think of everything.
Pricing
While price shouldn’t be the only factor you consider when booking a moving company, it’s definitely part of your final decision. Getting a fair price requires a few considerations, such as researching various moving companies and receiving estimates to compare rates and offerings.
Additionally, homeowners need to consider potential hidden moving costs that can add up to a significant amount and balance these costs with the cost of hiring moving help.
Moving during the off-season also unlocks some pricing benefits to save you some extra cash during the moving process. Summer isn’t only the busiest time for moving but also the most expensive because of the high volume of moving requests. With less demand for moving companies during fall, winter, and spring, you can move without the additional financial burden.
The Best Times to Book Before an Upcoming Move
Once you’ve considered seasonal availability, it’s time to book your move. But how far in advance should you book a moving company? The simplest answer is that it’s best to book help from a moving company as soon as you know that you’re moving and have your new home secured. Booking early is especially important if you have to move during summer.
Generally speaking, you should book a mover at least eight weeks before your move, no later. While you might still find moving help outside this period, you might struggle to find a reputable company or face high prices because of the short notice.
Determining the best time to move also depends on where you’re moving and its proximity to your current location. For example, residents near South Carolina planning to move to or within the state can book anytime eight weeks before moving. However, if you’re moving cross-country to South Carolina, you’ll want to book moving help further in advance, typically no less than 12 weeks before you move.
Get the Best Moving Help From Go Smooth Move
A seamless and smooth move to South Carolina is the dream of any new homeowner, and hiring the correct moving company can make or break how successful your transition will be. Once you know when to book a moving company, you can turn to the helpful services at Go Smooth Move to plan the move of your dreams.
Go Smooth Move provides homeowners in the Charleston, South Carolina, metro area with the best moving services. No matter your moving needs, you’ll find what you’re looking for from our extensive offerings. Among our moving services are the following:
- Residential or commercial moves
- Short and long-distance moves
- Full-service packing and unpacking
- Delivery service
- Junk removal
- And more!
Our competitive pricing and dedicated team of movers ensure that your South Carolina move will be smooth. Contact us today for a free online quote and start planning your move with Go Smooth Move.