Why You Should Consider Moving After The Loss Of A Loved One

Lucille Rosetti, info@thebereaved.org.

While the loss of a loved one and moving are considered two of life’s greatest stressors, the change that comes with immersing yourself in a new environment can be good for your mental health in more ways than one. However, uprooting your life isn’t something you should do immediately. It’s best to wait, if possible, at least once year to give yourself time to grieve and to say goodbye to the space you once shared.

When you’re ready and you finally decide to make the jump, creating an organized plan for the buying, selling, and, and moving process can help you focus on starting the next chapter of your life with as little stress as possible.

Why Moving Is A Smart Decision

  • It can feel good to get a fresh start: Moving gives you the opportunity to reinvent yourself. When you live in the same place for a long time, things can become too routine. While boredom isn’t a solitary reason to uproot your entire life, it can affect your mental health and keep you from progressing. Change can be scary, but it can also be exciting when you know new opportunities are on the horizon.
  • You’ll experience life differently: If you move to a completely different type of place — city or rural, mountains or sea — it can change how you’ve been currently living your life and allow you to gain a new perspective coupled with different opportunities.
  • New friends equal new experiences: Studies show that making new friends can have a positive impact on your mental health — neighbors included. In fact, evidence shows we actually experience feel-good emotions when talking to strangers. Making new friends from different backgrounds and perspectives can help you grow as a person in the new city or town you live in.
  • Moving into a better home can improve your mental state: Better doesn’t necessarily mean bigger. In fact, you could even be downsizing. The point is that a clean, comfortable, updated home can boost your mood. If possible, consider purchasing new furniture for your fresh start. No need to replace everything — but bringing along old furnishings may only prompt memories that can lead to sadness.
  • You’ll have greater clarity: Moving prompts a psychological breaking point that can force you to reflect on yourself — for better or for worse — in order to face fears, reach goals, and manage the grieving process more efficiently.

Key Relocation Tips

  • If you lost a spouse, try to sell your home within two-to-five years from his/her death so you can claim the same tax exclusion that you would be honored if you were still married — you may even be able to carry over your existing tax base to your new home if it is lower in price.
  • Contact a local realtor and ask them to perform a Comparative Market Analysis of your current home to determine its value. An inspector will give you an honest opinion on what improvements can be made in order to increase the the value. For example, the median listing price for a home in Palm Desert, CA, is $400,000.
  • If you’re 62 or older, don’t have a substantial income, and require financing to purchase a new home, consider a reverse mortgage. There’s no credit or income criteria required.
  • Don’t forget to make a change of address checklist to ensure you receive all of your mail.
  • When going through a loved one’s personal belongings, take your time making decisions on what to keep and what to pitch or donate. If you’re too hasty, you might regret it in the future. Do get rid of dead weight items such as socks and underwear, books and movies and don’t feel guilty about doing so — it’s impossible to hold on to everything. Consider memorializing items in a creative way such as turning pieces of clothing into a quilt.
  • Hire moving and packing services to make the process easier on you mentally and physically. As you are still in the grieving process, it can be difficult to pack up all of your old memories. Having professional help can give you some breathing room. Plus, packing and moving experts also have an efficient way of organizing boxes so the move-in process is more seamless. Save yourself a headache; HireAHelper strongly recommends doing your research and comparing prices before settling on a particular company.

While grief will follow you wherever you go, new surroundings — after a reasonable amount of time has passed — can help you regain a sense of purpose. Don’t look at moving as running away. Look at it as an opportunity to save your own life after losing someone you loved.

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