Most people are naturally anxious about moving house – after all, you’re soon to be shifting your entire life into the unknown.
For some, this may mean moving to another property within the same area, but others may face the challenge of integrating into a whole new town, city, county, or even a new country.
Add money matters and timing issues into the mix, and the stress can easily reach boiling point.
So, what can you do to relieve the pressure and put yourself at ease during your move?
The team at quick homebuyers Property Solvers have put together the following tips to help.
1. Know the Facts
Being fully informed right from the start is the best way to approach a house move.
Talk to your estate agent and look at the information available on your new home.
Is there a chain of any kind?
This may mean delays for which you need to be prepared.
Are the sellers living there?
They may take a while to get their affairs in order.
Are your deposit and your cash for legal and conveyancing fees readily available?
Do you need to do anything to free it up?
The best idea is to write a “to-do list” of the steps you can take to prepare as much as possible before the process starts.
2. Be Organised and Punctual
Delays are one of the most stressful elements of moving house. You can work hard to prevent them as much as possible by ensuring that everything at your end is ready to go.
Respond in a timely manner to all requests from your solicitor or your estate agent. It’s then up to the other parties involved in the transaction – for example, your conveyancers, the sellers and the solicitors on both sides – to keep everything ticking over.
If you’re worried about being able to sell your old house before having the finances available to close on the new one, you may enjoy approaching property specialists who can buy your home for cash immediately, or who can guarantee a quick turnover.
3. Make it Easy for Yourself
First, have a clear out before you move.
- Donate or sell clothes and other belongings that you haven’t used in months. This will reduce the amount you must shift and find space for in your new home.
- Next, ask your estate agent and solicitor for an estimated timescale for the completion of your transaction, then try to pinpoint a period for the actual move.
- Clear your calendar for those dates. It’s hard to commute to and from your place of work and focus on your job while overseeing removals, so why not take a few days’ worths of a holiday?
- If possible, let your employers know that the dates may be subject to change. You need to be prepared to accept that they may not accommodate you entirely if there’s too much uncertainty.
- If you have young children, it’s worth arranging childcare for these dates to ensure that there are no other demands on your time, brain space and patience. The additional benefit of this is that it will be a wonderful surprise for them to see all of their things arranged in their new rooms when they get back!
4. Seek Help
While you may not wish to be presumptuous, it’s always worth asking around to see if any friends near either your old or new home would be happy to help with your move.
You can make a fun day out of it, with snacks throughout and a housewarming party at the end once all the work is done. Why not ask for gifts to welcome you in your new home?
Remember, though, too many cooks really can spoil the broth. Try to give everyone involved delineated jobs and have a clear system in place – with boxes marked for certain items from specific rooms to be loaded into the van in a clear and definite order.
This way, you can keep track of all of your belongings and prevent them from getting damaged, whoever is handling them.
5. Relax, But Don’t Stop Until You’re Done!
Yes, give yourself time to unwind as often as you can throughout the process of purchasing and moving into a new home. It’s good for your mental state and coming back to things with fresh eyes after rest can make everything a little easier to work through.
However, once you’re in your new place and surrounded by boxes, try not to grind to a halt. It’s so tempting to set up the TV, collapse on the sofa and ignore everything for the next few days.
Once you do this, it’s a great deal harder to get motivated for the final push: unpacking. Because of this mistake, new homeowners can end up living out of boxes for months following their move. If you’re a student, you’d better planned what to bring to the uni for you might not have a second chance for a while.
For some, this state of limbo can be almost as stressful as the move itself. Use the excitement of finding yourself in a new place to carry you forward. Find places for all of your belongings as soon as possible. You’ll be thankful for it afterwards. Make sure you have your check-in inventory report on track!
The organisation, time to relax, and the removal of avoidable pressures are the best approaches to a stress-free house move. Be kind to yourself, and this new chapter will be one of excitement and not exasperation.
