40% of parents dread moving day – expert reveals tips on how to settle kids into a new home

Business and Economy

Ever moved home with children? If you have, you’ll know that for some, the process can be rather stressful.

Regulated property buyers, GoodMove have surveyed parents from across the UK to gather their thoughts and discover the most difficult parts of moving home with children.1 Plus, a heart-warming video shows us what kids really think during a house viewing!

According to the survey of British parents, these are the five most important factors to consider before deciding to uproot their families:

  1. My children’s schools (68%)
  2. The size of the house (61%)
  3. Garden space (61%)
  4. Price of the house/mortgage (54%)
  5. My children’s social life/friends (45%)

Children’s schools remain of utmost importance to parents when considering a home move, with nearly seven in ten (68%) naming this the most important factor to them before deciding to move home.

A further three in five (61%) parents claimed they wanted both a more spacious home and a bigger garden for their families, while over half (54%) naming the mortgage and house price the most important factor to them. Rounding up the top five most important reasons is our children’s social lives (45%).

We all know moving homes is stressful at the best of times, especially with kids in the mix. However, our survey found that the majority (46%) of parents who moved home with their children found it ‘okay’, while 17% found the process ‘easy’! Just 10% found it ‘difficult’ – perhaps a surprising statistic for many parents who have moved home with their little ones!

So, what do parents find the most difficult part of moving home? When asked what the most difficult parts of moving home with their children was, parents’ top stresses were:

  1. The stresses of moving day (40%)
  2. Moving them away from friends/family (39%)
  3. Moving them away from school (37%)
  4. Getting them to like the new area (30%)
  5. Choosing their new bedroom (26%)

Unsurprisingly, the stress of moving day is named the most difficult part of the home moving process (40%) while moving kids away from their friends and family (39%) and schools (37%) follow closely behind.

And while 30% claim getting their children to like the new area is the most difficult part of moving home, 26% of parents know how hard it can be for their kids choose a new bedroom – especially if there’s a sibling wanting the bigger room!

So, if you’re moving home with your kids, is there any way of making the process easier for them? Fiona Small, the founder of Young Mums Support Network, offers her five top tips below.

  1. Allow an element of choice

Allow your child to have an element of choice when decorating your new home, especially their bedroom. One way to do this is by choosing two of your favourite colours for the walls, then allowing them to say which one they would like.

  1. Explore the new area

Explore the new locations, such as parks, libraries, nature walks and local activities. Do some research on the area and share fun facts about their new location.

  1. Maintain contact

Where possible, maintain contact with old school and nursery friends, via FaceTime video calls and where possible, arrange play-dates. Explain to your child that they will make new friends also and will still be in contact with old friends.

  1. Invest in books

If your child is finding it difficult to settle into their new home, you may want to consider investing in a few books that are about moving house and adding a bit of adventure to help them to understand that many people move homes and settle in after a while.

  1. Acknowledge and reassure them

Show acknowledgement to your child by letting them know that you understand how they are feeling, and keep reassuring them that they are going to have a wonderful time in their new environment. Point out all of the good things and be positive that all they need is a bit of time to adjust.

Commenting on the research, Nima Ghasri, Director at GoodMove says: “With more people moving home this past year than ever before, we wanted to see what parents really think about moving home with their kids, and for anyone set to move home with their families, we hope these tips will help settle them into their new home!”

For more information on this campaign, including a fun video showing kids’ honest thoughts during a house viewing as well as tips on how to settle kids into a new home, please visit: https://goodmove.co.uk/blog/seeing-homes-through-eyes-of-kids/