Guest Post: A Guide for Parents Moving With Small Children

We're happy to feature a post by Simone McFarlane of shoestringparenting.com. She has some great advice for moving if you have small children - check out her website for more parenting posts! 

Moving is one of the most exciting and stressful things you'll have to do in life. When you factor in children, you have much more to consider before you start the process. This brief guide will help you navigate the moving process with small children and maintain your sanity.

Make Location a Priority

When searching for a home, you have to balance many considerations. How much space do you need? Is it important to have a yard? Do you have room for your small business? Every family is unique, but one factor that remains important for any homebuyer is location. Research shows that part of buying a house includes prioritizing your lifestyle needs, such as school districts, proximity to work, and available nightlife. Where you live is just as important as the house you live in.

Decide Between a Forever Home or a Starter Home

A major decision for any family is deciding between a forever home and a starter home. There are benefits for each. A forever home is typically larger and already equipped with the elements you need to fit your current lifestyle and your future plans. If you intend to further grow your family, you may benefit from purchasing a starter home. This gives you plenty of time to consider what you want in your forever home, and it's a great investment. Many people rent out their starter homes after living in them for a short time.

Write Down Everything You Need

Before searching for a home, write down everything you need from your house based on your future plans. Maybe you want a playroom for the children far enough from your home office to eliminate distractions while you work. You may need a yard for pets and a pool for summer. Be sure to present your list to a local real estate agent at Firefly Realty so they can better narrow down available homes and save time during your search. If you are willing to make compromises for the right location, make sure you express that as well.

Plan Your Moving Process in Advance

Planning ahead before you move is essential to a smooth process. For example, if you run a business out of your home, you need adequate space to set up an office and a place to store inventory or fulfill orders. Start packing early so you can move room to room and label boxes carefully. Hire a moving company to load and transport everything for you. This will cut down on the time taken away from your business and your children.

Become an Active Member of the Community

Once you get settled into your new home, you can start thinking about ways to acclimate yourself and your family to the community. Look for websites that allow parents in close proximity to meet for a play date. If you decide to relocate back to your hometown, you can use a website to search for high school graduates from your graduating class. For example, you can enter Asheville, North Carolina, and find school records and updated information on classmates in the city and surrounding suburbs. 

With this simple guide, you should be able to finish your move with minimum obstacles. Once you're in your new home, all the stress of the move will wash away. Then, your family can start to enjoy the process of learning about your new neighborhood.