Our Five Ring Circus: The Best Tips & Tricks for Moving with Kids

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

The Best Tips & Tricks for Moving with Kids

The Best Tips & Tricks for Moving with Kids #sponsored

DISCLOSURE: This post is brought to you by Northwood Realty Services and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own. 

When we bought our home in 2004, we didn't put much thought into it. We just wanted our own place! The fact that we were very young homeowners was something to be proud of, and the house was built by my husband's grandparents, so it was a sentimental purchase. However, we didn't think about our future family during the home buying process. Now, our home is too small for our family of 6, but the thought of moving with kids gives me major anxiety!


Kids

When Grant and I first moved into our home, the 3 bedroom house seemed so big. As our family expanded and our kids grew, our house seemed to shrink. Our kids are growing fast, and we are rapidly running out of room. Oh, who am I kidding? Our stuff is practically exploding out of our home! The time has come to start thinking about our options, and preparing for that inevitable move.

Up until last month, I had no idea where to start! That all changed when a group of Pittsburgh bloggers (myself included), who just happened to be moms, gathered with a group of mom realtors from Northwood Realty Services for a brainstorming session. There isn't a lot of information out there about moving with kids, and we were on a mission to change that!

The end result was an abundance of awesome tips and tricks to take parents through the buying, selling, and moving process with kids! We came up with so many tips and tricks that they couldn't all fit onto the graphic. We voted on our favorite tips, and the most popular ones were used to create this handy guide to help minimize the stress of moving with kids!

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PREPARING TO SELL


  • Start decluttering immediately. Donate or sell items that are no longer wanted or needed, pack up items that are not currently useful (seasonal/holiday items), and take down as many personal touches as possible. 
  • Give each room in your home a single purpose and remove all unnecessary items.
  • Consider renting a storage unit, and remove as much stuff as possible from your home until you move. 
  • Sell any items that are in good condition, and save that money to cover additional closing or moving costs!

SELLING

  • List your home over Halloween to expose potential buyers to your home as they take their kids trick or treating.
  • OR list your home over the holidays when it looks extra cozy and festive!
  • You can also list your home while you are on vacation so you won't have to worry about keeping your home clean for all the showings!

SHOWING YOUR HOME

  • Invest in a storage container for each room. That way, if there is a last minute showing, you can quickly clear all the daily clutter from each room and shove the containers into closets or in the back of your car.
  • Try to keep pets out of the way during showings, but better yet, take all pets out of the home during showings if possible!
  • Conveniently schedule showings while you are out of town. 

BUYING

  • Even though the holidays are stressful, buyers are more willing to negotiate during the holidays. It could work to your advantage!
  • Make a wish list of everything you are looking for, but be flexible. If something could be changed, it could be the perfect house for you.
  • Focus on location. That's one of the most important things, and you should walk around outside and explore the surrounding town before making a decision.
  • Get your kids involved in the process. Have them write a pros and cons list of what they liked/didn't like. Assign them the job of taking pictures of each room. All of these things could help in the decision making process!
  • Bring a babysitter to showings so they can step in if and when needed. 
  • Bringing your kids will alert you to any dangers that may be lurking inside or outside the home.

PACKING

  • Instead of using large boxes, pack everything in smaller boxes so they can be carried easily and unpacked quickly. It will feel less overwhelming.
  • Pack the most important and most used items together so they can be unpacked first.
  • Clearly label each box with the exact room it needs to go in.
  • Create a master list of what is in each box so you don't have to frantically search through boxes to find what you need.

MOVING

  •  If your kids are in school, try to time your move for early Summer. That way, the kids can adjust to their new home, start making friends, and be able to participate in Summer sports.
  • Take lots of pictures of your kids in your old home and in the backyard, so you can record all the special spots, rooms and memories. Take a video of one last tour through your entire home.
  • Consider using a removable growth chart from the time your child is born, so it can come with you wherever you go!
  • Set up the kids' rooms first so they feel more comfortable when they arrive in their new home. 
  • Have a first night in your new home tradition! Have a pizza party or camp out in the living room for a fun family movie night!

SPECIAL NEEDS

Can you tell which tip I added to the guide?!? Coming from the mom of a Toddler Tornado/Houdini, I know we will have to bring Liam, who has Down syndrome, along when we look at houses. If there is a dangerous spot, he will find it! If there is a way to escape, he will figure it out! We need to know these things BEFORE purchasing the home!

My other tip is to reach out to other special needs families in the area to get the scoop on services, schools, and medical care for your child. You can find groups on Facebook, or reach out to a local medical professional or hospital for advice and connections. It helps to hear about the community and services from a parent who is in your shoes!

As for my family, I don't know what the immediate future holds. Although I'm still overwhelmed by the entire process, I do know that we need a bigger house ASAP! I already started to utilize some of these tips (hello, decluttering) so moving with kids won't be as stressful when the time comes!


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The Best Tips and Tricks to minimize the stress of moving with kids! #sponsored


Are you buying or selling a home in the Pittsburgh area? Northwood Realty Services, which is one of the region's largest real estate service providers, can help!  Northwood Realty Services has 39 offices in 30 counties in Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. They can help you with every step of the buying and selling process!

5 comments:

  1. Lord knows that we need any and all moving tips to help us pack this place up fast and efficiently. Thanks for sharing these!

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  2. Thanks for these! We might be moving soon and these are so helpful!

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  3. These graphics are fabulous! I can't imagine moving with 4 kids but it sounds like you need to. I hope you find something and it's a smooth transition.

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  4. Ah, I know this so well.. We're a military family and we started off with a small two bedroom apartment with my first son, upgraded to a 4 bedroom house, then a three bedroom with a basement, and now back to an apartment. Now we're a family of five instead of a family of three but we make it work! This is our 4th time moving in 6 years!

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  5. This is a great graphic! So many wonderful tips! I love the idea of listing over Halloween so that people can see the house.

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