Their words served as an important reminder for someone with several years in the real estate business: Moving isn’t as simple as signing on the dotted line, nor does it start and end with relocating your possessions from one place to another. Just as you’ll have plenty of cardboard boxes to unpack, be prepared for some emotional baggage to poke its ugly nose into what is already an overwhelming experience. 

Toronto Real Estate: March 2021

On that note, it’s easy to feel way in over your head when talking about the current market. On the one hand, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) maintains that the market is fragile. On the other hand, home buyers aren’t slowing down. With nothing much changing in the way of vaccines and overall pandemic attitudes for at least several months, the housing market is expected to stay hot until at least the end of 2021 (maybe longer) — with the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) expecting the average selling price to top out over the $1-million mark by the end of the year. 

In the condo market, things are looking a little tighter. As demand outpaces supply, Toronto is seeing record-breaking bidding wars. The TRREB is also reporting a likely increase in condo prices over the next year; in other words, if you’re looking to buy a condo in the heart of the city, you’d better act fast before the prices catch up to you. 

The Psychology of Moving: 5 Unexpected (But Totally Normal) Feelings

I’ll let you in on a secret: Even with 10 years in the business, I still haven’t figured out how to make the moving process — scheduling the movers, saying goodbye to your old home, and unpacking in the new one — any easier. Finding your dream house is all about fun (which is why I love helping people do it). Actually settling in takes more work. 

I’ve found that a lot of people expect one of two emotions: excitement or stress. The truth is, as with any big change, relocating even a few blocks away can come with a wide range of emotions. As someone who recently moved himself, I promise you that every single one of these feelings is totally normal — even the less-than-positive ones. It’s also OK for emotions to flip-flop, as the high of your new adventure wears off or as your trepidation for the unknown settles into enthusiasm for the fresh start. 

As you prepare to close the deal on your new home, here are five emotions you might experience along the way. And since I’ve been on both sides of that white picket fence, I’ve also included a few pointers on how to manage them so that your moving experience is the best it can be. 

Anxiety

This one’s not all that surprising, but you probably expect it to go away once you’ve dotted your I’s and crossed your T’s, right? Unfortunately, a lot of people expect that actually bidding for a house is the most stressful part, but with experts such as myself along for the ride, it’s usually the smoothest. The tough stuff comes when the realtor hands you the keys. Suddenly, you’re on your own. 

Moving-induced anxiety is especially apparent if you’ve lived in one place for a long time. Chances are, you already feel at home there. What if something goes wrong during the move, or worse, your new place doesn’t meet expectations?

There’s good news: Everyone experiences this anxiety. It’s completely temporary, and once the furniture starts being unloaded, you’ll notice it start to melt away. Just like a day at the pool, all you need to do is take the plunge. 

Confusion

Have you ever looked at a restaurant menu and felt unable to make a decision? Whether you’re still researching which moving company to hire or looking at paint samples for the new master bedroom, there are still a number of decisions to be made. And with the pressure of making your new house feel like home, it can be difficult to figure out which decision is the right one.

To minimize the number of decisions you have to make all at once, ask someone you trust for input, and forget about the little things for now — where to put certain pieces of furniture and what colour to paint the front door are all decisions you can make after you’ve sat in your new home for a couple days. Let yourself grow accustomed to your new surroundings before thinking about changing them.

Grief

Yes, buying and moving to a new house will be one of the most exciting times of your life — but that doesn’t mean you won’t (or shouldn’t) mourn the old home you’d grown to love. To dispel your feelings of grief over saying goodbye, consider a going-away party (COVID-safe, of course), or taking pictures of the rooms in your old place to remember it by. If you had a garden, consider bringing one of the plants from your former house to your new one. 

Don’t forget: with the closing of one door comes the opening of another, and there are great things inside. 

Anger

You’re doing better than most if the stress caused by the other three emotions doesn’t give you a short fuse. Only saints make it through a move without snapping at their partner, or getting frustrated when their kids fight over who gets the bigger bedroom in the new house. Try to remember that this transition is temporary. Soon, you’ll be settled into the awesome new place you’ve decided to call “home,” and all those negative feelings will melt away.

Excitement

After that rollercoaster of emotions, don’t forget to let yourself feel excited. You’re moving to a new home! Endless possibilities are ahead of you, and now that you’ve finally gotten through the thick of it, let yourself bask in the excitement. I promise, it will be worth the wait.