The process of moving is one of the most stressful and challenging events that can happen to just about anyone. When you are moving on your own or with a partner, it will certainly be a trying time, but having a family with children can increase the stress for everyone involved. 

This is especially true for the kids. At young ages, kids will likely only have had 1 home that they have known and grown accustomed to. They will have to leave behind their old way of life and say goodbye to their friends as they become the new kid at a new school. This can make anyone nervous!

Thankfully, our real estate team at Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty - The Salas Team is happy to share some great tips to make moving with kids in Austin easier. In fact, you can get access to a full report on the subject here: 10 tips to prepare your child for the move.

1. Consider Bringing the Children to Open Houses

Since you and your whole family will be living in the new house, you may want to consider bringing kids along with you to the open houses, depending on their ages and maturity levels. It could be a good or bad situation, so it is up to you to be the judge. 

For kids under the age of 3 who will likely need to be carried and have constant supervision, they may not be the ideal children to bring along, especially if you want to immerse yourself in the home buying experience. Besides, they won’t really know what is happening anyway, so it may be wise to leave them behind.

Older children, though, can certainly be brought to the showings. Bringing them allows them to feel included in the process and can help to eliminate some of their fear, worry, and confusion. Asking them questions about the house and property ensures that they will act better and have a level of involvement in the process.

Here’s a Pro Tip: Consider having a few coloring books, paper, and crayons on hand for entertainment. You could also make it a scavenger hunt or game with your kids as they count doors or find certain rooms. 

2. Don’t Trash Your Kids’ Old Toys While Packing

As you start packing all of your belongings into boxes, one of the first things many people want to do is declutter and throw out stuff they no longer need or want to bring to the new house. That is a great idea for all of your stuff, but you may want to reconsider it for your kids.

Rather than purge all of their stuff, have the kids participate in packing and making decisions about what is kept, donated, or thrown away. Have them separate their belongings into those three piles:

• Pile 1 comes with them to the new house. 
• Pile 2 is for donating to a local shelter or community center
• Pile 3 is only for those toys that they understand are beyond repair, and for safety’s sake, it should be tossed away.

Here’s a Pro Tip: Allowing your child to decide what to do with their worn toys provides them a feeling of control in a situation out of their control.

3. Allow Kids to Decorate Their Own Rooms

Since your kids will probably be spending a good deal of time in their own rooms, you want them to feel comfortable in them. In order to accomplish this, have your kids decorate their rooms with things they picked out with you. Take them shopping for new items! 

Some things to shop for include:

• New bedding or even a new bed
• Paint for the walls
• Pictures to hang on the wall
• New toys
• New games

Also, be sure you are always able to talk to your kids about their feelings throughout the entire moving process. Adjustment periods can range widely, so expect that possibility.

Here’s Another Pro Tip: Whatever makes your kids happy and comfortable, bring it into the room. Get ready to buy things that will comfort your child. You might even want to throw a goodbye party.

Make Moving with Kids Easier with Our Real Estate Team

If you and your family are ready to move into a new home, our team at Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty - The Salas Team is here to help make moving with kids in Austin easier. We have extensive experience working with families like yours, and we are happy to offer advice, resources, information, and tools for you to use.

To get started on your home buying journey, give us a call at 254-223-SOLD or fill out the form on this page to get a detailed response from one of our experienced realtors. We offer a no-obligation consultation, and we look forward to hearing from you! With our team, we make moving with kids in Austin and around the area so much easier with our helpful tips and resources!