Temecula's Real Estate Blog

Moving – Don’t Stress the Kids and Pets

Be Most people think it is the buyers, sellers or real estate agents that get stressed when moving. In reality, it is the kids and pets.

Most people believe the buyers and sellers of real estate are the ones who get stressed out the most during a move—Nope!    Some think it’s the Real Estate Agents or Lenders— Nope!    It’s the kids and the pets!!!

Moving is a major change for all members of the family. Adult responsibilities weigh heavily when keeping track of all the tasks to make a move go smoothly. If you have children, this may be a difficult time to focus on their problems, too, but it’s also one of the most crucial times to keep their concerns in mind.

Sometimes what seems like a major disruption to grownups is viewed as an adventure to the kids. Still, changing homes can also upset feelings of stability (in the case of younger children) and belonging (in the case of teens). These are special concerns for these age groups.

The most important thing a parent can do is maintain normal routines as much as possible – and when it isn’t possible, to let the kids know the apprehension about a big life change is normal, too. Try to keep calm about the move yourself, and your children will be more likely to follow your lead. It is advisable to be open about what’s happening and how everyone feels about it.

This means keeping your kids in the loop at each stage of the move. They don’t have to get a vote, but it helps everyone for them to get increasingly used to the idea of the change. Bring them along when you look at houses, make them familiar with the new area, and investigate its attractions (including kid-friendly offerings). Exploring some of this on the internet is a good way to relate your relocation to an activity they already enjoy.

Other neighborhood kids may grow distant when they know a friend is leaving. This is hurtful to your own children, but try and explain that some kids aren’t mature enough to handle it another way, and that it isn’t your kids’ or even the others’ fault.

Minimizing transitions and heading of family disputes are essential to a smooth move with kids. Try and arrange visits to the new school and meetings with the new teachers before the school year or semester starts.  When you have more than one child, make bedroom assignments in the new house as soon as possible to avoid sibling strife (comfort, privacy and age are all issues of kid politics that it is sometimes easy for grownup to forget).

If selling, pay attention to your real estate agent when they talk about price. The more attractive you price the property, the shorter time on the market, and the fewer strangers visiting the property.

Above all, be open and patient. If you pay the right attention, you will be letting your children know that, move or no move, the most important people in their life aren’t going anywhere.

All of the adjustments and changes involved in moving to a new home can be even more challenging when you have a pet. But there are ways to prepare to minimize the stress for you animals.

The preparation process can be as crucial a stage as the move itself—familiar settings are disrupted as furniture gets moved and belongings packed away. A cat or dog will wonder who all these strangers are and what’s happening to the pet’s familiar “territory”—which is how an animal sees your home.

For that reason, it’s actually a good idea to change the “landscape” a little more – on the animal’s behalf. Designate a room to remain just for your pet while the move proceeds around them, with their familiar toys, food and water, catbox, and so forth. This way they’ll have a reassuring space to spend the moving process in. It will also minimize the chance of escape by anxious animals while people are coming and going from your house more than usual, and reduce the danger of a scared cat hiding itself in the moving boxes.

Such precautions help calm your pet for the developments ahead – the move itself is stressful for pets and people alike, through this too can be minimized. If you’re flying, check ahead to see which airlines allow pets as “carry-ons”. The cargo bay is a possibility, but will isolate and possibly frighten your pet. In either case, anxiety and exposure to the elements will be lessened with a direct flight.

If you drive, make sure you know where to find hotels that allow pets rather than leaving them in the vehicle (never a good idea) and, especially with a dog, schedule frequent “rest stops” for both animal and owner. For birds, rodents, and fish, “homes away from home” work well – transport your bird or hamster in its cage, and your fish in a plastic container of water, roomy enough for the number of fish and change it regularly on longer trips.
It is always a good idea to consult a veterinarian for all the fine points.

With some advance planning and help from the right experts, the move for both your family and your pets can go off without a hitch.

For more info go to  Selling Your Home Tips