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Moving Houses
04.30.2021

Easing the Pressure of One of Life’s 10 Most Stressful Events: Moving Houses

Buying

We have yet to meet anyone who looks forward to moving houses.  They look forward to the end result, sure.  But the process- not so much.

Moving is hard work.  It’s physically exhausting.  And often, it’s also emotionally draining.

One of Life’s Top 10 Stressors?

If you do a quick Google search, you’ll find a few different lists of “the top 10 most stressful life events.”

Most of them look very similar to this:

  • Death of a loved one
  • Getting married
  • Separation or divorce
  • Marital reconciliation
  • Workplace stress/job loss
  • Money problems
  • Moving
  • Chronic illness or injury
  • Retirement
  • Incarceration

The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale measures stress levels to assess potential health consequences.  A “change in residence” rates as a significant stressor on the scale.

 

Part of a Bundle

Take another look at the list.  There is something striking about the items on it.  Do you see it?

The nine other events that make up the top 10, whether positive or negative changes, can all be triggers for a move.  Death of a family member, financial challenges, a change in marital status, retirement – even incarceration – can force a change in residence.

The real stress often results from having to deal with the factors that lead to the move.

For example, most of us look forward to our retirement.  We plan for it. We dream of all the things we’re going to do when we don’t have to work so much.  When the time comes to do it, though – people have at least some mixed feelings.  There are emotions connected to getting older, worries about finances, and fears of losing health and independence – all of which cause real stress.

How to Offload the Stress of Moving

If you’re currently making plans to move because of a major life change, you’re already dealing with a lot.  And if you are buying or selling a home, there is the additional pressure of figuring out how to navigate the real estate market.

You may have to make health, marital, or employment decisions with support and advice from doctors, lawyers, or counselors.  Such important matters deserve your full attention.

When it comes to preparing a home for sale, buying a property, and navigating the process of moving, though – we have systems in place to help you out.  Our primary role is to be negotiators who represent your interests to sell your property for the best price at the best terms.  However, it’s important to us that you know we are available to help with other practical aspects of your move along the way.

Here’s a sample of some of the things we can help you get done:

  • Decluttering. If you are struggling to get through the process of clearing out your space ahead of a sale, we can get you help to purge, pack, and store things away.  This is especially helpful when you are moving due to health issues or reduced mobility.  We will even provide you with a supply of moving boxes to get you started!
  • Repairs.  There are some repairs that are well worth doing to make sure you get the most money on the sale of your home.  We can help you decide which items to tackle and which ones to leave.  We also have a database of reliable people who will be happy to offer their services.
  • Cleaning.  Whether you need help with the inside or the outside, we can offer help with pre-listing cleanups.  And even if you want to take care of the regular cleaning yourself, we can send in a window cleaner to save you from that time-consuming job!
  • Exterior Maintenance.  Curb appeal is important when selling.  If you need a hand with keeping the lawn and garden looking neat in the summer or the driveway and walkways shoveled and salted in winter, we can send help.
  • Staging.  It’s common knowledge nowadays that staging a house results in higher sales prices.  We work with stagers who can provide services ranging from basic consultations to full staging with rented furniture.
  • Marketing.  We arrange professional photography, video, and other media.  We ensure that your property is exposed to as many buyers online as possible, using every distribution tool available to market your offering, even internationally.  At the same time, we make it easy for potential buyers to see as much detail as possible.  This prevents unnecessary in-person visits.
  • Coordinating with lenders, lawyers, and others.  You will need to deal with mortgage brokers, lawyers, buyers and their agents, appraisers, insurance companies, and others in the course of selling your home.  The paperwork, communications, and scheduling can all be very time-consuming – especially if you’re also dealing with other important personal matters.  We are happy to handle all of this so you can concentrate on yourself and your family.  We stay with it until closing day to protect your interests and make sure that things go as smoothly as possible.
  • Packing and Moving. Finding trustworthy help can be a challenge.  Our goal is to connect you to people who carry some of the burden to relieve you of as much stress as possible.  Our network of reliable professionals is a godsend.
  • Notifying contacts. We make sure to provide you with a guide to follow so that you can make the proper notifications of your new address.  Having everything in one place makes the job less daunting.
  • Keeping you safe.  We’ve all learned a lot since March 2020 about how to stay safe from viruses and contagion.  We now have protocols in place to limit the number of people who enter your home.  We screen and track visitors and enforce attendance limits to protect you and your property as best we can.  When all showings are over, we send in someone to disinfect all the hard surfaces in the house using safe, food-grade disinfectant so that you can feel safe and comfortable going back into the house.
  • A listening ear.  We know it’s a stressful experience and we have been through it ourselves.  We are happy to take your calls whenever you need to talk to us.  Throughout the process, we are always available to hear your concerns and help address any issues that come up.

A Phone Call Away

When dealing with one of life’s most stressful events, having a good support team can make a big difference.  We are honoured when our clients choose to make us part of that support system – and we will always do our level best to reassure them that they’ve made the right choice.  If you have questions about how we can help you make some decisions about moving, don’t hesitate to call us!

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