As a family grows the temptation for most is to move home to accommodate the new family members, but this is not always the best approach. It seems that all of your friends and family’s advice centres around the need for extra space to cope with a new child, but is this the best advice to take? It is wise to weigh up the pros and cons of moving home before making any final decision, especially as moving home is the biggest expense most people will ever face. Before reaching that final decision, here are a few reasons that I do not believe a move is always necessary.

Property Cost

With the arrival of a new family member, your finances will already need to stretch a little further, and adding the cost of a larger mortgage to your finances could put you in a precarious position. A larger house will usually mean larger bills too, as you need to regulate the temperature of a larger house as well as maintain it and pay tax on it. Is this really the best time to be increasing your outgoings?

Floor Space

The reason to change your home is usually related to increasing floor space, but how much extra do you really need? Will an extra child really mean that you need a bigger lounge area or kitchen? The reality is that all that is usually required is an extra bedroom, and you can easily achieve that without moving home. Lofts and basements have long been used to create extra bedrooms, but creating a new room in your garden (click here for some great examples) is a possibility that many people ignore but is often the perfect choice.

Relocating

The stress of moving should be enough to change anybody’s mind about moving, so think carefully before deciding on your move. The logistics of moving all your belongings is hard enough, but the added worries of breakages and insurance claims can magnify the problem exponentially. If you are moving any distance, keeping the kids entertained on the journey, though possible, can be a nightmare; as can settling bills and closing down utility services be while setting them up at your new property. Moving is not for the faint hearted, and should, in my opinion, be the last choice.

Schools and Work

If you already have children, and they are in school, you have to consider the effect of moving on them too. You could be moving them to an area that means they need to start at a new school, and will have to leave their old friends and make new ones. For teenagers, this can be particularly troublesome; but will affect any child that has to relocate. Your new home could also cause problems relating to work, and whether it causes longer hours traveling, or difficulties while commuting, it is a problem that could be averted by simply not moving.

Perhaps your family really has outgrown your home; and if that is true, a move may be the most sensible option. However, moving home is seldom vital when a family expands, so consider these points before you commit to a new property.