As a relocation company, we hear this often: is there a best time of year to ask employees to relocate—and if so, when is it? In other words, is there a prime relocation season?
The answer is…it depends. As in, it depends on what you mean by “the best time of year.” The fastest time of year to relocate? The most cost-effective? Or the time when employees are most likely to say yes?
Because even with a competitive relocation policy, the services of an awesome relocation company, and even the advantages of using relocation technology, relocations don’t take place in a vacuum. There are outside factors to consider—and personal ones for employees as well.
In short, the best time of year to relocate depends on what your priority is. Let’s look at five common examples.
If your goal is to execute super-speedy relocations, you’ll want to avoid peak moving season—namely summer—when possible. According to one study, 80% of moves occur between April and September; another finds a second burst of activity at the end of the calendar year.
Why? Because during peak moving season, it’s hard to book a moving service on short notice, which means moves may be delayed. Similarly, because of demand, it can take longer to get a home appraised/inspected, schedule a closing, get utilities up and running, etc.
In other words, when speed is your priority, the best time to ask employees to relocate is during late fall or winter, if you have that luxury.
Not surprisingly, the most expensive time to relocate is also during peak moving season, because many movers charge more when their services are in greatest demand.
There’s a caveat here, though: if your relocation company has discounted agreements in place with multiple movers that handle various sizes and types of moves, that may not be a factor.
When it comes to keeping costs down, it’s not so much the time of year, but how hard your relocation company works to keep costs down—and that’s something that should happen year-round.