Relocation, relocation, relocation
Other than divorce or bereavement, moving house is commonly described as the most stressful event of peoples’ lives and the additional upheaval that comes with moving from one part of the country (or even another country) to another only serves to amplify the feelings of tension and disorientation associated with a major move.
It is not necessarily the person whose job has moved who has the most trouble adapting to a new environment. Quite often, it is the rest of the family who need the most reassurance. And, it is often 6 months after the move, when the ‘honeymoon period’ has worn off, which can be the worst time. Preventing the worst of the ‘moving blues’ is about more than just finding the right house, even though this is the one aspect of relocating which most people focus on.
“They need an infrastructure and orientation so that they don’t feel that they have just been dumped in an area” says Rosie Lambert of the Premier Relocation Company. “Most people start off thinking that relocation is just about finding a house, but they come to realise that it’s about a lot more than that.”
Rather, relocation is a long process of finding the right schools and the right part of the region to live in, down to the ‘little’ things like finding a gardener, a golf club and piano lessons for the children. This is where the services of relocation agents can help.
“We take the stress out of moving” says Vida Duncan of White Rose Relocation Services. “Our aim is that the person who is being relocated is ready to start his or her new job as soon as he or she arrives.”
To do this, relocation agents can identify, visit and prepare objective assessments of suitable properties, provide tours of the local area, make recommendations on the best schools, provide information on local leisure activities, recommend reliable tradespeople and even get the gas and electricity connected on the day you move in. They will also be on-hand to answer any queries that arise after the move has been completed.
Some agents charge by the hour (approximating to around £400-£450 per day), others on a percentage of the house value (typically 1.25%-1.5% or a percentage of any discount on the asking price that they negotiate).
However, there is only so much that an agent can do. Ultimately, says Rosie Lambert of The Premier Relocation Company, the successful relocation of you and your family depends on what you and your family are prepared to put into it. “You can usually figure out whether people are going to ‘make it’ or not” she says. “Successful relocation is all about a positive attitude.”
Rosie Lambert, The Premier Relocation Company - 0113 293 9524
Vida Duncan, White Rose Relocation - 0423 872544
Richard Knockton, Home Relocation Services - 0113 284 2288
A full list of relocation agents is available at www.relocationagents.com
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