One of the most stressful times in a family’s life is moving. The packing, living out of boxes, calling utility suppliers for hook-ups, insurance, change of address at the post office, introduction to schools, bus schedules, sleep schedules – it’s A LOT!
Moving is tough on the family. It’s emotional. The kids are unsure if they’ll make new friends; the dog has an accident because it senses the family’s anxiety. You’re tired of eating fast food because it’s easier than unpacking the kitchen box every day.
You fantasize about a long soak in a hot bath to relieve those sore muscles. Soft music in the background, a dimly lit candle, and bubbles everywhere. Back to reality…that’s hours away.
You started so organized with each perfect-sized box carefully labelled with your treasures. Yet in these last few hours, you’ve just thrown what you could into any sized box, not even bothering to wash the dishes before you packed them. You can’t find the dog’s bowl, a clean glass or even the toilet paper.
We’ve all been there!
Think this is stressful? Let’s ramp it up a bit more.
Packing and moving on the same day as closing day. Now this is a new level of stress. Waiting with a full truck of your belongings as the meter runs with the moving company.
You’re out of your old house, but the bank needs funds from your sale to close on your purchase, so you wait patiently on the street of your new place, maybe even watching the old owners still moving out. Why are they still there? Will they be much longer? Did they even clean?
And you wait. All you need is a quick phone call from your lawyer and a lockbox code, and you are on your way to unpacking your old life into your new home. What is taking so long?!
Now, what if you are a newly minted first-time homeowner? The landlord expects you out so that the new tenant can move in, so you sit on your new street with boxes packed in a truck while your friends patiently pace the sidewalks, staring at the Leon’s driver who is also waiting to deliver your new bedroom furniture.
The pizza is getting cold, and the beer is getting warm. The dog needs a drink, the kids are cranky, and all you need is that call from your lawyer.
Let me offer both the first-time homeowners and the seasoned pros ONE IMPORTANT TIP to take the maximum amount of stress off their shoulders.
Repeat Homeowners
I have two words for you – Bridge Financing!
Bridge financing, also called a bridge loan, is an inexpensive way to help bridge the gap between closing on your current house and your soon-to-be new place as it allows you to carry the mortgage on two properties for a specified amount of time – typically for one week and up to a maximum of 90 days.
Imagine the ease of booking a week off work and heading to your new home to do a bit of painting, lay some new flooring, and having various delivery guys show up as scheduled – all before you move in. You get to take your time! Moving “day” could take all week but it affords you time to go back for last-minute things or to give the old house a good cleaning as it welcomes its new family. Stress-free moving is so underrated!
First-time Homeowners
You’ve given your 60-day notice and are so excited to be planning a move into your new neighbourhood and new life. You’re giddy with anticipation as you start planning the big day.
You’ve picked your closing day to be the last day of the month. After all, you’ve paid your landlord all that money and you want to squeeze every penny out of your lease. It’s being frugal!
As closing day approaches you find you can’t hire movers because it’s the end of the month. You call the self-move company, and all trucks are rented out for that day. As you realize you can’t possibly move on your scheduled day you frantically call your buyer agent begging to have the current owners move the closing date up a few days.
The problem is they have already changed utilities, insurance, mail, etc. to align with the original date and may not be willing to go through the inconvenience of making things easier for you.
Here’s the deal – this last month’s rent money was already paid when you moved in, so whether you leave on the 15th or the 30th it does not affect your bank account. What it DOES do is add unnecessary stress to your life when you wait for the last day of the month.
A real-life story
It’s June 30th and my buyers are simply beside themselves waiting to move out of their apartment into their very first home. They have been saving for years and today is the day they finally recognize their dream come true.
At 6pm they call me – the owner hasn’t moved out yet. I race over to the home only to find out that the seller’s movers had just shown up – she was their third move of the day. Half packed, she was going to need more time, and the house was a mess.
Remember, this is June 30th – the busiest day in real estate AND the day before the Canada Day long weekend. I send my buyers out for dinner and pick up the tab, telling them to take their time. I call around and find someone willing to come clean the kitchen and the bathrooms for my new homeowners so they would at least be able to cook and bathe in a clean home.
At 10pm the movers inform the previous owner that they will come back in the morning as they are simply too exhausted to keep going. We eventually find a space for her to store her remaining items for the night and she comes back the next afternoon with a truck to gather her remaining belongings. My clients are not able to start moving in until after all of this.
Moving day was stressful for all parties simply because everyone was moving in/out on the same day.
Avoid the chaos
The chaos of packing and moving, combined with timing delays and logistical hiccups, can turn an already overwhelming day into a nightmare. However, the stress can be significantly reduced by considering options like bridge financing for repeat homeowners and being flexible with moving dates for first-time buyers.
Planning ahead, allowing extra time, and being prepared for unexpected delays can transform the moving experience from a frantic scramble into a more manageable, and even enjoyable process. In the end, the goal is to start your new chapter on a positive note, settling into your new home with peace of mind and excitement for the future.
