Get a Quote

Ready to show off the #NewHouseNewYou for 2021? You’re not alone! Congratulations on the new home! As you enter into your fresh start, you’re probably excited, exhausted, and in need of a little direction. TNT Moving Systems has the best tips for moving in the new year, and some recommendations on what you may need post-move in the new house. For those centering their New Year’s resolutions around purchasing a house or moving, we also have you covered! TNT Moving Systems will have you ready for anything moving or home-related that 2021 throws your way.

Wanting to move in January?

Here’s what we know at TNT Moving System’s:

What’s the best time of year to buy a house?
Winter is the best time of year to buy a home, according to experts. This is because the winter time has fewer houses in the market and fewer buyers venturing out into the cold to endlessly look at homes, so buyers have a much better chance of getting a good deal. Many sellers bring their houses down in price in order to get a sale. With little competition from other buyers, January is the month where you can find a bargain! Median closing prices in January average about $255,000, and in June, that price jumps to around $308,000!

What’s the best day of the year to move?
Sorry to say that you’ve missed it, but Christmas Day is actually the best day of the year to move, but fear not, because Easter Sunday is the second best day of the year to buy a home! The reason for both of these days being the best days to buy a home is because there is almost no one looking at houses or trying to close on a house on major holidays. If you’re wondering if you should wait until Easter Sunday to buy a house, consider that spring is when buyers flood the market and home prices shoot way up! Also, give your real estate agent a break on major holidays. April is the month with the most new home listings, with summer being the most in-demand time to move homes.

Wait – should I only be trying to buy a house in January?
In general, make sure that you’re not rushing into the market on a certain month; the perfect time to buy a home is when you, personally, are ready. Even if you want to buy in January, there’s no need to feel like you can’t look at houses before then. The sooner you get to know the market in the area you want to move, the better. What’s better than that is having the flexibility to be financially prepared to make an offer when you find “the one.” And more often than not, “the one” (or, the right house for you), may not be on the market the month you wanted to buy a house (especially in the winter, when there are fewer houses on the market). You might get a great price in January, but you’ll probably have greater options (or at least a wider selection) in the summer. Be flexible and adaptable – house hunting and making an offer is a big moment and very exciting, so have fun and make sure you’re buying what you truly want!

Work with a professional realtor.
Just because January is the month with the lowest selling costs for the U.S., does not mean that it’s the best time of year in your specific region. A professional realtor will know the ins-and-outs of your local market, and help you set your budget and expectations accordingly. As we know in Charlotte, NC, lately there hasn’t seemed to be any give in this area’s being a very in-demand seller’s market.

When should you schedule a moving truck?
Luckily, if you’re moving in January, you do not have as much competition when it comes to scheduling professional packing and moving services. That gives you better availability for scheduling a moving truck, since there’s less demand all around. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t schedule your move a few weeks in advance, to ensure that you’re getting the date you want to move on. If you’re moving across the country, you may want to schedule your move at least two months in advance.

What to watch out for when packing and moving in the winter:
– Items that are sensitive to the cold weather.
o Electronics can be sensitive to the cold, and generally do not like it. Try to keep electronics placed together in your personal car to travel, where you can keep the heat going and not expose them to extreme temperatures.
o Most indoor plants cannot withstand extreme temperature changes, and will irreparably wilt or die in the moving process. Have a plan in place to move your house plants safely, so that they’re not exposed to the cold for very long.

– Transfer utilities to your new home before you move!
o To start, you will want to activate or schedule to active your most important physical utilities two days before you move in: water, gas, and electricity. Make sure they’re working, or you might be spending the first night at your house in the dark at 4pm with no heating.

– Turn the heat off for the day of moving.
o Although that sounds counterintuitive to the last point, you’re going to have people walking in and out of the house the entire day. Save your energy bill by turning off the heat for the day of moving.

– Protect your floors.
o You’re not going to want to start off your new year in your new house cleaning the floors. If there’s rain, snow, or slush underfoot, it’s going to be tracked across the entire house. Cheap tarps and floor mats will be your friend.

– Double pack fragile items.
o Delicate or fragile items can become more brittle and susceptible to cracking in the cold weather. Ensure that those items are well padded so that they’re less likely to break when moving.

Decorating resolutions to embrace in 2021 after a move

Clear out the clutter.
Some of the things you packed and moved, you realize you should’ve left behind. It could have saved you time, effort, and money. Take the month of January to sort through your belongings, decide what you want to take to your new place, and make a plan for what you actually want in your new home.
Packing and purging can be too much to take on, especially if you’re short on time. Start your editing process about two months before you plan to move, so that you have time to dedicate to each room of your house, time to take donations away, and plenty of time to not get overwhelmed by the amount of stuff to go through.

With your plan for your new house in mind, furnish and decorate looking forward.
· Say goodbye to furniture that doesn’t fit your new home. If you’re feeling like the heavy oak furniture just isn’t going to mesh with a contemporary home, but also feeling guilty about selling or donating quality furniture… don’t! Thanks to manufacturing and material advancements in the recent years, you can get lighter-weight, and equally-great quality furniture that’s modern and contemporary. Heavy furniture makes moving more difficult, and rearranging your décor even harder. Opt for furniture that’s lightweight, neutral, and easy to clean.
· Decorate your new home like a model home. Cut down on and hide clutter with smart storage solutions, and make sure you have room to grow into and make the space your own over time!
· Choose a theme for your accessories and stick to neutral colors.
· Prioritize the rooms of your new place one at a time, rather than attempting to decorate them all at once. Decorating your new home is a marathon, not a sprint. Your time will be better spent focusing on one room at time, starting with the rooms that you frequent the most or
· Don’t wait on painting, unpacking and decorating or it will never get done. Bust out the paint gear, and knock it out this January!

2021 Interior Design Trends to Consider
The impact of shelter in place and working from home will last into the New Year, meaning that we all want our homes, we’re spending so much time at, to be cozy, inviting, and interesting. Quarantining through 2020 brought a renewed interest in home projects and rethinking our living spaces. Here’s what designers are predicting for 2021:

All-white interiors are on the way out
Just as all-gray interiors began to fall out of popularity in 2019, the sparkling, minimal all-white interiors of 2020 are also on their way out. Interior designers predict that people will want more visual interest in their homes, making them warmer and brighter.
Luckily, if you have beautiful white walls or white marble counters, it will be easy for you to experiment with colors and starting fresh with trendy new palettes to add interest to your home.

Playing with patterns and textures
Some of you have been waiting to hear this… wallpaper is back, baby! Okay, let’s be clear – we’re not talking about the busy, pastel floral wallpapers, reminiscent from your great grandma’s house, but fresh, contemporary wallpaper options like peel and stick wallpaper from Target or the selection from Chasing Paper. These temporary wallpapers can create a stunning accent wall in just a weekend’s work!

Mid-Century Modern is falling in popularity
Mid-century modern design borrows from the 1950’s and 1960’s styles (think: “Mad Men” era), with lots of sharp, geometric prints, walnut wood, and spindle or hairpin legs. Designers predict that people will experiment with mix and matching furniture styles more, rather than being monogamous to one theme.

Pocket doors and French doors
Barn doors have dominated the rustic home style scene for the past few years, but 2021 is saying hello to pocket doors and French doors! Pocket doors are similar to barn doors in that they serve as a sliding doorway on a track, but pocket doors do not block or cover a wall when opened – they instead slide into a wall, concealing the doors. This makes them very accessible and doesn’t infringe on the wall space of one room, like the barn doors do. Barn doors tend to have a rustic finish that doesn’t pair very well in contemporary or traditional spaces. Pocket doors come in a wide range of styles, and can be made of many different materials, like wood, aluminum, mirrored finishes, and glass. They’re great for saving space, and providing privacy (albeit, not soundproof) to a home.

French doors are a pair of doors that have glass inserts extending most of the length of the door. Some come with frosted glass, decorative glass inserts, or only have small glass panes on a portion of the door. French doors are great for bringing natural light into a room. Designers predict that sliding French pocket doors will be very popular this year, as a unique and elegant solution to make your space more welcoming and accessible, but obtaining the idea of a separate space in the home.

Backyard paradise
If you can’t fly to a tropical paradise or fly to your favorite vacation spot, your backyard is a great place to transform into your personal relaxation spot. Designers predict that more people will be doing home-improvement and landscaping projects in their yards to make the spaces functional for year-round use, and the perfect social distancing gathering spots. Go ahead, build that fire pit you’ve always wanted!

Contact TNT Moving Systems for your 2021 move!
You can trust our team of moving professionals at TNT Moving Systems to get you where you need to be. If you have an upcoming move, contact us today.