4 Things About Moving That Are Just Stressful (and how to make them suck less)

You guys, it only took me until I was 27, but I finally bought my first home with my husband! We have always rented which is all well and good, until you want to move and you find out that it’s hundreds of dollars a month cheaper to buy a house rather than rent one. And I really do mean hundreds. I don’t understand it, but it is what it is. It was time for us to stop playing house and actually make a home. So we set out on a search for *the* house. We downloaded all the apps, we even went a little old school and grabbed a newspaper. And after a few months of searching it happened….we found our home! Awesome right? Little fireworks shot off and rainbows appeared above our head, all the way until we signed the paper for closing. Then suddenly the rainbows faded away and we were left with a cloud of Moving stress. 

We had lived in our current home for 8 years, ever since we moved out of our parents house. We had let 9 (yes really, 9) people live with us and had a baby since then. Which means we had A LOT of stuff, and no where to put it. We were not prepared for the stress that comes with moving and I wish someone would have been real with me. Moving is stressful and not very fun ya’ll! So let’s have a chat, and hopefully you can learn from my mistakes, ha!

Here are 4 things about moving that are just as stressful (and how to make them suck less)

1. You will spend SO MUCH MONEY! You think your down payment and closing costs are expensive? Just you wait until you get in the house. Our house was built in 1952 and had a lot of the original fixtures. Cool right? Nope, not cool at all when you have to replace them all. As someone who has always rented we didn’t have to worry about things like curtain roads, blinds, or even light switch covers. We had to buy them all. I have been to the home improvement store more times in the last 2 weeks then I have in my entire life. So how do we make all this money spending less stressful? We prepare of course! As soon as you even think about buying a house start saving money. Save your change and put it in a jar, skip the drive thru line and cook at home, become a hermit for a few months if you have to. It will help that sticker shock when it’s time to shell out that cash. Also, it’s time to learn to coupon! (fun fact, when you change your address with USPS they send you coupons for movers, home improvement stores, and more!)

2. You will be more tired than you have ever been in your life! No seriously, you will. This is coming from a mom, a mom who used to have to be at work by 4am. Whose husband also works nights so she’s a single mom during the week. Yep, moving was more tiring than that. I think it’s a combination of all the stress, plus trying to sleep in a new house surrounded by boxes, or your mind being unable to shut itself off when you know you have a million things to do. So if you want to keep your sanity (and maybe not bite your spouses head off) make sure that you really focus on getting enough sleep. If it means drinking some tea and doing some yoga when you really could be unpacking, DO IT! Taking a sleeping pill while surrounded by glassware, GO FOR IT! It will help with your stress and your sanity.

3. Moving is a dirty, dirty business. See that man above that looks like he is ready for nuclear war? Fear not, that just my husband getting ready to head into the attack and spray instillation. It’s been 4 days since he was done that and I’m still finding little pink fluffs in every room of the house. We also had the pleasure of removing a yellow jacket nest from our back door and cleaning out a mini fridge that was left in our building out back. With no power, for 4 months. (Can you imagine that smell? It’s worse than that, I promise). There are a couple of things you can do to make being dirty a little less stressful. You can throw your hands up and hire someone to do it for you OR you can grin and bare it. We wrote down all the dirty jobs we needed to get done and knocked them all out in one day. I strapped on some pants I knew I would never wear again, put my hair in a messy bun, and got down to business. It was a terrible day, but nice to know that when I woke up in the morning that it was all done and I didn’t have to deal with it anymore.

4. You won’t see anyone that doesn’t live with you for weeks, or months, or years, ha! From the day we signed out contract until right now I have not seen my friends, my family, or anyone else that doesn’t live here (or isn’t coming to see me so I can give them a check for one reason or another). Now don’t get me wrong, I love my family dearly but they are driving me nuts. I finally put down the paint brush yesterday and went and got my hair done. Why? So I could talk to someone that wasn’t complaining about where I put a box or how much money I spent on paint that day. #NoRegrets. Make sure you take some time, no matter how busy you are, to go have a drink with friends. You need it, they need it, and the house will still be there when you get back.

Through all the stress of moving it’s still been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I am SO happy and thrilled to have a home that is all ours. So while stressful, I can still see those rainbows out of the corner of my eye when I feel like I might throw in the towel and go sleep in my car. It’s all worth it in the end, I promise!

Fin.

Also read these posts:

When Pinterest is not your friend… (An open letter to my son’s new preschool teacher)
Critical Considerations When Choosing Hospice Care at Home
An Open Letter To The People Who Want My Husband Dead
You Have to Admit, We All Do It!

For more tips read these:

Selling a House Tips: Maximize the Profit from Your Home Sale
Save on Home Repairs
Do You Need a Home Warranty?