Buying a new home is undoubtedly one of the most stressful and mentally challenging decisions in your life. Not only are the sums of money involved enormous, but you never know whether it is actually going to work out on a practical and psychological level. What if you don’t like your new home after a couple of weeks?

When choosing a new property, many people allow their gut feeling or intuition to guide them. Even if the house has everything they want on paper, if it doesn’t feel right, they will choose another.

Psychologists have several theories on why buying a home is such an emotional rollercoaster. The first is that going to a new property is a transition away from the norm. It’s disruptive because you are sleeping, eating, and conversing in a new environment. Things have changed. 

Personal history can also have an effect. Your old house might have many positive associations, but your new one does not.

So what can you do to cope with moving? Let’s take a look. 

Do All The Admin In Advance Before Moving

Professional movers, North American Van Lines, suggest that new homeowners do all their new-house admin first before actually making the move. This could include setting up utilities and perhaps renting nearby self-storage. Being prepared reduces stress considerably, particularly for the first couple of weeks.

Talk To Your Partner

Moving house is often stressful when partners aren’t on the same page. When it comes to the move, they may have different priorities but may fail to discuss them adequately before they make the transition. 

Make sure that you talk to your partner in detail about their expectations. Ask them what is important to them about the move and discover where your differences of opinion lie. Then search for solutions that allow both of you to have what you want. 

Create A Non-Negotiable Checklist

Realtors will often try to sell you properties that meet their criteria, not yours. And they can be very persuasive.

That’s why it’s a good idea to write a non-negotiable checklist first. This way, you can quickly check all the properties you consider against your fundamental requirements. If something comes up that doesn’t fulfill all your criteria, you can instantly scratch it off your list. 

Look At As Many Homes As You Need Before Buying

Conventional wisdom says that you should view at least five homes before committing to purchasing one. However, you may require more than that to convince you that the home you like is suitable for your needs. If you need to look at ten properties, then do so. 

Disregard The Decor

Many new home buyers make the mistake of allowing decor to factor into their decision-making process. They see a property and instantly reject it based on the tastes of the current occupant, without thinking about its true merit.

Try to avoid this limited thinking. What matters most is the layout, location, and facilities. You can easily rip out and replace any decor you don’t like in the first couple of weeks.