Moving is a stressful experience and finding a professional moving company that you can rely on is daunting. It’s especially stressful when you finally find a company you trust, only to discover that they are fully booked. That’s why we recommend reaching out to a moving company as soon as you have enough details about your move. Booking early will mean you get the mover and date you want, and you’ll have less to worry about!

The general rule of thumb is to book movers two months out from the day of your move. However, factors like time of year, move size, and distance, will affect this timeframe.

Best Time of Year to Easily Book a Move

Home-selling season peaks in summer and for many, their apartment lease ends in August. This means that moving companies experience a surge in demand throughout the summer season. The increased demand leads to higher rates and less availability, so don’t sleep on booking your preferred movers. Gentle Giant recommends researching and booking your movers about three months out from your summer move date. Generally, booking two to four weeks out will work for a winter move.

It is also worth noting that demand for moving services is typically at its lowest during the middle of the month and, in particular, the middle of the week. If your schedule allows for a move on one of these days, many movers offer their most competitive rates.

Move Size Also Determines How Early to Book a Move

The bigger the move, the earlier you should book. If you are looking to move from a studio or one-bedroom apartment a moving company may be able to fit you into their schedule closer to your move date. However, a three-bedroom house move is a different story. A larger move requires more movers, trucks, and time so we recommend booking six to eight weeks out. This timeframe will increase or decrease depending on the time of year.

Local vs Long Distance Moving

The distance between your origin and destination will also affect the time necessary to book a reliable moving company.

Local Move within the Same City

For a local summer move you should book as soon as you can. Ideally, two to three months before your move date. If you are not moving during the summer, booking anywhere from two to four weeks out should suffice.

City Move within the Same State

For intrastate moves we recommend booking your preferred movers ten to twelve weeks out, especially if you are in search of a summer date. Off-season intrastate moves typically require four to eight weeks of notice, with two months being the optimal amount of advance notice.

Interstate Move

Interstate moves demand more planning than intrastate so you should begin your search for a reputable mover at least three months out. In general, the further you move, the fewer number of movers there will be to choose from.

Are you planning a local or long-distance move? Hire professional movers like Gentle Giant to take away the stress of the move! Check out our moving checklist for further information on how to prepare for your move and use our free move estimate tool to determine the cost of your move. Additionally, you can view our locations, and the various services we offer including packing, piano moving, and more here.