Moving is stressful at any stage of your life.
However, it becomes particularly stress-inducing when you’ve got your family in tow. This is simply because it feels as though there’s a lot more riding on the move, even if you’re staying within the same town or city.
With that in mind, here are some top tips for moving house in 2025 that will help make sure the process is as stress-free as possible!
Work with a real estate agent. Whether you’re struggling to find your dream home or want to make sure your current property is market-ready, working with a real estate agent is key.
This is because they’ll be able to take on a lot of the hard or complicated work on your behalf while also answering any questions you might have about buying or selling properties.
Ideally, you should partner with a real estate agent with a great reputation, such as Harper Macleod solicitors and estate agents. This is because they have a track record of success supporting movers in a similar situation to your own!
Write down a list of priorities. While there are hundreds of properties listed for sale every day in the UK, this does not mean that each and every one will meet your requirements. Though flexibility is advised, you can make it easier to figure out which homes will (and will) not meet your needs by writing down a list of priorities (i.e., the things you need from a home). This could include:
- A specific number of bedrooms
- A specific number of bathrooms
- A garage/parking space
- A garden/outdoor space
- Properties in a specific location or neighborhood
- Properties within a specific budget
By using some of the criteria outlined above, you can narrow down the number of properties you visit quite considerably. This means that you’re spending your time wisely, as opposed to viewing countless properties that aren’t quite up to scratch.
Get your finances in order. Moving isn’t cheap. As such, you should make sure that you have your finances in order before getting started, especially if you’re applying for a mortgage. Generally speaking, it’s wise to have a specific budget in mind when moving. Not only should this take into account the price/value of a property, but also any additional expenses that you’ll incur during this time. This could include:
- Property staging costs
- Estate agent fees
- Moving/ removal team fees
- Moving supplies
Tell your children as early as possible. While some parents prefer to wait until the move is finalized before sharing their plans with children, studies have found that the more time kids have to prepare for the move, the better.
After all, this is a significant change that they may struggle to wrap their head around – especially if it means leaving behind the only home they’ve ever known. Not only that but if you spring this upon them at the last minute, they’re more likely to respond negatively and start lashing out.
As such, you should tell them relatively early in the process that you are looking for a new place to live. You should also let them know the reasons why, whether you’re moving for work or because you need some extra space.
You can also help to prepare your kids for the big move by bringing them along to any property viewing you attend.
Keep your eyes peeled when viewing properties. Attending a property viewing can be incredibly exciting, especially when it seems as though it’s going to tick all of your boxes. However, you should ensure that you are as vigilant as possible during this time. For example, you need to keep your eyes peeled for potential maintenance issues that could cost you a lot of money to resolve in the future.
You should also be sure to view your current home with the same level of skepticism. If you were a buyer looking at your current home, what would encourage you to place an offer, and what would encourage you to look elsewhere? Being able to answer these questions means that you can make changes to your home that ensure it sells as quickly as possible!
Pack one room at a time. Packing to move home can be incredibly stressful, especially when moving as a family. After all, it means that you have to pack your entire life away into a few boxes!
You can make this a little easier by packing up one room at a time. This way, you can work from start to finish as opposed to going back on yourself. When doing so, try to group items together by use or function. For example, if you were packing your bedroom, you should pack all of your blankets, duvet, and pillows in one box and label it accordingly. This will make it much easier to find what you are looking for when unpacking!
Consider investing in a storage unit. Packing and unpacking are time-consuming processes, which means that you’ll likely not finish either one of these tasks within a single day. This can be incredibly disheartening, as it often leaves you feeling as though you’re wading your way through a sea of boxes every time you get out of bed or walk down the stairs.
However, you can make this process a little easier by investing in a storage unit. This way, you can store items securely before, during, and after the move, allowing you to both pack and unpack at your leisure. This is particularly beneficial if you’re going to be decorating your new home, as the last thing you want is to cover your belongings in paint or varnish!
Ask someone to take care of your pet(s). The weeks running up to and following the move are chaotic at best. As such, having a friend or family member take care of your beloved pets during this time is advisable. This means that you have one less thing to worry about during this time, and you can make sure that the process is as gentle on them as possible.
Once you’re ready to welcome them into your new home, be mindful of how strange this will be for them. Try to set up a designated space in your home that can be their own, filling it with things they are familiar with, such as toys and blankets. This will help them to feel a lot safer, which means that they’ll settle quickly into your new home.
Keep your eye on the prize. Moving house can be incredibly overwhelming, both for yourself, your partner, and your child. As such, it is important that you are able to keep your eye on the prize throughout the process and remember what you are working toward.
Moving home, whether that’s within the same city or a little further afield, is a fresh start for your entire family. That means that a great adventure awaits. If you’ve noticed that your children are feeling upset, talk openly about everything you’re excited about, from decorating their bedroom to finding a new ice cream spot. This is a great way to ensure that everybody is on board with the move.
Final thoughts. If you are considering moving house in 2025, there are plenty of steps that you can take to ensure that the process is as seamless and stress-free as possible. This way, you can focus on the fun side of moving, as opposed to feeling as though you are caught in a neverending nightmare.
The Coastal Mummy 