It doesn’t take more than a quick Google search to discover that moving house is considered the third most stressful life event after the death of a loved one and divorce.

If we take a look at the definition of stress we can maybe see why. A useful and widely accepted definition of stress (mainly attributed to Richard S. Lazarus) is: Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that “demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.”

In other words, we feel stressed when we feel that “things are out of control“.

As a Home Move Planner, whilst the symptoms of stress appear to be the actual buying/selling/moving, the real causes are the myriad factors behind the move. There are very few people who move house just because they feel like it and with all the time in the world to make it happen. Balancing moving house with an already busy life, and the additional emotional stress and guilt attached with a lot of the factors below, it’s no wonder that moving ranks so highly in the stress leagues.

I have helped countless people, couples and families move for a number of different reasons, including:

• Family necessity – Getting married, starting a family or expanding your family – needing more space and searching for that elusive affordable house in a good school catchment area.
• Divorce/Separation – If a relationship or marriage breaks down and one of you needs to set up home on your own again.
• Bereavement – The death of a loved one meaning the family home of 50 years is now too big to be managed on your own and the house needs “sorting” and selling.
• Sickness – When full-time nursing in a home becomes the only option.
• Professional factors – New job requiring moving location to an area you know little about and balancing settling your family and making sure they are happy with your new job with all the stresses that brings.

If moving is considered the third most stressful life event – death, divorce, work and illness are the others that make up the top 5.

So how do you conquer the stress of moving house? TAKE BACK CONTROL – ask for help. Generally people are terrible at asking for help – we think we should be able to do it all ourselves – this might be true but why put yourself under unnecessary pressure when there are people out there who can make your life easier. It could be a friend, a colleague, a family member or a professional.

This is where engaging with a Home Move Planner can really help. If you are stressed about moving house – let us take the strain. Read our blog to find out exactly how we can help.

If you would like a chat about how the HomeMover Specialist could help you, contact us on 01344 723292 or by email. For more top tips and latest news from this new budding sector make sure you follow our Facebook and Twitter pages.