Let’s talk house moves with Pegasus Life - £300 voucher to be won

I am so fed up of moving as I am now in my 4th home in 6 years, all involved selling houses and buying new ones. Each move is a massive upheaval , stress, heartache, emotional rollercoaster, and of course very expensive, around £15k in fees etc each move. The decluttering does not bother me as I do not have much clutter, I am very minimalist. Now in a bungalow due to long term chronic disability issues, one level living is fantastic, no more falling down stairs, BUT we seem to have bought a nightmare property with loads of issues which is causing me endless stress as I am here 24/7 no escape from all the problems (mainly due to neglect of maintenance from the elderly people who lived here before). Hopefully this is my last move for a long time, unless the place falls down which would not surprise me!

The thought of moving house and de cluttering fills me with horror.i have put off de cluttering for 20 years! Awful to admit but I cannot face it! I had a breakdown earlier on in the year and the fear of dealing with things hasn’t helped. When I go to bed I tell myself that I will overcome this! Here’s to hoping?

Two years ago, after living in London for over 40 years, I made the decision to move back to my roots in Scotland (born in Edinburgh). I sold my flat & as house prices are so much cheaper up here, I could afford to buy a lovely house for me and still have some left over for a flat in London for my daughter! The feeling of freedom after I had de-cluttered was wonderful! I now live in a lovely peaceful village just outside Edinburgh & as a lovely bonus it's only five minutes away from my sister & her husband. Some friends thought I might miss the liveliness of London but that's not the case at all.
I can go to London whenever I want to visit my daughter & I get to see my sister much more frequently now she's nearby.
I call that a win for everyone.

I'm in the process of moving right now!
In the 800-year-old cottage, I had been renting the roof started to collapse endangering my safety so I had to move out...
What a stressful time it has been, packing up to go back to the estate I had left only 8 months previously, into a much smaller house, all of which made me realise I had too much stuff!
Luckily there was a garage, so at least I could store boxes and unpack as and when.
The advice I can give is to take it a day at a time and write lists of everything that has to be done e.g. cancelling the electricity and water, letting your bank know your new address, redirecting post (quite expensive but worth it in the long run) informing telephone & internet provider etc.
This is the 6th move I've had to make since arriving in the UK in 2006; at that time I moved continents which was not something I would ever recommend!
Make sure the removal company is a reputable one and has insurance. The local man I used for this move (because he was cheap!) smashed my mini oven and hid it in a box in the garage; once I'd paid him he disappeared never to be seen again!
This is a time when you need friends, not only for moral support but also to help carry boxes, unpack books and make tea!
It is said moving home is as stressful as going through a divorce! However, it has to be got through and eventually the time will come when you can sit back look around your new home and say to yourself 'I did it'!!

Oh the mere thought of moving gives me the shivers! Not the actual move, but the preperation. All thoses boxes, wrapping stuff in newspaper, trying to decide what to throw away! Best move ever was years ago in a company owned house, they paid for it to be done for you. Within 12 hours a company of blokes packed up a 3 bedroom house, including making a wooden packing case to transport a glass topped table. My job was to provide tea/coffee. Totally magic!

Although there are some that can flit from one house to the next without a flicker I think for most it can be a very, very stressful process.
In the past when finding a dream home or the "one" it has also turned out to be the same for others and then have been in the horrible situation of being outbid or gazumped by a cash buyer. Lots of problems then follow especially if you have a buyer for your own home.
De-cluttering can be stressful but my tip would be to think well ahead especially if you may downsize in the future for retirement. If you start clearing out early and gradually this will lessen any future stress and help you see clearly what you do want in a home for the future. Sometimes when you look at your stuff you maybe don't want to get rid of many things that are hobby related as these will keep you ticking over in retirement.
Ideally what would make me consider a move in the future would be if I was lucky enough to receive a windfall which would allow me to move gradually while still in the current property allowing plenty of time to readjust...hmm I must remember to buy that lottery ticket, lol.

I feel the time has come to leave our family home and make the move to somewhere that is easier to maintain, has a smaller garden and is more centrally located from the point of view of amenities such as shops and public transport.
However, definitely don't feel my husband and I can move until I have had a major de-clutter. Started last spring and am making good progress but will probably need to do the same again before we can downsize.
For me, the worst bit is the stress of house moving from the point of view of the people and institutions involved - so much that can go wrong!
I have heard of 'part exchange' schemes where the housebuilder buys your house from you at the market rate: no estate agents fees and no worry about completion dates etc. you just move when your new property is ready. That sounds very appealing!

Most people I think find moving house stressful, and becomes more so when you are older.
I am unafraid of moving because I moved frequently as a child, and many times as an adult due to work commitments.

We made our final (possibly) move 10 years ago, anticipating problems that may crop up when we become decrepit. We wanted warm, easily managed, low maintenance house with small garden, downstairs, shower and loo. Perfect.

I would never consider moving to a retirement complex because the ones I have seen do not cater adequately for my needs, and I would not like to live in a ghetto of other elderly folk.

For example I would hate to live next door to such as my 95 year old mother who has her TV blaring at all times day and night.

I have found that many retirement complexes are vastly over priced for what they offer, and the ones I have seen have very expensive maintenance costs, and restrictive clauses when relatives need to sell them on.

The rooms are invariably small, with tiny bedrooms, little room for visitors and grandchildren, and kitchens are poky, with my pet hate, washer/dryers.

There is inadequate storage, and no laundry rooms, and washing cannot be hung outside. Nowhere for bikes and outdoor wet kit.

Sorry Pegasus Life - I don't think I fit your profile!

Having experienced a house sale fall through 4 days before completion when the buyer pulled out, the thought of attempting a house sale fills me with dread! I really think the house buying process needs a massive shake up, a system where someone can just change their mind at the last minute, leaving a family (well, families due to the house chain collapsing) high and dry, upset and considerably out of pocket can't be right.

I have moved house over a dozen times since I was 17 and left home. I have never really been 'attached' to a house I have lived in so leaving has never been an issue for me, I take my life with me when I move and still keep in touch with friends I have made over the decades. Although I currently live in an annex next to my daughter's house and look after my grandchildren I do really miss adult company. My daughter works long hours and is not in the mood for conversation when she gets home so one thing that might influence me to move into a retirement complex would be having that contact with other adults (I do voluntary work which helps a lot).

As our son still lives with us, our home seems satisfactory at present, although I would love to move to a bungalow.

As my husband and I are getting older and we needed care, living on one level would be much easier than having to climb stairs.

However my husband loves his garden, growing flowers, plants and vegetables, and we have a decent sized garden at the home we have now. Also it's in a good location for the village, parks, dog walking and I have lots of friends here.

The idea of decluttering sounds inspirational to me, though my husband keeps all sorts of momentos.

Luckily we are both fit and well at present, but looking to the future I would like to move to somewhere more suitable.

I think moving can be especially stressful for those who haven’t moved house much in their lives. The de-cluttering that comes with downsizing from a larger family home can be challenging. However the benefits are huge if it’s undertaken well before a decision to move to a development of flats for older people and/or becoming a widow/widower. I have some very lonely elderly people living round about me in the homes they once shared with partners and children so I can see the benefits of moving to a ‘community’ of others in a similar position, at a certain point in life. The key is knowing when that point is - inevitably it’s a very individual thing and not for everyone.

Everything to do with moving is stressful and hard work.

Dear Pegasus life.
I don't think for one moment that my comment on moving will go into your draw: but here it is anyway.

I have moved many times but the last ( 5yrs ago) was so stressful thanks to the 2 solicitors involved that I gave thought to hiring a hit man to put them through some pain.

I would love to move to a smaller home but DH doesnt. Also the worry that one of us will be left alone eventually is a big worry for me too. We have so much 'stuff' plus a large garden shed and a greenhouse. The thought of sorting it all out, packing up and dealing with utility companies to get things changed and reconnected is to awful to think about, so i guess we will stay put until we have no choice or dont even care. Sad ending to life in a reasonably happy home.

We moved a lot when I was a child so I thought is was nothing out of the ordinary. When my husband and I had the children we moved out of his bachelor pad into a 200 year old cob cottage, we got it just as we wanted then had to move. My mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer and my father was disabled so we pooled resources and bought a huge 1970's house. There were 8 of us back then. Since then both my father and husband have died and all the children are grown up with homes of their own. Mother and I bit the bullet 4 years ago and downsized to a lovely detached house not far from where we were. The palaver of moving this last time really got to both of us, so much "stuff" to dispose of - never doing it again!!
Neither of us would be happy in an apartment, I love being upstairs in my own space and Mother has her own space downstairs. I spend masses of time in the garden getting it just how we want it - an ever changing plan. I could not bear to be surrounded by people of the same age and I have a feeling that the costs would be prohibitive.

I need to downsize. BUT - the thought of having people looking round my house, then dealing with estate agents and solicitors puts me off. Last time we got stuck in a chain which kept collapsing. Awful - months and months.
Also the idea of clearing out and packing up. I had a blitz on the study and the loft and that went on and on - and I was only clearing out, not packing.
I just feel too tired to do it all

I may be unusual but love moving house and have done so many times. I think I have packing down to what works for me and removal company. Lighter boxes all labelled with room and contents.
I always have a washing up bowl with mugs T spoons tea coffee sugar and biscuits, plasters (great for all involved)
I cook a meal that I freeze to take with us in freezer bag, and put in with it bowls spoons and a few treats

We moved with my husband’s job from Essex to North Yorkshire with several stops in between. I loved moving and feel as thought that I could do another although age and finance get somewhat in the way!!!

I feel intimidated at the idea of living in a retirement flat because I don't want to live with just one age group. Perhaps if I knew someone who had done it I might feel differently.

Moving house is supposed to be very stressful but I find it invigorating but that could be because I haven't lived a long time in one place. It is good to feel everything is in order for the family when we die.

I hate moving having moved a lot as a child. Therefore we have only moved once in the last 30 years and that was for a bigger house and garden in the same village. I am sure that we will have to move eventually as this house is too large and cold to grow very old in. I haven't thought about it yet but I know I will find it extremely difficult.

I have lived in my first floor flat for 22 years.Never really liked it so don't know why I have stayed so long.I suspect I didn't fancy the upheaval of moving ! However I am now starting to feel the effects of my osteo arthritis and fibromyalgia more.My partner has recently had leg problems too. I really think that I will have to move to a bungalow or ground floor flat quite soon.I dread the upheaval !

My husband and I had lived in the same house and village in the UK for twenty years and suddenly we felt we needed a change of scene.So we put the house up for sale and went to live in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands.
We bought some land with the house proceeds of the house sale and had our house built by a local builder.We have been here since 2005 and love the place.
Packing up wasn't traumatic but involved many trips to the tip and charity shops.Our possessions for the new house were put in a container and sailed their merry way to the island.
We were both 58 when we packed up and now just over 70 but no regrets.
We just decided to leave and that was it.
It has not been easy from time to time as Spanish bureaucracy can be difficult but we usually win through in the end.

My husband and I down-sized 8 years ago and now live in a bungalow which we hope will be our last home. Moving is stressful so we took the decision to do it when we were approaching 60 and still fit enough to cope with not only the move but decluttering and sorting of my accumulated items. I have to say I don’t think I would like to live in a community of similar aged people. I like young people around me.

Have you ever put off moving because it seemed too difficult?

I did, when the children were at home, even though we needed to move from the area which was becoming a target for crime, and I spent many a sleepless night listening for footsteps around my home.

What do you least look forward to about moving house?

What I would feel like in my new environment, with someone else's decor, and different noises outside.

Does the thought of decluttering when moving house fill you with dread, or does it feel like an exciting new start?

I felt liberated after making the decision.

What would make you consider moving house in the future?

Not at this moment, I love my home, my garden, my neighbours, bus routes and I have a marvellous view of the Yorkshire landscape.

Perhaps you have tips for moving house that you’d like to share?

Let someone else do the moving for you, it's well worth the money.