What is it about moving home that makes the whole event so stressful? After all, this should be one of the most exciting points in your life. It is a chance for you to find somewhere new to live, and maybe to upgrade to a better home. So, why is it all so damn stressful?
Obviously, different people are affected by different things when moving house. The best way to see why the process is so stressful is to look at a few of the most common reasons people hate moving house.
Packing your belongings
You never truly realize how much stuff you have until you start moving house. The sheer amount of things you own is mind-boggling and how on earth are you supposed to pack them all?! A lot of your stuff will get thrown out, but that is a different point entirely, while the rest of it gets shoved into boxes and taken to your new home. This means figuring out what goes where, wrapping things in packing paper, adding bubble wrap to boxes, labeling things; the list goes on and on. It’s such a stressful process that’s one of the main reasons people absolutely hate moving home.
Throwing out your junk
Yep, as we just mentioned, the majority of your stuff will end up being thrown out. Seriously, it is borderline embarrassing how much clutter and waste you generate over the years. Like most households, you probably have an attic or garage filled with things that either do not work or have zero use whatsoever. Why do you still have those boxes from Christmas five years ago?! Why is there an old rusty bike in your garage?! Getting rid of all your junk is probably harder than packing it all away. You take endless trips to the dump, have to move junk from the attic downstairs — it just makes your home feel like a landfill. Granted, it is easier with a dumpster rental service so you do not need to take trips to the dump, but it is still so stressful sifting through years and years of old junk. How do you know what to throw out? What’s sentimental and what is…rubbish?! So many considerations, so much stress.
Cleaning your home
As you are moving out of your home, you need to leave it in a good condition for the next owners. Or, if you are currently in a rental, you need to leave your house as clean as it was when you first moved in, or your landlord will make you pay. So, you are in the horrible situation of needing to pack all your belongings, throw out your junk, and clean your house at the same time. The worst thing is, moving furniture and other things around can reveal areas of your house that have not been cleaned for years. This means hours are spent on your hands and knees scrubbing away at years of stains.
Dealing with buyers and sellers
In a lot of cases, moving house will coincide with selling your current one. As such, you may be in a unique situation where you are dealing with both buyers and sellers. Dealing with one party is hard enough, let alone having to deal with two. On the one hand, you have the seller of your new home to contend with, constantly going back and forth and praying that they don’t pull out of the deal. On the other hand, you have potential buyers that are interested in your home, possibly wanting to view it while you’re in the process of moving. It’s all incredibly stressful as you try to navigate all the legal proceedings involved in buying/selling a home. Plus, what if you agree to sell your home but then the seller of your new home pulls out. Do you then have to pull out of the deal you’ve agreed with buyers? Just typing this is giving me a headache, let alone dealing with it all!
Handling your kids
All of the above is hard enough to deal with on your own. But, things get even more stressful when you throw kids into the mix. You now have to move home while also handling young children, ensuring the move is as easy for them as possible. This might mean dealing with tantrums and upset or confused kids for weeks, and it can also mean they get in the way while you are trying to pack things up and clean your home.
Clearly, there is a lot to get stressed about when moving home. Hopefully, you can minimize the stress by looking at each problem and finding solutions. This will let you move home without sending your blood pressure through the roof!
