Moving home is one of the most stressful things we have to do in our lives. And an exciting prospect as well, but it isn’t for everyone. There are many things to consider and make a list of before moving home, whether it’s on your own, with a partner or with a family.

Moving home has a number of pros and cons that you’ll want to consider before making your decision. The pros and cons may not necessarily be the same as what you envisioned when you read the title, so I decided to separate them all individually. So without further ado, let’s get on with it!

Pros: Moving Home

• It’s a fresh start: Moving away from your hometown gives you the opportunity to break free from old habits and start fresh in a new place. You can leave behind any negative influences, bad memories, or toxic relationships that may be holding you back from being happy. You’ll get a fresh start. Maybe you’re looking for a change from your current living situation or work environment. Moving can give you an opportunity to start over with a clean slate. You’ll learn about yourself by living in another city or state. You’ll discover things about yourself that you didn’t realize before like if you’re more introverted than extroverted, or if you prefer being around kids all day instead of adults-only during dinner parties. 

• You’ll meet new people/friends: When you move into a new place, you’re likely to meet people who share similar interests as you do. You might find that living with others helps improve your social life as well as provides some much-needed company, and find yourself in a brand-new social circle, which can be exciting if you’re moving for work or for an adventure. Or you might run into people who’ve lived in the area forever and become your next-door neighbors. There also will probably be local events and activities that you can join in, which can get you involved.

• You’ll find your tribe: When you move somewhere new, it can take time before you find your niche but once you do, it’s like you’ve found your tribe. Once you’re out in the world and making friends in person, it’s easier for others to get to know you. And because everyone has a different story, you’ll have plenty to talk about with your new acquaintances. 

• Moving can be fun: Moving is fun, especially if you’ve been dreaming of a new home for some time. It can be a great time to get rid of stuff you don’t need, clean up your space, and make room for new things. It’s an opportunity to start fresh. You get to pick the paint color of your new bedroom, hang the curtains you’ve been wanting for years and even decorate your kitchen with all new appliances, also get to see new places, meet new people and take home new items. You also get to meet new challenges. Moving from one place to another can be a very exciting experience for you and your family. 

• You can experience nature and wildlife in a different way: If you’re used to living in an urban area, moving out into the country can be really cool. You can experience nature and wildlife in a different way. When you live in the city, you tend to see wildlife as something that lives on television or in zoos. Once you move out of the city, you’ll realize how much there is around us not just squirrels and birds. The woods behind my house have deer, raccoons and foxes just walking around all the time! It’s really cool.

Cons: Moving Home

• Your home won’t be ready for immediate occupation: Moving home is also a stressful time, and moving in with your parents can be even more difficult. But when you’re planning to move home along with a move to a job place change it can be even more stressful. While it might seem like the perfect solution to your problems, it’s important to consider both sides of the coin before making any hasty decisions or moving to a new job for being closer to family. 

• Moving process can be emotional: If you’re about to move, then you likely know that the process can be mentally touching. And if you’ve moved a lot in the past, then you probably recognize that all of the little details can actually be emotionally sensitive. Moving from your first place to your second place is an overwhelming process but you’ll have to confront the fact that while you’re very excited about moving into a new space, it means saying goodbye to something you’ve been very much attached to. Change is uncomfortable and sometimes scary even if it’s changing for the better. It’s also hard to quantify the rewards of moving home since they’re likely unique to each person. For some, it’s the thrill of starting fresh in a new place and making it home; for others, the opportunity to make their current home more enjoyable by fixing things they didn’t like when they first moved in. Perhaps most importantly, it can be easier on both finances and mental health if you don’t have as much space and are forced to pare down your belongings and only keep what’s truly valuable. Either way, every time you move home, you’ll learn something about yourself and learn how strong or weak you are in situations like these.

• Finding a House: Finding a house is always such a huge decision. It’s expensive, takes a lot of time, and requires careful attention to detail. It comes with so many responsibilities, and the home-finding process can be notoriously long and convoluted. There’s the initial search for a place to live, during which you scope out which areas you’re interested in living in, then the application and approval process, then the lengthy waiting period before you finally get your keys. It’s a whole lot of often-frustrating work that takes up months of your scheduled time. As a first-time homebuyer, it is overwhelmed by the intricacies of buying a house, but it’s annoying to deal with all the obstacles that come while finding a house. 

• New neighbors – worrying about fitting in: When you move into a new home, there are many aspects of your life that are going to change. Suddenly, you’re going to be spending time with many different people who were previously strangers to you. All of a sudden, you’re going to be sharing communal spaces with people who were previously just faces you saw around the neighborhood occasionally. This can be a very exciting prospect, but it can also leave us feeling a little nervous what if we don’t fit in? Many of them are very welcoming, saying hello and introducing themselves whenever they see you. But there are a few who seem to keep to themselves, and it’s concerning that it always feels like an outsider if you don’t do something about it.

• Your friends may all be far away: It’s understandable that you want to be close to your old friends. You probably have a lot of great memories there and you’re excited to see people again. However, moving home doesn’t necessarily mean life will be easier. While it may have been easy to live at home before, now things could be different. There could be feelings of resentment if your friends have changed the way they treat you since you moved home. And when you move to another place, everyone around you may have their own lives and schedules that don’t really line up with yours anymore and that’s how you realize your friends have been far away.