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If you had told me last holiday season that Matt and I would be back in Connecticut for the holidays, wrapping up our house demolition…three weeks before Christmas, and still doing yard work in below freezing weather; well I frankly wouldn’t have believed you. For a while, there Matt and I truly did not know when we’d be out of Dallas or where we would have to move once he did get notified of a transfer. 

So in 2017, we set a goal of making it back to Connecticut for the 2018 holiday season, and I’m still shocked that we not only made it back to Connecticut, but also had the opportunity to buy our first home! We were patient and while it wasn’t always easy, as we waited for the house of our dreams to drop into our budget, we did it! Oh and you can read more about our house journey here. But with that being said, we ended up having to demo, organize and renovate our new house all within the most wonderful time of the year.

Moving, buying a house or renovating your home during this time of year, has it’s pros and cons, for sure. So today Matt and I are going to share 5 good reasons to move during the holiday season. 

5 Reasons To Move During the holiday season

#1) Cost Benefit: The traditional time to buy real estate is during the spring and summer. That’s when you’ll see the most homes hit the market, almost twice as many open houses, and plenty of homes to pick from! With that being said, Matt and I purchased our home in late fall; which gave us additional purchasing power, as sellers often don’t want to sit on their house all winter long. During the holiday season,  home inventory does decrease, but the homes listed or left on the market, are often backed by eager sellers willing to strike a deal due to circumstances! 

#2) Slow Season For Contract Workers:  Let’s face it, who wants to build a house or gut a kitchen before the holidays…literally no one. So while Matt and I are kitchen less this time of the year, it’s okay because we are able to work with contracted workers on our schedule and at a GREAT rate. Whenever you’re outsourcing work; whether it’s plumbing, electrical or framing…make sure to get a few quotes and be hospitable to everyone that walks in your door. 

#3) Family Bonding: Moving In: Our house is currently unlivable, I mean we no longer have any toilets in the house…so with that being said, it’s time to bunk up with family for the holidays. We are planning on moving into our house officially at the end of January, which means this holiday season I’ll be living with my parents and Matt will be living with his. It’s kind of fun, and to be honest, I grew up this way. Whenever my parents moved homes, we always did it around the holiday season. We would pack up our stuff, stay at my Auntie Cacky’s and leave forwarding address notes to Santa at our old home, so he could find us at my Auntie’s. These Christmases were some of my favorites, and Santa always seemed to find us no matter where we were. 

#4)  Rethink Christmas Gifts: Okay, Christmas can be an expensive time of year. So with that being said, try to rethink your family’s Christmas gifts to you, if you find yourself moving during the holiday season. For instance, Matt’s family is getting us some kitchen appliances, and my family purchased Matt and I a vacuum and lighting fixtures for our kitchen. Don’t let the costs of a new home or renovation bog you down, use the gift-giving opportunity to buy each other items for your new home! 

#5) Starting The New Year In A New Home: While some people might have postponed renovation, I wanted to tackle the project up front. The idea of moving our stuff in to have to move it out for renovation come the new year, was a hard pass for me. Maybe it’s because I hate moving furniture or maybe it’s because a project postponed for me almost never gets done, but I knew we had to tackle this job up front. So together we decided to renovate and move, during the holidays and while it can be sad not having a tree of our own, or a place to bake gingerbread cookies; it does mean that come the new year well be in our new home and that to me is worth it. 

Okay, I hope this post inspired you to pull the trigger on a home you’ve been dying to buy or a renovation you’ve been postponing. Moving during the holidays isn’t all that bad and if it can save you a dime or two, I think it’s worth it! What do you think? Have you ever moved during the holiday season? If so let me know below!

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