The Challenges of Moving Homes

With the number of people in the UK moving homes having grown exponentially in recent years, reaching a ’10 year high’ in 2018 in terms of the annual total number of UK movers, it is no wonder that the challenges of moving to a new home has become a topic sought-after for answers. There are a great deal of challenges and pressures that come with moving home and being aware of what some of them may be in each case can help make the move that little bit easier.

Moving to a new house, flat or otherwise can leave a people feeling both ends of the emotional spectrum; Feelings of sadness and nostalgia at the idea of leaving the life made and imprinted within the walls of an old home can simultaneously parallel the ecstatic joy to move somewhere new, able to rebuild a home in a fresh new property. this is particularly the case if you are buying your first property.

It is normal to experience a whole range of different challenges when both looking for and moving into a new home and there are no ‘correct’ or ‘incorrect’ challenges that you should expect to experience. If this question was to be answered at face value, the list would be infinite; with every individual who moves to a new house having a different list of the aspects they find challenging.

However, although this list is not tailored to each individual mover, there are some challenges that the majority of people will face when moving to a new house or apartment, which, although often overlapping, can be placed into two distinct categories: personal and formal:

Personal Challenges of Moving Home  

These challenges refer primarily to the emotional effects of moving to a new home and the potential personal hurdles you may experience before, during and immediately after the move in question:

• Unfamiliarity – For first time movers, the unfamiliarity of the process of moving and consequently the fear of not knowing what this experience will be like whilst trying to navigate an unfamiliar process will always seem quite daunting. This may cause or add to the anxiety surrounding a move
• Doubts – The idea of uprooting a familiar and firmly established life to a new location can also leave movers feeling anxious and it is only natural to have questions, fears and even doubts surrounding such a significant life decision. Also, if you are going through the process of buying and selling properties as part of the move, this will only serve to add to these doubts, as you part with one property to acquire the next
• Fears of losing touch – Moving away from a place already established with a community and support network of friends and family can also lead to concerns about losing touch with this network
• The unknown – Moving to a new location can also give movers a sense of fear and stress of not knowing what living in this new location will be like

Formal Challenges of Moving Home

These challenges refer to the ‘business-end’ of moving to a new property. These challenges and pressures are likely to take somewhat of an emotional toll on the movers in question, but the practical challenges are likely to be the practical elements of moving:

Chinks (delays) in the chain – This covers a range of potential challenges, from the seller looking into other buyers or getting cold feet, with the movers unable to sell their house before moving into the new one. Delays can not only be challenging but also stressful for both seller and buyer.

Lender’s valuation – If movers require a lender in order to afford the new house this can also come with its complications. One example of this is if the provider of the loan in question deems the property to be valued at less than the price that the movers have agreed to pay for it, this will cause difficulties in financing a move.

Delays and issues with mortgages – Claimed by the Mortgage Market Review (April 2014), as one of the main issues faced whilst buying a new house, the lack of knowledge that is necessary when applying for a mortgage can become a fundamental issue in delaying the process of moving. Movers must prepare everything required for a lender well in advance of the purchase of the property. this is something to bear in mind with both first and second charge mortgages in the UK.

Race of the contracts – If multiple offers have been placed on a property, a race will ensue for the bidder who can draw up and sign a contract faster, the prize being the property. This contract race can be an extremely high pressured and add to the stressful process of moving.

Damage and mess – Sometimes sellers can leave a house in a compromised state, leaving furniture and other ‘mess’ that was not itemised on the contract as staying in the property. This not only provides extra work for the new home owners to record and alert the damage and mess left by the sellers, but can also delay the already laborious and stressful process of moving in. What's more is that even if you have taken out property insurance such as contents and buildings insurance, you won't be covered for pre-exsting problems.