When Is the Best Time to Move?
By Igor S.Red Cat co-founder, moving people since 2012
The best time to move, from the people who set the prices. Every mover charges by the date, and most won't show you how. This is our own price calendar for Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia: the cheapest months, the cheapest days of the week, and how far ahead to book.
The short answer
- 1The best time to move is a weekday in the middle of the month, outside the summer.
- 2Fridays and Saturdays always cost more than Monday to Thursday.
- 3Low season for movers runs from September to April; January and February are the slowest and cheapest months.
- 4Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and the 4th of July cost the most, because few crews work those days.
- 5Your date can change the price of the same move by more than 50%, so look at the calendar before you sign a lease.
Price calendar
Day by day: the cheapest dates in November and December 2026.
Every day has its price level, from the same calendar our office prices each move from, checked every day. Green days cost the least, red days the most. In the next 30 days, the lowest price falls on Sunday, November 15, Thursday, November 19, Monday, November 30, Monday, December 7 and Sunday, December 13. Tap a date to start your quote for it.
November 2026
December 2026
Season by season
The best time of year to move
Moving has a season. Low season runs from September to April, and January and February are the slowest months of all. From June to August everyone moves at once, and prices follow. In low season the same crew and the same truck cost less, because fewer people are asking for them.
The cheapest
Winter
December to February
The middle of low season. January and February are the slowest months of the year for movers, and the cheapest: weekdays sit at the lowest price level and almost any date is open. Stay clear of the holiday weekends, which cost the most of the whole year. Cold or wet, your floors get runners and protection either way.
Still low
Spring
March to May
Low season runs through April, with mild weather and weekday prices still near the bottom. It starts to climb in May, as the school year ends and leases begin to turn over.
The most expensive
Summer
June to August
School is out, leases end and the whole DMV moves at once. Prices are at their highest, and Fridays, Saturdays and the last days of each month book weeks ahead.
The best trade
Fall
September to November
Low season starts in September. Prices drop back once summer ends, the weather is still easy and crews have room in the week. Thanksgiving week is the exception.
Month by month
The best month to move
The next twelve months from our price calendar, every date in its price color: green costs the least, red the most. Over these twelve months the highest-priced months are June, July and August.
Swipe for the months ahead →
Read it by its color, not its month name: a green weekday in a red month still costs less than the Saturday next to it. This is the calendar our office prices every move from, checked every day, so it changes as dates fill up. Tap any date to start your quote for it.
Day by day
The best day of the week to move
Most people want to move on a Friday or a Saturday, so those two days always cost more than Monday to Thursday. Across the next twelve months, our calendar is lowest on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and highest on Friday and Saturday.
- Monday: price level 1.4 on a scale of 0 to 9
- Tuesday: price level 1.3 on a scale of 0 to 9
- Wednesday: price level 1.4 on a scale of 0 to 9
- Thursday: price level 1.6 on a scale of 0 to 9
- Friday: price level 4.3 on a scale of 0 to 9
- Saturday: price level 4.4 on a scale of 0 to 9
- Sunday: price level 2.9 on a scale of 0 to 9
The middle of the month
Leases turn over on the 1st and the last day, so the end of the month is every mover's busiest week. The second and third weeks are the quiet ones.
Not a holiday
Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and the 4th of July are the most expensive days on the calendar. Not because more people ask for them: fewer crew members work those days. A day or two either side is a different price.
Morning or evening, same price
The time of day doesn't change what you pay: an evening or after-hours move carries no surcharge with us. Morning crews are at the first door between 7 and 7:30.
One day can be half the price
A Friday instead of a Saturday, or mid-month instead of the end, can change the price of the same move by more than 50%. If your date can move by a day, check both.
Leases and elevators
The best time to move into an apartment
With an apartment, the lease picks your date for you unless you ask. The best time to move into an apartment is the middle of the month and the middle of the week, and winter is the quietest season: fewer people are looking, so buildings have more room to give on dates.
Not on the 1st or the last day
Most leases start on the 1st and end on the last day of the month, so everyone wants the same two or three days. They are the first to book. A move a few days either side is easier to get.
Ask for a mid-month start
Many landlords will start a lease on the 10th or the 15th, or prorate the first month. That puts your move on the cheaper days of the calendar.
Overlap the two leases
A few days with both sets of keys costs a little rent and takes the pressure off: you move on a weekday, clean the old place after and hand the keys back on time.
Book the elevator first
Apartment and condo buildings give out freight elevator and loading dock times, and many allow moves on weekdays only. Get the building's slot, then book the movers for it. We send the certificate of insurance the building asks for.
More on buildings, elevators and parking on our apartment movers page.
Booking
How far in advance to book movers
It depends on the date you want. The orange and red dates on the calendar are the ones everybody asks for, and their price climbs as the day gets closer. The green ones are cheap whenever you book. With us there's no deposit to book, so holding a date early costs nothing.
Orange and red dates
4 weeks or more
Fridays, Saturdays, holiday weekends and most of the summer are hugely popular. Give them at least four weeks, more if you can.
Green dates
7 days, even less
A green weekday is often still open a week before the move, sometimes just a few days before.
For the best price
As early as you can
The price of a busy date goes up as it gets closer, so the earlier you book it, the less you pay.
Winter and green dates
Any time
The exception: these stay cheap however late you book. Short notice costs you nothing extra there.
Moving this week? See last minute movers, or same day movers if it's today.
Pick the day, then get the price
With Red Cat, your date sets the price before anything else does, and the price is one flat rate set before moving day, from $240 for a 1-bedroom apartment. Traffic, slow elevators and a long day are ours to deal with. Tell us your date and what you're moving, and the number you get is the number you pay.
See what movers cost in DC, Maryland and Virginia.
FAQ
Timing questions
answered
What people ask us about picking a moving date. Anything else, give us a call.
Talk with Red Cat- A weekday in the middle of the month, in low season, which for movers runs from September to April. That's when the fewest people move, so prices are at their lowest and you can pick your date. January and February are the slowest and cheapest months of all, as long as you stay clear of the holiday weekends.
Know your price.
Then let's move.
Your stuff moves. Your price doesn't.
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