How To Beat The Stress of Moving

1.  Begin with the end in mind--  Have an ultimate scenario of where you're trying to be.   What will life be like when you get there?  How will it be better than where you are now?  Dwell on that picture and write it out, fill up at least one page about how it feels in the new place.  This is imperative.  Having a goal in front of you at all times energizes you to achieve it, in spite of setbacks and frustrations.   Emotions will run high and you need an anchor.  You must focus on that future goal when anxiety threatens to get the better of you.

2.  Be flexible--  In your monetary calculations, have a pad of 2 or 3 thousand dollars.  In this market, anything can happen between contract acceptance and closing.  The fact is, there are so many protections for the buyer these days, that just about anything can be a reason to negotiate what was already agreed upon.  It could be the inspections reveal areas of concern, or the appraisal may even come in low.  As your agent, I would strive to tie up these loose ends as quickly as possible, but remember there is no perfect world.

3.  Trust the process--  There's just so much to do, it's easy to panic, you wonder if it'll ever all work out.  In fact, when we bought our house, we couldn't eat for a day, we felt sick to our stomachs!   You think you're taking a big chance, but the truth is you're giving yourself a big chance.  Even though you can't see every step of the way, as you move towards your goals, the way opens up.  I know that you haven't moved in a long time and it's a major upheaval in your life.  But I've been there many, many times before, and I'll be looking out for you.  Trust that I know the way to get you there.

4.  Get knowledge--  One thing you'll probably feel during this transition time is being out of control.  It feels like everyone else has taken over your life.   The buyer, the buyer's lender, the appraiser, the inspector, they all have the power to say yes or no to your moving plans.  The termite inspector, the title company, the repairmen all can reach into your pockets and reduce your bottom line.   It stinks!  I'll try my best to let you know ahead of time what your expenses will be, and what the unknowns are.  I'll tie down the loose ends as soon as possible.  I'll try to get the buyer's loan approved within a reasonable time frame.   One way to avoid the buyer requesting repairs is to fix everything that isn't perfect in your house before selling it!  But I'd advise against it.  Probably only a few things will be required, and I guarantee it won't be the things you would expect.

5.  What is your option--  When things don't go as smoothly as you had hoped, don't let emotions take over.  Always ask yourself "What is my option?" because there are always options.  Let's pretend the buyer takes longer than agreed upon to get his loan.  You'll feel upset because you wanted to feel certain about the move and now you still have to live with uncertainity.  You want to say "Forget you, I'm fed up with this!"  But what is your options?  Cancel the agreement and find another buyer?  That may take months, plus you have to wait for the new buyer to get a loan anyway.  If the buyer's trying his best, it may be better to give him a few more days.  Each case is unique, but when the setbacks occur I've found that asking yourself this question helps to defuse the situation and restore clear-headed thinking.

6.  Seek entertainment--  When there's nothing you can do about the situation, take your mind off it all together.   Maybe you expected loan approval on Friday, but it won't come until Monday.   You hate being in limbo and feeling powerless.  So do something else entirely, maybe something where you aren't powerless.  Take walk, get out of town for the day, watch a movie, or pour yourself into your work.  Whatever diversion works best for you, now would be a good time to engage in it.  Just forget the situation and refuse to listen to those irritating thoughts when they come into your head.  Think about something else instead, and just do it one day at a time.