Why Is Moving So Stressful?

Moving is often described as one of the most stressful things that we will ever do. Yet most of us do it more than once. In fact, on average, we live in around 11 homes during our lifetimes, including our childhood homes. In part, all of this moving comes out of necessity. We rent far more than previous generations might have, often on short-term leases, or not in ideal conditions. We tend to move around until we can afford to buy. 

It’s also because we are less tied down than we used to be. We don’t stay in our hometowns forever. We move for school, and work, we try living in different areas or even countries. The growth of remote working and the advancement of digital communication means that the world is much smaller than it used to be, and we’re much more comfortable moving around it. 

But, we don’t seem to learn when it comes to moving. We’re doing it more than ever, yet it remains one of the most stressful periods of our lives. Why is this?

We Don’t Get the Right Help

So many of us are guilty of trying to do it all on our own. Moving is expensive, and we don’t want to spend any more than we need to. We might be willing to spend money on the essentials but we think that we can manage the packing and moving side of things ourselves. It adds more stress to an already stressful situation.

Unfortunately, it’s often more physically demanding than we expect, even if we’re on our tenth move so it’s crucial to have the right partner in place. Getting help from interstate removals can make the whole move much easier. It’ll also mean that there is insurance in place if anything gets damaged. 

We Don’t Give Ourselves Time

Moving takes time. After spending perhaps months finding the right home and dealing with the legal aspects of clinching a sale, we just want to move. We’re eager to get into our new house and start living as soon as we can. 

Trying to rush is only ever going to exasperate a stressful situation. Give yourself time to pack and move, and remember, even once you have moved into your new home, there’s unpacking and making this new place into a home. When it comes to changing addresses or switching utilities, be sure to talk to your real estate agent. They may have resources that can help you accomplish these tasks.

We Fail to Prepare for the Emotional Effects

Most of us form emotional connections to the places that we live in. Sometimes even when we only live there for a short time, or if we haven’t been happy during that time. When we move, these connections can cause us upset and make the move itself more stressful. 

We’re often so excited to move that we fail to consider that it might upset us when the day comes. Preparing for some sadness can help to reduce the shock when it comes. If you have children, don’t forget to explain to them how the move will work. This is a stressful time for them as well and they don’t fully understand what’s happening.

We Don’t Have a Checklist

One of the critical steps to making your move as smooth as possible is to be organized. Create a checklist with everything that you need to accomplish (you can ask your real estate agent for help on this too!) so that you don’t have to constantly wonder if you are forgetting something. There’s a lot of tasks and little issues that can become big issues if they’re not completed. A checklist will help you focus on the task at hand as well as help you feel less stressed.

We Don’t Perform a Home Inspection

Anyone buying a home should do a home inspection. It can be part of your contract and it’s your opportunity to ensure that there are no serious issues in the home like foundation issues or the need for roof repair. A home inspection will also identify small maintenance items that the seller may be willing to fix prior to closing so that you don’t have to worry about it after you move in. Buying a home is the biggest investment most people will make in their lives, a home inspection will help protect that investment!

One of the best ways to avoid stress is to prepare for it. When we understand the causes of our stress, we’re able to better avoid and manage it. Hopefully, looking at these particularly stressful elements of moving house will help to facilitate a smooth house move for you and your family.