When is the best time to move in NYC?

Ross Sapir

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Moving to New York City can be one of the most challenging events in one’s life. That’s because finding a new home in a crowded market and city can bring too much stress. If you’re looking for more options, great deals, and reduced pressure, it’s wise to relocate during the winter months. So, read on this article as we’ll discuss why moving during winter makes sense.

1. Opportunity to negotiate rentThis is one of the perks of moving to NYC during winter. Due to the slower market, most management companies and even landlords are desperate to get some people to occupy their empty apartments. Having this desperation in mind, you may find negotiating rent an easier task to do to get a place to live in NYC. Thus, if you’re on a tight budget, wait until winter before you move in.

3. Lower broker feesIn addition to the opportunity to negotiate rent, the winter is also a great time to find places with lower broker fees. During this time, most apartment owners and brokers decide to lower prices to get people to occupy their properties. They have to offer their apartments to those people who are looking for low fee apartments. So, check for some listings when you’re in search for a new place to stay once you arrive in New York City.
4. Lower pricesThere’s a considerable price difference between the summer and winter months. While some students who finish their school in the middle of the year move in December or January, there will be a sufficient amount of apartment availabilities. That said, apartment units during the winter season are significantly lower than those offered in summer. Hence, it’s best to lock yourself into an apartment lease in December to March to save several thousands of dollars annually for your housing costs.
5. Flexibility about when your lease startsIf you’re moving to New York City in May, June, July, August or September, your final move-in date will have to start the moment you sign the lease. However, in most cases, you’ll not be ready to relocate the day after the signing of the lease contract, which is why you might end up paying for two units at the same time. On the other hand, relocations that are carried out outside the peak moving season which is from December to March, provide you with more flexibility in terms of your accommodations. For instance, if you get a deal on December 11, with many prospective tenants on the market, then you can be able to push your move-in schedule to January 1. Consequently, you’ll save yourself from paying an apartment that you don’t occupy yet.

5. More incentivesWith New York City’s fast economic growth, apartment owners don’t have to work harder to look for tenants except during winter where they need to be more creative to get more occupants. For instance, they will offer incentives from December to March to entice those people who are finding a play to live in. These incentives might include a gift card for Home Depot or a flat screen television, and these will be used to compensate for the cost of purchasing a new piece of furniture or for decorating your new home.

Things To Consider When Planning A Winter Move

Holidays usually fall during winter months. If you plan to move on a holiday such on January 1, finding professional movers who are ready and willing to handle a relocation on New Year’s Day might be difficult. Not only that but some buildings like high-rise apartment buildings don’t accommodate moves on statutory holidays. If you also relocate in late December, January or February, the weather might be a big issue. That’s because looking for parking spaces for the moving van during a snowstorm and moving mattresses and sofas at this time will be impossible. Lastly, if there’s snow during your move, get ready as you might pay for the additional time it might take to accomplish the entire moving process.

Conclusion

Regardless of when you want to move to New York City, the best thing you should do is to prepare and organize everything. Moreover, now that you know that the best time of the year to relocate is during the winter season, we hope you’ll be able to make the entire moving process a huge success with the help of an experienced moving company.