How to prepare yourself for a park home move
According to recent stats, more than a half of over 55s living in the UK are considering downsizing in the next two years. Downsizing to a park home comes with many attractive advantages for homeowners, one of these being to move into a more comfortable and manageable-sized home, all on a single level.
Moving to a new home or relocating can be challenging at any age, but in later life it can become even more difficult, especially when downsizing. And as modern park homes come fully furnished you will need to downsize your belongings too. Here, we’ve gathered some top tips on how to prepare yourself for a park home move.
Allow more time than you think you’ll need
When moving, it is important to give yourself plenty of time to organise because it will inevitably take longer than you expect. It is essential that you take your time, and don’t try to sort through your entire house in one day or weekend, leaving it to the last minute.
A few weeks to a month is a realistic timeline but its worth starting as soon as you know you’ll be moving. We recommend taking it one room at a time and taking regular breaks throughout.
Starting early also gives you an opportunity to reminisce over old family photos and mementos as you work your way through your belongings.
Did you know, when you buy with Quickmove Part-Exchange you can keep hold of your house keys for an extra 2 weeks? This ‘License to Occupy’ means you can move out at your leisure rather than all in one day.
Sort and de-clutter
When you’re downsizing to a fully-furnished park home, it is unlikely to offer enough space to store everything in your current house. So, in preparation for your move, it’s important that you have a decluttering session to decide what you will and won’t be taking with you to your new home. This starts with understanding your needs. So, if you’re moving into a two-bedroom park home, four sets of bedding should be plenty!
Read our Top tips for downsizing in retirement here.
Start small
Moving to a new house can be both physically and emotionally tiring, so it’s best to start with little areas at a time. You’re likely to have years and years of belongings to sort through which can seem very daunting.
To prevent yourself from getting overwhelmed, try creating a plan or schedule broken down by smaller projects within a room. It’s also best to start with areas which hold little emotional attachment. Garages or utility rooms are both great options.
Looking for a park? Browse a selection of recommended developments with our find a park page.
Moving to a new home with Pets
Most park home developments recommended by Quickmove are pet friendly. You can ensure that moving to a new house with pets is stress-free for your pooch or feline friend by keeping your routine the same while you pack and as similar as possible on moving day.
Scent is also important to your dog and is a key part of the way they identify an area as safe or ‘theirs’. Making sure to bring in blankets and cushions that smell like home will really help your dog settle in.
Ask for Help
It is important to enlist family members, neighbours, or friends to help, delegating tasks to lighten the load. Coming together to tackle each part of the move makes it much less stressful.
To avoid cluttering up your new home you could even schedule an at-home pick-up from a removal service to take away your old possessions and dispose of them responsibility.
Read our full Frequently Asked Questions here
Consider your new lifestyle
You should also remember the bigger picture of what you’re hoping to gain from moving to a park home. It is important that you consider not just what will fit physically in your new home, but also what items fit in what you want out of your new space.
Moving to a park home is a great chance to reset and revamp your living space – so take advantage of that! A number of residential parks offer park homes with adjacent garages for extra storage, please ask Quickmove if this is an important requirement.
For more inspiration and info, read our article What is it like to live on a Residential Park?
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