National Moving Month is observed during May, and we feel that’s the appropriate month for this celebration. Why? Because it’s the beginning of the peak moving season in the United States—which is between April and September every year. It’s estimated that approximately 40 million people in the U.S. move during this time.

It’s not surprising, really, because this is a time when the weather is most favorable and when most U.S. children are out of school. Even though moving can be a hassle, with proper planning, it doesn’t have to be a nightmare. And that’s why it’s important for people who are planning to move to use this month effectively to come up with a moving plan.

The History of National Moving Month

National Moving Month was created in 1997 by Allied Van Lines. This American moving company was originally founded as a cooperative non-profit organization that was owned by its member agents in 1928.

Forty years later, in 1968, the company would be reorganized as a public moving company. They created this month in the 1990s to raise people’s awareness about the moving process and to encourage people to properly plan for their big move.

Amazing Facts About Moving

Hopefully, we’re not overhyping some of the facts we’ve found with our use of the word “amazing” in this section’s title, but we felt it was the appropriate word for the information that we found. Below are some of the facts that we found and would like to now share. And yes, we do think they’re amazing.

• People will move approximately 11.7 times over the course of their lives, on average.
• Many people have ranked moving as the third most stressful event in their lives.
• In the United States, approximately 40% of moves are work-related.
• In the United States, about 18% of moves are military or government-related.
• People who rent have to move more, on average, than people who own their own homes.

Observing National Moving Month

Anyone who is thinking about moving had better use National Moving Month to prepare for the big day. Some of the preparations for this day include researching movers, throwing a garage sale to dispose of items that they won’t be taking with them, updating mailing addresses, and having drinks and snacks available for friends and family members helping with the move.

We also recommend that people take the time to spread the word about this month. This can be done conventionally by simply telling people about it, or it can be spread through social media using the hashtag #NationalMovingMonth.

This hashtag can be used to spread helpful information about moving as well. Let’s face it, moving is a hassle for everyone, so let’s spread tips and tricks that will help make it a little bit easier for those getting ready to move.