Summer is the most popular time of year to change locations, homes or jobs, and you won’t be alone trying to get it all done.
But it doesn’t have to be dreaded. If you know or sense transitions coming, you can sketch timelines, research new homes, and make decisions in advance. Even if life springs a surprise, it’s still doable.
Read on for suggestions on how to navigate the summer selling, buying and moving season.
Key takeaways
- Summer is the busiest season for buying, selling, and moving, so getting ahead on planning can make the process much smoother.
- Buyers and sellers benefit from researching timelines early, lining up financing and moving logistics, and understanding where they’re headed before making big decisions.
- Flexibility matters, since closings, construction timelines, and move-in dates do not always line up perfectly.
- With the right preparation and mindset, summer moves can feel less stressful and more like the start of an exciting new chapter.
Sweet summertime
Summer follows spring, which means moving season follows the traditional peak home-buying season.
Summer is when most school-age children have a two or three-month break, making it easier to sell, pack, move and unpack without waiting in the daily pickup line. It also can be easier for kids to make fresh starts in new schools at the beginning of the next academic year.
Since summer is vacation time, adults can use off days to make things a little easier. Take a weekend to explore your new hometown. Time the drive to the nearest beach and museums.
Summer weather also tends to be optimal for moving. There’s no icy delays to impede you or your mover.
Planning helps
A little planning when and how to sell, buy and move during the summer months goes a long way in taming distractions. It also provides lists to check off, which can help you keep momentum moving forward.
If possible, know where you’re headed before selling your current home. Do you like an ICI Homes inventory home or want a new build? How long are comparable homes in your current area staying on the market? Are you moving within Florida or from another U.S. region?
Pro tip: schedule movers (even if that’s you in a rented vehicle) as soon as possible. Summer is the busiest season for moving companies. Don’t get stuck in this waiting game.
And don’t hesitate to lean on your real estate agent, ICI Homes sales associates, finance experts and builders for additional guidance.
So does timing
In a perfect world, you close the sale of your current home, close the purchase of your new one, travel to it, greet the moving van, and live happily ever after.
Naturally this doesn’t always happen. Assume something gets snarled.
Sell your current home quicker than you thought? Can’t get into your under-construction inventory home or new build as fast as you’d like? Know where you’d store your stuff for a few weeks and where you’d stay in the interim, either with family, friends or a short-term rental.
Have fun anyway
Pile moving boxes somewhere and document that first jump in a new swimming pool, or first cookout on the new lanai.
Treating the summer selling, buying and moving season as an adventure rather than a slog can be a big boost to your new surroundings, and a fun transition into life’s next phase.
Ready for your new custom Florida home? Talk to ICI Homes here.