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When your moving date doesn't line up
— if you couldn't get a Son-eomneun-nal
Son-eomneun-nal come around 5–6 times a lunar month, but matching one with all your other scheduling conditions can be hard. If you couldn't get one, there are several other criteria you can use, and if all else fails, you can split the day you move your things from the day you first sleep there.
In this article 6 topics
First — it's normal for it not to line up
Son-eomneun-nal are days whose lunar date ends in 9 or 0: 5 times in a short lunar month and 6 times in a long one. On top of that, the day has to fall on a weekend, match your final-payment day, have a mover available, and come after the previous tenant has moved out. Candidates that meet every one of these conditions can be limited, depending on your situation.
What's more, Son-eomneun-nal are peak moving days, so moving costs can be higher. How much higher depends on the area, the company and how much you're moving. Movers get booked up first, too. So “I couldn't get a Son-eomneun-nal” isn't a failure — it's the default most people experience.
Criteria you can use besides Son-eomneun-nal
Son-eomneun-nal isn't the only way to pick a good day in date selection. In practice, several criteria are layered together, and these are the ones worth using day to day.
| Basis | Details | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Son-eomneun-nal | Lunar 9th, 10th, 19th, 20th, 29th and 30th. Days when direction doesn't matter | Just a calendar |
| How the day's iljin fits you | Days whose stem-branch doesn't collide with your Day Master | Needs calculation |
| Avoiding clashes (chung 沖) | Avoid days whose branch clashes head-on with your zodiac animal | Easy to check if you know your zodiac animal |
| Moving direction | Which direction the new home lies from your current one | Check on a map |
If you pick just one easy alternative — avoid only the days that directly clash (jeongchung 正沖) with your zodiac animal: Rat↔Horse, Ox↔Sheep, Tiger↔Monkey, Rabbit↔Rooster, Dragon↔Dog, Snake↔Pig. For example, if you're a Rabbit, you only need to avoid Rooster days (Yu days). They come once every 12 days, so the odds of one actually landing on your date are low, and keeping just this one rule brings a lot of peace of mind.
When you can't change the date at all
Most often there's no choice, because the final-payment day is set or a contract is tied to it. For times like these, there are traditional workarounds.
- Start during a Son-free time of dayIf you can't choose the day, at least choose the start time. It's counted from the moment your things leave the house. Starting in the morning is generally considered better, and practically it gives you a more relaxed day, so there's nothing to lose.
- Split the day you move your things from the day you first sleep thereThere's a view that a move counts not from the day your things go in but from the first night someone sleeps there. If your date is fixed by the final payment, you can move your things in first and spend your first night there on a good day.
- Rice cooker and salt — what rituals doThere's the custom of bringing the rice cooker into the new home first, or sprinkling salt. Their effect can't be proven, but the sense of “I did what I could” really does ease anxiety. That's why rituals like these have lasted so long.
The purpose of date selection is less about avoiding bad days and closer to keeping your mind steady on the day. Endlessly searching about a date that's already set is what costs you the most.
When move-in registration and your loan don't line up — that's not a Saju problem
Often this is the real reason people search for “moving date doesn't line up.” It's a problem you can solve just by knowing the order, so let's go through it.
When move-in registration is delayed
You need to file move-in registration within 14 days of actually starting to live there. But your lease protection (daehangnyeok) — together with the fixed-date stamp (hwakjeong ilja) — takes effect at 0:00 the day after you register, so every day you delay pushes back the protection of your deposit. Even if you move your things in first, don't put off move-in registration.
When the loan disbursement date and the final-payment day differ
A mortgage is usually disbursed to match the final-payment day. If you want to change your moving date, adjusting the final-payment day comes first, and if it changes, you'll need to apply to the bank again for a new disbursement date. The order is agree with the seller or landlord → confirm the final-payment day → change the loan disbursement date → book the mover. If you book the mover first, you'll end up paying a cancellation fee later.
This section is general procedural guidance. Details vary with your contract terms and financial product, so check the specifics with your real estate agent or bank.
In the end, it's the order that matters
What you lock in first when setting the date decides how stressful it gets. Start with whatever is hardest to change.
- Final-payment day — the least likely to changeThere's another party to the contract, so start here.
- Loan disbursement date — depends on the final-payment dayIt runs on the bank's schedule, so leave some slack.
- Choosing a good day — this is where Saju comes inThe right order is to choose once the range of possible dates is set. If you pick good days first and try to fit the contract around them, it usually fails.
- Booking the mover — lastLeave anything with a cancellation fee until the very end.
Mutal Unnie's “Find a good day” is a feature for step 3. Give it the period that works for you, and it picks days within it that suit your Saju; you can then add the chosen day as an event. Adding events and checking the D-day are free, and if you unlock Full Care with Bok, you get an evening-before briefing and a day-of guide. It doesn't just pick a date and stop there.
Pick the best day within the period that works
It's most useful once your final-payment day is set.
Get the app for iPhone & AndroidFAQ
Does moving on a Son-eomneun-nal really make a difference?
It's not something that can be verified. Son-eomneun-nal are days whose lunar date ends in 9 or 0, and they come from the traditional idea that the spirit governing the directions is absent on those days. The difference you can actually confirm is that quotes and mover availability vary by date. Decide whether that peace of mind is worth the extra cost to you.
Can I move my things in first and move in myself later?
Yes. There's a view that a move counts from the first night someone sleeps there, so some people separate the day their things go in from the day they move in. But move-in registration must be filed within 14 days of actually starting to live there, and your lease protection against third parties (daehangnyeok) begins at 0:00 the next day, so don't put that off.
The date has already passed, and I've heard it was a bad day
There's no way to undo it, and no grounds to think something will happen now because of it. Looking up the fortune of a date that's already gone only feeds anxiety. It's also why Mutal Unnie doesn't give frightening readings about days that have already passed.
Everyone in my family has a different zodiac animal. Whose do we go by?
Usually the head of household or the person in charge of the move. If you try to satisfy everyone in the family, there won't be a single candidate left. The realistic approach is to go by one person and, for everyone else, just avoid days of direct clash.