Greater Chattanooga Association Of Realtors Offers Tips For Holiday Moves

  • Friday, December 2, 2016

For many, the holiday season is a time punctuated by family, feasts and endless festivities. But while some may be celebrating in homes overflowing with warmth and Christmas cheer, others may be facing an entirely different reality— surrounded by boxes, empty cupboards and a moving van out front. While it is especially tough to be uprooted during the holiday season— with the help of a few tips from the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors (GCAR)— a big move doesn’t have to damper one's holiday spirit.

“We understand the difficulties some families face during this time of year and hope to offer as much support and guidance as possible to still make the holiday season enjoyable,” said Nathan Walldorf, Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors president. “When to move is not always up to you. You may have a new job waiting in another city, aging family you need to move near, or perhaps a closing took longer than excepted, but there are ways to keep spirits high with proper preparation and a positive attitude.”

With the following tips from GCAR, families can keep added stress to a minimum during their move and help ensure this time remains a season of celebration rather than chaos:

DÉCOR DOES THE HEART GOOD: Leave your living area untouched and decorated for as long as possible to keep the feeling of home alive. Wait to pack up the common room until the day before moving day— packing everything from that space in labeled boxes for easy location and access. Then, once you arrive in your new home, this will allow you to immediately unpack and decorate the new living space so you are quickly transitioning from one home to another. Even if the rest of your new home is still in boxes, a put together central living space will help keep your family feeling centered and cheered.

DON’T BE A GRINCH: Santa Claus is coming to town—whether you’re in a new house or not. While it can be tempting to postpone Christmas celebrations, young children will be expecting Santa’s sleigh to visit alongside the moving truck, so don’t let opening moving boxes take the place of opening gifts. The key is planning ahead. Wrap presents in advance and hide them in a separate box for young ones to open— no matter where you happen to be in the moving process. If possible, keep children and pets calm and entertained in a separate room on moving day to lessen the anxiety of leaving their old home. You may even want to line up a babysitter or family friend to come watch your children to alleviate stress on both you and them.

ORGANIZATION MAINTAINS SANITY: Keep all paperwork in a designated binder, along with any necessary forms and contact information you may need to access quickly. To avoid a Christmas without electricity, inform your utility companies you are moving and your exact move-in date. With children, it is also critical to make sure you have all outgoing and incoming school documents when transferring during the middle of the year. There may even be new immunization requirements to keep in mind if you are moving states. Additionally, be sure to cancel any memberships or service plans for gyms, clubhouses, lawn care, newspapers, etc., as well as forward all mail to your new address. You may even consider hiring a cleaning service for both a move-out and move-in deep clean to make both your life easier and get any grime hiding from the naked eye. Less stress means higher spirits.

STAY CONNECTED: Be sure to reach out in advance to loved ones near and far to make sure they know you are moving and have your new address. You don’t want to miss any Christmas cards. Also, if you are new in town during the holiday season, check the local newspaper or community event listings to see how people in your area are celebrating. It’s an excellent way to connect with new neighbors and enjoy time away from the stress of unpacking.

Whether moving out of state or just to a new area of town, the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors is a good resource for ensuring a smooth moving process during the busiest time of year. For more information about the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors, visit www.GCAR.net or follow GCAR on Facebook and Twitter.

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