Moving House with the Kids Off School This Summer

Summer 2026 can be one of the best times to move house locally. The evenings are long, the weather is kinder, and with the children off school there is no juggling the school run around a mountain of packing.

It can also be a lot, all at once. A house full of excited, bored or slightly unsettled children and a tower of cardboard boxes is its own particular kind of chaos. Here is how to use the holidays to your advantage and keep the whole thing calm, for them and for you.

Why move during the school holidays at all?

Because timing a move for the summer break can genuinely make life easier. There is no missed schooling, no dashing home for pick-up, and children have time to settle into a new home before a new term begins. If you are moving to a new catchment, arriving over the summer gives everyone a softer landing.

How do you keep children settled on moving day?

The honest answer is to give them a role and a routine. Children cope far better when they feel involved rather than simply shuffled from one place to another.

Let each child pack a ‘special box’ of favourite toys, books and comforts that travels with them, not on the lorry.
Pack a first-night bag for everyone. Pyjamas, a toothbrush, a familiar blanket and a couple of toys mean bedtime feels normal even in a strange new room.
Keep meal and sleep times as close to normal as you can. Routine is deeply reassuring when everything else is in boxes.
If you can, arrange for very young children or pets to spend moving day with a relative or friend. Fewer small people underfoot makes the day safer and calmer for everyone.

How do you get children excited rather than anxious?

A move is a big emotional event for a child, even a happy one. A little involvement turns worry into adventure.

Talk about it early and often. Show them photos of the new home and the new area.
Let them help choose something for their new room, a paint colour or where the bed goes. A sense of ownership beats anxiety every time.
Explore the new neighbourhood together before the move if you can. A trip to the local park or the ice cream shop makes it all feel familiar.
Say a proper goodbye to the old home. Let them take a photo of their old room. Closure matters, even at six years old.

What should you sort before the big day?

Book your removals early. Summer is a popular time to move, so the best firms fill up their diaries quickly.
Sort the school side. If you are changing schools, contact both the old and the new one in good time so everything is ready for September.
Redirect your post and update your address for the essentials before the move, not after it.
Plan the first day’s simple pleasures. Know where the kettle, the snacks and the phone chargers are. Small comforts go a very long way when everyone is tired.

Frequently asked questions

Is summer really a good time to move with children?

For many families, yes. Moving in the holidays avoids disrupting school, gives children time to settle before a new term, and makes a change of area far gentler on everyone involved.

How do I keep my child calm on moving day itself?

Give them a first-night bag and a box of their favourite things, keep meal and bedtimes as normal as possible, and if you can, let very young children spend the busiest hours with someone they know and trust.

When should I tell the school we are moving?

As early as you reasonably can. Contacting both the current and the new school in good time means the paperwork and the September place are ready, and your child starts the new term settled rather than scrambling.

Whether you are buying or renting, a move with a young family is always smoother with people who understand what you are juggling. If you are planning a summer move locally, we would love to help make it a happy one.

If a friend is bracing themselves for a summer move with little ones, please share this with them.

What the EAN logo means for you

We are proud to be part of the Ethical Agent Network (EAN), a national network of independent agents who have been independently checked against strict standards of honesty and service. You cannot pay your way in. It has to be earned, and it can be taken away. That is your reassurance that we do the right thing by you, even when no one is watching. If you would like to know more about the Ethical Agent Network, please get in touch or visit www.ethicalagentnetwork.co.uk.