Moving is a fresh start, and selecting your new home is one of the most exciting things you’ll ever do. If you have some control over the timing of your move, however, you can orchestrate the best deal, easiest move and most satisfying overall experience. To help you take advantage of the seasonal trends, we’ve prepared a guide to making the most of your move year-round.
Best Time to Find Deals
When the temperatures drop, so do rental prices. If your top priority is getting a great deal on your next place, then winter (November to February) is the best time of year to hunt down your new home. Because nearly 40 states have climate zones that include ice-cold, snowy winters, a lot of people try to avoid a winter move. However, that’s exactly why you can score a better deal.
Property managers are more likely to offer move-in specials, lower rent or reduced deposits when fewer people are looking for a new place. If you love to negotiate, winter is the time to put your skills to work. You can also score better rates with moving trucks and companies. If hiring movers has been a splurge you can’t afford, a winter move just might put that luxury within reach. However, if you end up moving on your own, be sure to plan ahead, watch the weather and be smart about managing your winter move.
Best Time for Lots of Options
If finding the perfect apartment is your goal, you’ll have a lot more to choose from if you take up the search between May and September. Thanks in part to school schedules, a lot of great places open up when summer hits. This is when people graduate and start new jobs, and when younger children are on summer break. The mild weather also makes moving during the summer more appealing to many.
With more apartments to choose from comes more competition to score the perfect place. If you find a place you like, you may need to move faster than expected to secure it before someone else swoops in and puts down a deposit. To expedite summer rental shopping, prepare a renter’s resume, have a full deposit ready and make sure references like your former property managers are on standby.
Best Times Depending on Where You Live
Geography plays an important role when it comes to pinpointing the best time to look for a new apartment. Even though summer typically offers the best weather for moving, if you live in a very hot or humid climate like the Southwest or the Deep South, you may want to shoot for winter instead. Also pay attention to things like hurricane or monsoon seasons, which tend to wreak the most havoc in summer and fall.
If you live in an area with four distinct seasons, you might consider moving in the spring or fall. These seasons offer the best of both worlds. There should be more apartment options opening up in preparation for summer, but there’s not enough demand to drive rental prices up. It’s still possible to find a better deal in March, April and October than it is during the summer. Just be aware that getting into a spring or fall rental cycle will leave you apartment hunting during this unique time for years to come.
Finding a new place to call home isn’t always easy, but knowing the best times to look can make it a whole lot easier. Whether your priority is lower monthly rent or lots of apartments to choose from, you’ll be able to find exactly what you’re looking for if you time your search with seasonal rental trends.
So, pull out your apartment hunting checklist, consult the calendar and start preparing for the best apartment hunt ever.