Moving Doesn't Have to Be Stressful
You’re making the biggest investment of your life, and draining your savings accounts in the process. You have to uproot your entire family and move either across town or across the country. You have to rummage through several years’ worth of accumulated possessions, sorting out what should stay or go. Oh, and you only have about a month or so to pull all of this off.
This is a very stressful time, compounded by the fact that you are so busy that you might forget to just take a breather. Remember to relax and make the best of it. After all, there’s a big payoff when you're done – your new home! Below are some tips to help manage the stress levels associated with moving.
Keep a detailed project plan. While it is true that the three most important words in real estate are location, location, location, it ceases to be true once that new home is found. Thereafter, the three most important words are planning, planning, planning.
It is important to keep track of dates, to-dos, deadlines, and vendors, so that things proceed without a hitch. Just as important is understanding how one task impacts another. For example, to be ready for the movers by a certain date, you may need to haul half the stuff in the garage to the dump, hold a garage sale, and put several items into storage. If that doesn’t happen, the move itself becomes longer and more stressful.
Remember to communicate. At this time, couples often forget to simply communicate with each other. As a result, it is surprisingly common that simple disagreements explode into full-blown arguments. Such results are counter-productive and sap energy that typically would be better served focused on other household tasks.
Set aside a few minutes each day, even as little as 10-15 minutes, to review the effort to date and the remaining tasks to be done. By coordinating the project and having clear ownership of deliverables and timelines, you’ll make sure that the communications stay strong.
Tell your kids about the move. Moving can be just as stressful for a child as for the parent. A common reaction for many parents is to postpone telling the child. In fact, it is quite common for a child to “accidentally” find out, when overhearing the parents speak. This often compounds child's angst and the stress levels of the parent.
Be sure to tell your children about your plans as soon as possible. Engage them throughout the process, letting them partake in the house tours, previewing of neighborhoods, and selecting of bedrooms. While the child may still be unhappy about losing friends and leaving their familiar classroom surroundings, involving her or him in the process will eventually lay the foundation for the excitement of discovering a new home.
Take a break. No matter how busy you are throughout the move, you deserve a break. Find a babysitter for the kids and take an evening off. Have a dinner or see a movie. Make sure you laugh at some point during that evening. You’ll be surprised how such an evening will improve your disposition the next day.
Keep your eyes on the prize. Even if you follow all of our tips and throw in a few more, there will still be stressful times during this period. Due to the nature and size of this transaction, it is unavoidable. Keeping perspective on what awaits you on the other side of this ordeal should help, however. Keep your chin up and keep dreaming about life in your new home.