How to Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed When Selling Your Home and Moving to a New Location

There are many things to remember when selling your home. A check list is the best way to remember everything you will need to do when selling your home and moving to a new one.

The following are some of the things that will need to be done ahead of time:

- Phone the utility companies to shut off services on the home you are selling and set them up at your new address. These will include hydro, gas, telephone, cable and internet services.
- Cancel your house insurance for the old address and set it up for the new home.
- Change your address at as many places as possible before your move.
- Fill out a change of address form at the post office to direct all other mail to your new home.
- Register children, as soon as possible, at their new school.

Other things that will make the move go more smoothly:

- If possible have someone clean the old house after all furniture and boxes have been moved. It is worth the money it costs rather than having to go back yourself to do the job when you are trying to get settled into your new home.
- Have someone come and cut the grass - for the same reason.
- Check all appliances before moving to ensure that they are in good working order to avoid new purchaser dissatisfaction when you are trying to get settled in your new home.
- Have a rubbish collector pick up things like old paint and unwanted items and remove from the premises before your actual move date.
- Go on the assumption that most purchasers do not want anything left on the property even if you think they might be able to use it. Not wanting to take it with you yourself may be a good indication that they won't want it either.
- Try to get everything packed ahead of time so there is no last minute packing or going back for things.
- Consider pets when moving to a new home. A solution may be to put your pet into a kennel for a few days until things have settled down.
- Moving is also disruptive to young children. Grandparents or friends may be able to look after the young ones until the actual move has been accomplished. Young children who are crying because they're feeling stressed will make the move more difficult for the parents.

Moving is considered to be one of the most stressful things we have to deal with in our lives, next to divorce and bereavment.