Moving House as a Family? Four Steps to Make It Easier for All

There’s a lot to navigate when you are moving house. From selling your property to finding a new home, it can often feel daunting. Being a parent, however, presents its own challenges. You have to juggle those responsibilities with all the tasks that come with moving. Here’s what you can do to smooth out the process of finding your new home.

Moving Home

Selling a home can bring about difficulties for any parent. You will likely have to reach out to realtors, prep your home for sale, and organize showings, to name but a few responsibilities. All of this may be hard to explain to children, but it’s important that you talk to them about it. Explain to them that while their home is going to change, the family is going to remain the same. All their cherished belongings will be coming along, too. Decluttering will be essential, so think about how you will organize belongings for any showings. As well, consider having your children out of the house for showings to minimize stress. Make viewings an occasion for family outings, where you can keep your children focused away from the idea of other people being in their home.

Finding a New Home

Encourage your children to contribute to the process if they are old enough. If they feel involved in searching for a new home, they may be better reconciled with the idea of leaving. Make use of property search websites to research the best prices and neighborhoods in your region (Redfin reports that the average sale price in Huntsville is $250,000). Ask yourself if this is a forever home and if you see your children being happy to grow up in it. Try to get them excited about the move, with all the possibilities that their new home offers. It may be a good idea to hire babysitters (sitter services average $16.25 per hour) for when you view new homes, but do consider having your children accompany you if you feel they will not be overwhelmed or bored by it.

Involve the Whole Family

Once you find your home, you will face plenty of essential tasks. This can be stressful, especially as you juggle work and parenting. However, you could remove some of that strain by dispersing basic tasks to the whole family. Packing and decluttering are opportunities for your kids to get involved. You could even turn this into a fun game. Let them make decisions about things that could be given away or put up for sale. When it comes to your new home, give them a sense of control. Encourage them to come up with ideas about their new bedrooms, as well as some decorations and furniture for other parts of the home. Not only may it get them excited, but it can also dampen any misgivings they may have.

Be Prepared

On moving day, try to keep their minds off the stresses that come with relocation. If possible, have them spend time with their friends. Make sure that their rooms are ready to be slept in so that they can start to get used to their new home from the get-go. Pack essentials in an overnight bag or suitcase so that you have them at your immediate disposal. These basics should include food, toothbrushes, fresh clothes, toilet paper, and towels. Also, be sure that any electrical devices — especially cell phones and laptops — are fully charged, and that you have cash on hand in case of an emergency. Have options for your children for when they get back, whether that’s their favorite DVDs or something for the whole family to do.

Moving can be stressful, especially for children. Give them the support that they need, talk to them about what is happening, and keep them involved. There is much that can be done to organize your big move and make the situation manageable rather than overwhelming.

This article was written by Alexis Hall at Singleparent.info.