Moving home on a bank holiday
Planning a home move? Moving on a bank holiday can give you extra time and less stress. But, it's not without its drawbacks... In this post, we explore the pros and cons of moving home on a bank holiday and share how it might be a smart choice for a smoother move into your new pad.
When planning your house move, it’s important to allocate the day or days you need for your move as early as possible. Having this certainty means you have something concrete as a “flag in the ground”, and dates you can work from. Now, it’s not always easy to perfectly time your house move, but if you have a choice, it’s worth considering moving home on a bank holiday.
Moving on a bank holiday can give you the much-needed time that you need with the long weekend, not to mention the time off work. On the other hand, it can also present some logistical difficulties, as some companies may not be operating during the bank holiday weekend. Let’s see what some of the benefits and drawbacks are of moving home on a bank holiday weekend.
Benefits of moving on a bank holiday
First, here are a few benefits of moving on a bank holiday…
More time to settle in and complete your move
While it may seem like “just an extra day”, this extra day can make a huge difference to move. Choosing to move on a bank holiday means you have an additional day to finish your move so you can pace yourself over the long weekend. It could also work as a recovery day if you choose to blitz everything over the first two days.
Protection of your annual leave
Moving on a bank holiday means that you have an additional day without the need to take a day off from work. You can then keep your annual leave topped up for when you really need it most.
Easter bank holiday additional benefit
The Easter bank holiday means that you have an extra two days, with Good Friday allowing you a four-day stretch. This gives you even more time to settle into your new home.
Keeps everyone in the chain happy
Depending on your circumstances, there may be several parties in the chain. With Fridays being the most popular day to move, you may find that all the other parties are keen on a Friday completion. If this is the case, you can minimise any disruption to the chain by moving on the Friday before a bank holiday weekend and still have plenty of time to settle in.
Reduced stress
Having an additional day (or two days in the case of Easter) means you’re not under pressure to finish everything. There’s always something that needs doing during a house move, whether it’s a few boxes you missed or a few small jobs you find need doing at your new place. The extra day helps take care of this.
Drawbacks of moving on a bank holiday
And here are a few drawbacks of moving on a bank holiday…
Increased traffic and road closures
The bank holiday weekend is traditionally a time when the roads are very busy. With people travelling from different parts of the country, motorways, in particular, can become congested very quickly, which adds to the stress of moving and is bound to cause you to tire quickly.
Limited choice of removals companies
You may find that some removals companies will be closed during bank holidays, so it may limit you in terms of who you can hire. This won’t be a problem if you’re moving things yourself.
Banks, solicitors and utility companies may be closed
Solicitors and banks will all be closed for the bank holiday (it’s in the name), and your utility companies will likely have limited hours. So, any enquiries will have to wait until the next working day. It’s important you check that you don’t need anything urgent from your solicitors and that there are no banking-related issues you might face.
Higher costs
If they do happen to be open, it’s likely that the removals company you choose will charge more than they would during normal operating days. Even if you choose a man-in-a-van or a self-drive vehicle, it’s likely either will cost more during a bank holiday move. The man and van service will most likely cost you more, and hiring your own van will mean paying for an extra day since you won’t be able to return it until the next working day.
Limited opening hours for shops
Many shops and supermarkets will be closed during the bank holiday, and those that are open will be operating on limited opening hours. It’s best to pop out during the weekend to make sure you have your essentials, and any deliveries should be arranged for the Saturday (or Sunday if possible) as it’s likely you’ll have to wait until the following Tuesday otherwise.
Summary
Moving on a bank holiday has numerous benefits, with the main factor being that you have more time to do your house move, unpack and settle in. If you’re moving over the Easter bank holiday, you have a bonus day which can make all the difference.
Not only can you approach your move in a more strategic manner as you have more time, moving on a bank holiday will reduce stress levels for everyone involved. You also don’t have to worry about eating into your annual leave when moving during a bank holiday.
There are some potential drawbacks though, as you may find that there are fewer removals companies working during this period, and those that are may charge more. There’s also likely to be more traffic (other people might have the same idea) and shops will be closed or have reduced operating hours so this is another thing to bear in mind.
In conclusion, you don’t move every day, so it might be worth your while to move on a bank holiday. The extra time to settle in could prove to be invaluable, especially if you have children and don’t want to cause too much disruption to their routine as well.