Moving at Christmas??!!

[ditzzy]

After about a year on the market I’ve finally found myself in a nice short chain (my buyer has a first time buyer, my seller has already left to retire abroad) so the legal work has gone much faster than I expected!

One of the agents called me yesterday to ask whether I wanted to complete before or after Christmas (exchange is apparently expected mid-December now). When the offers were flying around I didn’t ever think Christmas would be possible!!

I’ve moved plenty of times before but this is the first time with children (Dd1 is 8, Dd2 is 4). Moving at Christmas will be a nightmare won’t it? They’re already nagging to get the tree out here…. But Christmas in the new house would be a lovely way to start a new era……

Any stories to help me decide?

Pack any stuff you want specifically for christmas day in a couple of boxes and tape them with coloured duct tape..so you can find them easily

I wouldn’t move too close to a bank holiday as that will impact on availability or prices of emergency electricians, plumbers etc.

Other than that, crack on! I moved on Christmas Eve once, it was fine! (Luckily no plumber etc needed 😆).

Just move because it's so hard getting g to that stage. Sell it to the DCs as exciting and and extra special Xmas as you'll be in the new house. One of the best Christmases we had involved pizza for dinner (long story) and we loved it!

Moved 17th Dec once many years ago. Kids were 8& 2.
First thing unpacked was xmas tree. We sat in the new living room with a beautiful tree , boxes everwhere & ordered pizza then slept on mattresses on the floor & wrote santa a letter to give him the new address.
Adult kids say it's one of their favourite childhood memories.

I'd also add the advice of don't plan a completion or a move for a Friday or a bank holiday weekend. If anything goes wrong and can't be fixed that day you invariably end up waiting til Monday for people to come back to work.

My experience is 20 years old though so maybe things have changed for the better since then.

I’d do it before Christmas just because you’d have those days in between Christmas and new year where no one knows what to do and you can do lots of unpacking then.

When I was a kid we moved into our new house on December 22nd. My dad was away working so my mum had to sort it on her own with the help of family until my dad got back on 24th. Honestly it was a great Christmas as we got our own rooms so was like an early Christmas present. I’d say before

Before, solicitors usually close early for christmas and open back up well into the new year. So you’ll just sit around stewing that all is well for 2/3 weeks if you wait.

O e moved in December twice Much nicer having Christmas in the new home

We once moved on the 13th December , one week notice with 6 under 10s … while I was working 12hr night shifts

I put all the boxes in one room and just made the kids rooms and living as Comfortable as possible , once the new year hit the decorating began

I would definitely do it before! Leaving it longer just buys more time in which things can go wrong. Pack all your decorations together, whack up some fairy lights, it’ll be fun and exciting to have just moved in and have the tree up.

We moved on the 17th Dec - had a few decs up before that were easily packed away & one of my first jobs the day after was to get a real tree & put it up (a bit rough & ready but we did it!).
I shopped early & made sure all the presents were wrapped and kept together in labelled boxes.
Obviously it was stressful but I'd definitely do it again - the kids were able to relax for the rest of the Xmas holidays while we unpacked bit by bit. Good luck!

I’m another one advising to avoid Friday 22nd when the solicitors, agents etc might be finishing early or not working at all. Also true about some plumbers etc shutting up shop early on that day until Wednesday 27th at the earliest.

Also, I’d go for a day when your children are at school so that you can do the move in (relative!) peace and not worry about them until 3pm. So around here, that would be Wednesday 20th or earlier.

If your children are going to be receiving presents that rely on the internet, bear that in mind too.

My mum & dad moved us on 17 December, I was 7, my brother was 18 months old. We were sorted & Christmas tree up within 5 days.

I’d also go before xmas. The house (hopefully) will be nice and clean for you moving in so no dirt and dust going in to the new year!

Can you get carpet fitters, (if you need them), or removal firms this near to Christmas our firm of choice are booked solid and closed from 3 days before until new year.

I work in the industry & the run up to Christmas is usually busy for completions. We’ve had a fair amount of completions Christmas Eve before now.

A lot of solicitors/lenders have skeleton staff in between Christmas & New Year. Some solicitor firms aren’t even open.

I’d complete before Christmas. Happy new home.

We moved on the 9th December and put a pre lit tree up before we unpacked any boxes. Made sure the kids had what they needed to get through to school holidays and just winged it. Managed to have 8 round for Christmas but there were a few last minute boxes being ripped open looking for pans

I work in conveyancing and our last date for completions before Christmas is the 20th so we have a couple of days to play with if something goes wrong. But we have seen other firms saying the last date is the 15th so you need to be aware of this. I have always had a really busy week with completions just before Christmas so lots of people do it.

We moved on 18th December, considerably downsizing so all our furniture had to be replaced with stuff that was in proportion to the room sizes. It was absolute carnage and we barely slept for a week (we have 3 DCs), but I’d do it again so I didn’t have to move in January!

We moved December 30th last year (completed 23rd December but we were first time buyers so had the option to wait).
I would go before (that's what we were hoping for but we exchanged and completed the same day so weren't able to book anything).
That way the worst stress is over and you can enjoy Christmas and relax if you want/need, or use the holidays for getting properly settled.
Get your shopping delivered, order all the presents on Amazon and get them sent to the new house. Put the tree up when you arrive (or put it up now then put it back int the box and put it up again!

I moved a week before Christmas, with 3 children from overseas. We put little bits out before we moved to get into the Christmas sprit but it was lovely to move and have Christmas in our new house, not surrounded by boxes!!

Out of sheer curiosity WHY do you think moving in January (one of the least busy times of the year for most) would be worse?

Weather wise there is little to no difference between 18th December and 4th of January etc...

I'd say before too, unless you're walking into a massive renovation project and you won't be able to cook or heat the house or something. So long as you do it a little bit before (not the 22nd) and so long as the new house has a working kitchen, plumbing and heating then I reckon you'll be in a better state there than you will in your current house getting all packed up. There is nothing sadder than a packed up house, that you're ready to leave and that isn't quite what you want as a family anymore. The new house will be exciting and an adventure and that'll feel christmassy!

I would go before. If you're a 9-5 worker you'll have time off to get everything straight plus the bank holidays to recover.

If you're not already going to visit family, I might think about booking Christmas lunch out if I were you...