There are so many things to consider at moving time, the whole experience can be a worrisome prospect. But you can help yourself make the move go more smoothly by planning and preparing ahead of time.

The first decision to be made is the date of your move. For most people, this will coincide with the closing date of the purchase, sale or rental of their home. Begin to make things easier by avoiding weekends and month ends. These are the most commonly requested times and everyone in the moving business is most busy then. Whether you intend to rent a truck and move yourself, or to hire a professional mover to provide the full range of services, these peak times will be harder to arrange and may be more expensive. Why not move mid-week, which is a slower time of the month? There is no need to close the deal on your home at the traditional month end and, in fact, both purchaser and vendor of the home will benefit by a closing date during slower moving times.

Another consideration is your children. Most people prefer to move during the summer, so as not to disrupt their children by moving in the middle of the school year. Once again, it is not absolutely necessary to move between June and September. A mid-year move can be a smoother transition, if your children participate in the family plan. As far as children are concerned a summer move can prove to be quite lonely as neighbourhood children may be away for the summer or on family vacations. Your children do not have access to new acquaintances as they would if they were immediately going to their new school. Summer is busiest time of the year for movers and, in addition to paying more, you may have difficulty finding a company to move you at this time.