The idea of living forever in the same home might have been possible a century ago, but today, most families relocate at least twice in their lifetime. With work requirements, social needs, and financial responsibilities, it’s easy to see why someone in 2017 would be considering moving home while 100 years ago — or even 50 years ago — people only moved as a last resort.
Moving home has become synonymous with opening a new chapter in your life, whether you’re looking for financial growth, professional responsibilities, a change of culture or opportunities for self-improvement. We move home to change our lives for the better and it goes beyond a simple change of address; for most people, a move is a change of lifestyle.
If your home has lost its value
It doesn’t matter whether you live in a bigger-than-life mansion or whether you’ve got a small apartment at the top of a downtown condo block your home has a complex set of values. It’s a place of memories for you and your families and friends, as the saying goes, home is where the heart is. You’ve invested a lot of time and effort into creating a style and decor that feels homely and welcoming to you because that’s where your happy place is.
However, over time, as life evolves, the place where the heart belongs can become the place that breaks your heart, and that’s how your home can lose its emotional value. If you’re still repaying your mortgage, your home has what is referred to as a collateral value: It’s the value of your ownership, aka how much of your home for which you’ve already paid. If you’re struggling with debts, the collateral value might be reduced.
Finally, the only value that is easily quantifiable and that varies with the market fluctuations: The resale value. If for any reason, one of these values drops, it’s easy to see how you might want to try again elsewhere.
You’ve found better elsewhere
You may still love your home but let’s be honest: Not every home is perfect. In fact, none of them are. So, while you might be used to the defects in your house and the areas that need improving, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be looking for a top quality townhouse for sale? After all, a change for the better is the best kind of improvement. Whether your new home is bigger, more eco-friendly, better located, or just needs less renovation work, your home update can save you a lot of money in the long term.
You have to move for work
Businesses move all the time, and often, they leave it to you to decide whether you want to relocate or not. As a basic rule of thumb, most businesses, when they change location offer their employees two options: Either to do the commute or to resign. In some cases, though, a company will provide a relocation premium for their employees to be able to follow. So you may be moving to pursue your dream job. Or maybe you’re moving to start your dream career?
You need a fresh start in life
There are moments in life where nothing seems to fit anymore. Every day becomes a never-ending series of disappointments. Whether you’re not in the right job for your skills or you are stuck in a toxic relationship, it can be challenging to find the light at the end of the tunnel. That’s why a lot of people who feel trapped in their lives decide to move somewhere new to take a fresh start.
For our gamer friends, it’s the equivalent of pressing X to get to the start menu and choosing new game. It doesn’t even need to be a giant crisis in life from which you are escaping. Maybe you’re just sick of the weather where you live, or you want to be able to try out things without every single one of your friends commenting on a new hairstyle or new fashion. Bear in mind though that if you are preparing for a long-distance move, you are going to need to hire a long distance moving company. Don’t be in such a hurry to get out of there that you try to go it alone. This can cause damage to your items and even physical injuries.
You want to improve your kids’ chances
Most school districts are very clear on the postcodes from which they will consider taking children. So it’s likely that if you want your kids to go to that super fancy school, then you may need to move closer. Is it worth the move? It will depend on the school. If we’re talking the kind of school like Blyth Academy that has a record of 98% of students landing acceptances for their first-choice post-secondary institutions — yes, that includes kids who want to go to Cambridge or Yale —, then you don’t want to hesitate any longer.
You’re struggling with financial difficulties
Everything is getting more expensive, from energy bills to the grocery shopping. It’s no wonder that more and more households are struggling with debts. If this is the case, downsizing your home can provide the financial flexibility you need to get your budget back in balance. A smaller home means lower energy bills, lower mortgage repayments and less property tax at the end of the year.
You need better neighbours
It doesn’t matter how much you love your home if you can’t stand your neighborhood. Little things such as unfriendly neighbors who don’t acknowledge you or make your life difficult can make it difficult to feel good at home. Maybe moving to a friendlier neighborhood is just what you need. One piece of advice: When you visit houses to sell, arrive a little ahead so that you can have a chat with your potential future neighbors and find out more about the local community.
You want a new adventure
Of all the reasons to move out, the one that appeals the most to our Indiana Jones’s souls is an adventurous one. What if you wanted to see new horizons? What if life could be more exciting in a new country? Every year plenty of homeowners sell their home for a sweet spot under the Mediterranean or Caribbean sun. Why not you?
This is what our family did. One holiday in Canada and we fell in love with the place. It took a couple of years to go through the process, but we sold our home, left our jobs and set off with the kids for a new life in British Columbia.
A new chapter is the opportunity to enhance your life, with a new job, with better education, with new people, etc. Why you decide to turn the page and move on is for you to say. But one thing is for sure: You can transform your new home into an epic adventure.
