Moving? Make the Most of Your House-Hunting Trip

Are you prepping for a household move with your family? House-hunting, whether in-person or virtual, is arguably one of the most critical steps in planning your relocation. This step serves several purposes in addition to selecting the house itself. 

If you plan an in-person visit to find your home, here are some things to consider when coordinating your trip.

Research Online 

Before you travel to your potential new city to look for houses, get online to gather information about the possible areas you want to look at once you arrive. Narrow down your selected neighborhoods. Then search and compare properties before you head out. Find a real estate agent that specializes in relocation situations.

Explore the Area

Before you can determine which neighborhood best meets your needs, it’s essential to get to know the community when you arrive. Drive around on day one, paying close attention to amenities, culture, and the proximity of each community to services you use most often. Consider which neighborhoods offer the things on your priority list, like the shortest commute or a sense of community.

Visit Properties

Share your housing needs, wants, and dislikes with a realtor and obtain preapproval before the trip. Keep an eye on local listings in advance so you can let your realtor know which properties are most aligned with your preferences. Ask your realtor to schedule viewings (to the homes you’ve shared and properties they identify as good) during the site visit. Be prepared to make an offer while you’re there so you can work through the details in person.

Scout Schools

If you have children in the school system, request a tour of local schools while you’re on site. Get as much information during those appointments as possible so you’re able to make an informed decision and plan ahead. If you have children with special needs, be sure to consider the availability of services in the area and each educational institution.

Visit Daycare Options

If you have children in daycare (or a child on the way), be sure to visit childcare centers while you’re in the area. You may find that you need to be added to a waiting list in advance,  available spots are only in certain neighborhoods, or learn that daycare costs are dramatically more or less than you expected – all factors that may impact your house hunt as well.

Consider Medical Needs 

While most people are comfortable living anywhere with a clinic and an ER, some people have particular medical conditions requiring quick access to specialist services like kidney dialysis, dermatologists, or chemotherapy. If anyone in your household has special medical needs, be sure to explore these services’ availability in your target area. The house-hunting trip is a perfect time to do it.

Follow Up

Stay in contact with your real estate agent. They can let you know if your offer was accepted and what the next steps are. Your specialized relocation agent can also help coordinate inspections, refer you to companies to help with cleaning or repairs, and can coordinate a long-distance house closing.

Make the Right Move

Let us help with your relocation. From packing to transporting — we offer full-service moving. Contact us today for a quote.

Getting Your Kids to Help You Pack for the Move Without Fights

Trying to get your kids to help you with anything takes planning and patience. Getting them to help with your household move might feel impossible.

Kids don’t love change, and moving is a big one. But getting them on board with your decision may be easier than you think.

If you treat your kids like you would want for yourself, you may discover that they’re up to the challenge. Here are a few things you can do to get started.

Be Transparent

The idea of someone doing all your packing for you may feel like a dream. Of course, if that person was also thinning out your belongings, you might worry about it.

Kids, like adults, prefer to make their own decisions about their possessions. So if you’re going to talk to them about sorting out clutter to donate or give away, it’s best to speak plainly about it.

Tell them the limits for the moving truck and your new home. Give them boxes or bins to pack, not garbage bags. They’ll be more confident that you won’t throw it out that way.

Set Age-Appropriate Goals

If you don’t have much time before you move, you may end up investing a lot of your spare time in packing. But that doesn’t mean your kids have to spend all day on the task.

Brainstorm with your kids to come up with some packing goals they can achieve. Turn goal-setting into an activity that your kids will enjoy, with benchmarks you would like them to perform.

Just make sure that they can achieve them. No one feels motivated by a star that they can’t catch.

Allow Kids to Monitor Progress

Most kids thrive on an understanding of where they are going. If you allow your kids to track their progress, they may be better at it than you are.

Let your children choose from various chart templates and encourage them to work on it each day. Make one up for the adults in the house and remind them to keep track of how you’re doing.

Give Prizes

Giving prizes to your kids for their work on packing may feel like a bribe. And good parents don’t bribe, right? It depends on the situation.

It’s better if you think of prizes for goals as a means of motivation. After all, you don’t work all day for the fun of it. Money is your motivator.

Don’t feel like you have to go overboard on the prizes. Choose something small for each benchmark and a slightly bigger item or activity for the final.

Don’t Overestimate Your Commitment

Keep in mind that your children will look to you for the right energy level they need to use for the task. If you hate it, they’ll hate it too.

If you put it off until the last minute, they probably will, too.

Be realistic about your needs and how your own behaviors can get in the way. Manage that, and your kids will have an easier time sticking to the plan.

Call in Help

Packing with kids doesn’t have to be a nightmare. By inspiring them early, you may find everything you need. 

To find out how professional moving services can take away your moving stress, call us for a price quote.