Sometimes relocating for work is well-timed, and sometimes it’s not. A relocation during the holiday season isn’t one that most people would consider to be particularly well-timed.
However, contrary to popular belief, employers don’t stop hiring over the holidays, and they certainly don’t stop moving contract workers from place to place for different projects. The end result? New hires, temp employees and contract workers find themselves moving into short-term furnished apartments over the holiday season.
If that happens to be you, we have a few tips and insights to help your move run smoothly.
Beware of major shopping days.
Obviously, you’re not going to try to move on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day, but there are other days around the holidays that you may want to avoid as well.
We probably don’t have to remind you of the the craziness that is Black Friday, but the Saturday before Christmas is a major (insane) shopping day you may not have considered. Traffic will be chaotic at best on this day, and moving is already stressful enough without adding driving-induced frustration to the mix.
On the flip side, Black Friday deals and after-Christmas sales can be a great time to buy items you need for moving. Even if it’s just boxes and packing tape, it’s bound to be on sale if you time it right.
Cancel your holiday party.
We understand that traditions are a big deal to many people, but if you try to host your traditional holiday party while you’re getting ready for a move, then you’re going to burn yourself out. It’s simply not worth it. If you cancel, someone else may decide to host it in your place, but if not, there’s no doubt you’ll be able to fill that time tackling a long list of pre-move activities.
If the move into your short-term furnished apartment is timed just right, then you may be able to pull together some sort of holiday housewarming party, but we recommend keeping it small and simple. Relocating is more taxing than most people think, and usually people don’t realize how exhausted they are until they’re already burned out.
Organize tasks differently.
There are countless ways to organize a task list for moving. Some people organize it chronologically, methodically working through one task before moving on to the next. This seems like the most obvious way to stay organized, but another great approach is to organize tasks by what you’re handling solo versus what you’re getting help with.
To do this, you’ll create a task list that’s divided into two columns. One column is your responsibility, and you can check these tasks off at your own pace. The second column is a list of things that need to be done, but you may or may not be responsible for doing them.
For example, do you need to call a relocation company to assist with your move? Does your employer need to sign off on the furnished apartment you found? Are you waiting on your HR manager to schedule the furniture rental delivery at your new place? These are things you may need to address in order to get the ball rolling. Even though these tasks are not solely your responsibility, they’ll still be on your radar, which means they’re less likely to slip through the cracks.
Take an honest look at your budget.
Between Christmas presents and moving expenses, your budget is probably going to be tight for a few months. Don’t be afraid to sit down, evaluate your finances, and map out a budget. Not establishing a budget will make you feel like anything you spend is overspending, which creates a lot of stress about finances. However, when you actually know how much money you have and where it’s going, you’ll feel the freedom to use it.
If you’re lucky enough to be relocating within the same company and receive a Christmas bonus, then the holidays might be one of the best times you could have chosen to relocate. That way, you can use the extra cash to put toward your move.
Look on the bright side.
While the holidays are incredibly busy, most people end up getting more time off work than usual, which could mean more time to handle all of those tedious moving tasks.
The other bright side is that you don’t have to do your relocation on your own. Corporate Connection is here to help with every detail of your move.
