Many people suffer from moving house anxiety. But identifying what is causing the anxiety might help to keep it under control.

For some, moving house anxiety is magnified by their approach to their belongings.

Over the many years of helping clients move house, whether they are downsizing or upsizing, we find they broadly fall into two categories. The path of least resistance or monetising their unwanted belongings.

It’s purely personal. There is no right or wrong but without doubt the second needs a longer lead-time to be executed correctly. And if there isn’t enough time, it will heap additional stress onto the move.

Attitudes to moving house – the path of least resistance

The path of least resistance falls into two further categories. The first – I’m going to take everything with me and sort it at the other end. The second – I want clear before I move and ideally like it to be” rehomed” but just want it gone.

The “I’m going to take everything with me and sort it at the other end” attitude frequently results in the stress and moving house anxiety lasting longer than it might, as realistically things never get sorted. How many people do you know who still have items in their packing boxes from their last move?

The “I want to clear before I move” takes time before the move. In our throwaway society, sometimes it is easier just to head to the dump, than invest time and energy to “rehome” your unwanted belongings. But for the good of everyone, if you can find the time, you are doing the planet and society a good deed. Altruistic behaviour releases endorphins in your brain producing positive feelings. These help counteract the stress associated with moving. Local charities are collecting again. You can take unwanted towels and bedding to your local animal shelter. The cold weather is approaching so ask your local homeless shelter what they’re looking for. Apart from proper rubbish, you can find homes for almost everything.

Attitudes to moving house – monetise unwanted belongings

If this is your attitude, embrace it; however, give yourself a lot of time to do it. You can get other people to sell your items for you, or you can do it yourself. Inevitably doing it yourself will realise a greater return, but it is time consuming. Whether you’re selling on Facebook marketplace, Gumtree or eBay, you need to factor in time to list, communicate with potential buyers, and then send/deliver/wait in for strangers to arrive on your doorstep to collect (and sometimes renegotiate the price). Or maybe try an American style garage sale or car boot sale.

For some, feelings of frustration for wanting to but then not optimising monies also adds to the stress of the move.

So, to be aware that your attitude to your unwanted belongings can add to the whole stress of your house move. To reduce your moving house anxiety, work out which category you want to fall into. And then give yourself enough time to execute it before the move.

If you would like a chat about how the Homemover Specialist could help you move house (or clear your unwanted belongings), contact us on 01483 255895 or by email. For more top tips and latest news make sure you follow our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages