![\"Thousands](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/gta-summer-moving.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo:\u00a0New Africa<\/a> \/ Adobe Stock<\/em><\/p>\nWhether it was in search of more space or to be closer to loved ones, thousands of households have moved within and outside of the Greater Toronto Area throughout the pandemic.<\/p>\n
Many more are expected to pack their lives into boxes and move this year \u2014 the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) predicts that the GTA will see<\/a> 110,000 sales in 2022, down from 2021 levels but a strong year nonetheless.<\/p>\n As the market ramps up into the typically busy spring months, the effects of the pandemic \u2014 along with other economic and seasonal trends \u2014 continue to play a role in the moving industry. Property scarcity, higher interest rates and the ongoing migration to more affordable communities are keeping the Canadian housing market, and moving companies, busy.<\/p>\n\n \u201cThere are far more people that want to buy a house than there are houses available, and so that\u2019s going to continue to drive the market. We are now entering a rising rate environment, but that isn\u2019t deterring people from either looking to enter the market for the first time or changing locations or buying more space,\u201d said Tonya Currie, CEO of MoveSnap<\/a>, a full-service digital moving concierge platform that assists Canadians throughout the moving process nationwide.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is heating up this spring and we will see a significant amount of moves in the summer once again,\u201d she told Livabl.<\/em><\/p>\n Pre-pandemic, Currie said that the Canadian housing market was far more seasonal, where activity was quieter in the winter months and more active during the summer. Enter COVID-19, and there was a high level of buying, selling and moving activity all of the time.<\/p>\n In spring 2022, however, Currie said that market patterns are starting to shift back to where they were before. In Toronto, TRREB recorded 10,955 sales in March<\/a>, higher than February\u2019s 9,097 transactions and January\u2019s 5,636 sales, all of which were down compared to the same months in 2021.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we enter into spring 2022, what we are seeing is we are starting to enter back into that seasonal feel of the housing market, and we did see a drop in activity in January and February, lower than I think people anticipated,\u201d said Currie. \u201cIt\u2019s starting to normalize, if you will, and as we head into spring, it\u2019s picking up again.\u201d<\/p>\n With many people buying homes during the spring and closing a month or two later, the busiest times to move in Canada are between June and September, said Currie. This also coincides with the school calendar, when children are less likely to be disrupted by a move in the summer.<\/p>\n Aaron Parker, founder of GTA-based\u00a0Parker\u2019s Moving<\/a>, anticipates that it will be \u201canother very busy summer,\u201d for the industry in 2022. In the past, moving companies were busiest in the spring and summer months, but Parker has noticed that the winter is now also slammed. The competition for housing is a major factor \u2014 buyers are no longer waiting for the optimal season to move as they aggressively bid for houses.<\/p>\n \u201cNo doubt, there is still a slight shift towards people wanting to move more in the spring, summer and fall, but I think that\u2019s always been consistent,\u201d said Parker. \u201cWhat we\u2019re noticing is that winter is really picking up because people are so desperate because inventory is so limited right now.\u201d<\/p>\n The urban exodus movement<\/a> \u2014 where homebuyers migrated from cities to more rural or suburban communities \u2014 was one of the defining trends of the pandemic and continues to influence the moving industry to this day.<\/p>\n According to Parker, about 10 per cent of the more than 600 moves his company has completed since March 2021 is an exodus from the city where clients have relocated to smaller communities within and around the GTA such as Guelph, Whitby, Kingston and Prince Edward County.<\/p>\n \u201cSo many people are leaving the city because they can now do work remotely [away from] their office and they get more space if they just leave the city,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n From MoveSnap\u2019s perspective, there are all kinds of motivations behind why people are moving farther away from Canadian cities. For one, people are seeking out more space for fewer dollars, whether they\u2019ve expanded their family or are working from home permanently. Others want to live closer to friends and family, or have had a change in their income that has prompted them to move. The cost of housing and declining affordability in many cities has also enticed Canadians to move.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are still seeing our clients moving for affordability,\u201d said Currie. \u201cThere is a fair amount of movement to unfamiliar, unknown areas. Before the pandemic, a lot of people would move within the same region. We are seeing people move outside of that familiar area and into unknown areas.\u201d<\/p>\n For those who don\u2019t plan on venturing out of the city, many people are opting to stay and renovate their home. Instead of spending money on vacations and other expenses, Parker said that clients who are working from home and looking for a change without the hassle of moving are renovating their space. This often requires the use of moving companies to transport furnishings and personal belongings to and from storage during home construction.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s keeping us moving companies busy is a lot of these clients have to move out the entire contents of their house and put it in storage and then bring it back,\u201d said Parker. \u201cSo there\u2019s this whole other shift of moves that was not nearly as prevalent before the pandemic that we\u2019re now seeing out of the blue because people are tired of looking at the same walls and furniture.\u201d<\/p>\n As offices reopen and COVID-19 restrictions die down, consumers are generally feeling more comfortable with moving.<\/p>\n Currie said that MoveSnap has assisted 125,000 clients with moving places, from problem-solving to sourcing services. Now that we\u2019re coming out the other side of COVID-19, Currie explains that consumers are \u201ccautiously optimistic,\u201d which is leading to a smoother moving experience.<\/p>\n \u201cGenerally speaking, as restrictions lift, people are feeling more confident and comfortable in the home buying process and getting back out there in the market,\u201d said Currie.<\/p>\n For Parker, the pandemic hasn\u2019t detracted much from the level of excitement or nervousness that people feel when they\u2019re moving. Beyond asking the important questions about COVID-19 moving protocols, Parker finds that the pandemic \u201cstill didn\u2019t factor that much into people\u2019s biggest decisions with their new houses or accommodations.\u201d<\/p>\n While everyone might be feeling positive about the easing of restrictions, unique challenges like labour shortages and supply chain disruptions remain, said Currie. Parker explains that finding good talent in any industry can be a challenge. Moving jobs in particular can be physically demanding. To combat this, Parker said that his company has worked to establish a team-like culture that fosters support and kindness, which helps to attract and retain quality talent.<\/p>\n \u201cOur mantra here at Parker\u2019s Moving is, \u2018I treat our team like family so that they treat our clients like friends,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201c[There] are for sure labour shortages, which we haven\u2019t dealt with because we\u2019ve figured out a way to fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019re one of the many households that will be relocating to a new home in the coming months, Parker and Currie offer similar advice \u2014 start early and ask for help when you need it.<\/p>\n Currie said that fewer people are opting for DIY moving and are going for professional support over renting a van with friends. She points out that it\u2019s important to reserve any services well in advance of your move during peak-season, as there\u2019s only so many slots available. If you are on the hunt for professional movers, Parker recommends asking friends and family for referrals based on experience over Google searches. He suggests that consumers request their mover to do an on-site or virtual walk-through ahead of time for accuracy, but also to build rapport.<\/p>\nMarkets and moving patterns are somewhat seasonal again<\/h3>\n
\r\n SEE ALSO:<\/span>Toronto home values have surged 20% since the start of COVID-19<\/a><\/strong>\r\n <\/div>\nUrban exodus fuels moving activity outside of GTA<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Photo:\u00a0Jacob Lund<\/a> \/ Adobe Stock<\/em><\/p>\nMoving consumers feeling \u2018cautiously optimistic\u2019<\/h3>\n
Moving this spring or summer? Here\u2019s what you should know<\/h3>\n