If your family is growing, there’s a good chance that your home might no longer meet your needs. As you age, there also may be some ways in which your home is no longer working for you, such as stairs that may become too challenging or simply having a home that’s too big for the size of your family. Deciding whether to move houses or upgrade your home to better suit your lifestyle is a big decision with a lot of factors. If you’re trying to decide what’s the right move for you, read on for more information:

1. Think Long Term
While moving can be really exciting, it can also be a source of a ton of stress, added expense and even a logistical nightmare. You’re going to need to think about the pros and cons to moving, not just in terms of cost – although that’s really important – but in terms of your lifestyle long term. It can take quite a long time to build up a community, to get to know your neighbours, your way around your neighbourhood and if you have children, for them to build up friendships and excel in school. Think long term about the pros and cons of moving or staying to see what would work best for your family. If you do decide to move, check out this helpful article on how to survive a move: https://www.lyliarose.com/blog/read_180418/how-to-survive-a-house-move-without-losing-your-mind.html

2. How Much Would the Upgrades Cost
If you’re thinking about moving due to a lack of space, is there a way you could organise your home to have more space. Maybe you could add on another room, convert a basement into a room or add on another room in the form of a granny flat or sleep-out. Likewise if you’re worried about how your home will work for you as you age, then you might want to look into options like easy access showers, adding in heat trace pipes, and toilets or stairlifts to help you get between the levels of your home. Make a list of the upgrades you would need in order for your home to work for you and try to get some quotes for them so you can get an idea of how much it will cost to transform your home into the perfect home for your changing lifestyle.

3. Think About the Real Costs of a Move
Moving costs a lot more than just the cost of purchasing a new home or the moving costs if you’re renting. There’s the emotional costs of having to set up a new life somewhere else – it can be a fun journey or it can just be a source of stress, this will depend on your personal factors. If you’re changing rental properties then you’re paying agent fees, and if you’re buying and selling to move you’ll lose money on each end for lawyer’s fees, there’s also the cost of moving your furniture whether you use a professional service or do it yourself.

If you know someone who’s moved recently, why not consider gifting them one of these best wine gift ideas.