Moving can be both exciting and stressful. It’s hard to leave behind your old life and everything familiar, but moving is an adventure that opens up limitless possibilities.

Knowing what to expect and how to prepare can make the transition easier and more enjoyable for everyone. There are many details to think about, from plumbing and lights to decorating and storage – but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The experience of moving into a new property like a very large home can be both easy and enjoyable.

Here are some of the best tips to help make your move smoother.

Find the Right Home For You

It all starts with finding a house that speaks to you, that you would be excited about moving into – like a very large home with all of the features you want.

Although it might seem impossible with your budget, there are always deals out there if you are patient and willing to look for them. Don’t start off by compromising. Look for the home you really want. It might take a while to find the right deal, but you’ll be glad you did when you move into your dream home.

To get the best deal on a property like a very large home, you need to be clear about what your priorities are. Some features are important to you, and you don’t want to compromise on those. If cooking is a huge part of your life, don’t settle for a small kitchen. However, other features might not be as important to you, or important at all. For example, you might not need a big garage with only one vehicle, and you don’t need a floating dock on a lake if you don’t have a boat.

You can start by clarifying on paper what you’re looking for in a place like a very large home:

• Set a budget. Be realistic about how far your funds can stretch.

• Make a list of ‘must-haves’ that you won’t compromise on.

• Decide whether or not you are willing to look at ‘fixer uppers’

• Search online to find listings that match your needs and wants.

• Find local realtors to help you. The commission will be worth it for the right deal.

• Visit open houses and set up viewings for listings. Keep doing this as long as it takes.

• Be patient. It takes time to find the perfect place.

The search phase is one of the most fun and the most frustrating. It’s fun to browse listings and keep checking out new places. At this stage, there are only possibilities. It can be frustrating, too, for the same reason. When everything is up in the air, it’s hard to envision the future and drill down on the details you want to focus on.

It’s all worth it when you find the place for you, like a very large home in a great neighborhood that looks like it is straight out of your dreams.

The average cost of a realtor is 5.37% or $8,055 in realtor fees for a $150,000 home.

Financing your New Home

It’s exciting to find a great home, but quickly you will need to figure out how to finance it and get the best deal possible.

You’ll need to get an independent appraisal. Although you can walk through the house and tap on things unless you are a licensed contractor or appraiser, you probably don’t have the skills to know whether a property needs work or how much. The difference between a turnkey property and a major fixer-upper is sometimes invisible from the outside. For a property like a very large home, the difference can be thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. Save yourself headaches and risks by finding out how much the property is really worth.

For financing, there are many options. Conventional home loans are available through your bank, and there are other options like FHA loans, VA loans, and USDA loans. Look into the terms, and get professional advice if necessary. There is a big, hairy topic that many home buyers shy away from. A mortgage is a big financial commitment that stretches far into the future. It is essential that you take enough time and ask enough questions to understand this. You’re not just looking for the best deal. You are trying to find the financing option that best suits your income and life situation.

The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage is 6.32%, and the average monthly payment is $3,048. However, rates are always changing and will depend on your circumstances.

Hiring a real estate attorney could also be helpful. While realtors can often sort out the details of a purchase, a real estate lawyer can help to negotiate terms and review and explain the details of the contract to you.

A real estate lawyer’s legal fees and disbursements cost on average $1,500.

When you are approved for a mortgage or home loan, you close the deal. You’re one step closer to moving in!

Homeowner’s Insurance

Your home is probably your most valuable possession, and it makes sense to insure it. Otherwise, a fire, natural disaster, or accident could seriously jeopardize your financial future.

You can find affordable insurance for your home that will give you peace of mind and protect your investment. This is another highly technical area that you’ll have to do some research on, but the basics of homeowner’s insurance are simple.

First, you need to decide on the kind of coverage you want to pay for. In general, you want coverage of the events that are most likely to happen, and these are also the most expensive. If you live in an area that is prone to flooding, you will want flood insurance. Since you live in an area that floods a lot… well, it could cost you.

The most common types of homeowner’s insurance cover fire, theft, and dangerous weather events. You can also purchase more specific coverage for earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, or other regional hazards. Think about what the most likely dangers in your area are, and protect yourself against them.

Choose a coverage limit that will pay for your home and possessions. Every homeowner’s insurance policy includes a maximum amount that the insurance company will pay out. If your coverage limit is less than the value of your home and possessions, you’ll end up losing money in the event of a covered loss even though you are insured. If your coverage limit is way higher than the value of your home and possessions, you are paying for a policy you don’t need.

You’ll also have a deductible. This is the amount that you’ll need to pay out of pocket in the event of a covered loss, before the insurance company steps in and pays the rest. It’s important that your deductible is low enough that you can pay it, no matter what happens.

The average cost of homeowner’s insurance is $1,428 per year, for a policy with $250,000 in dwelling coverage. However, rates depend on many different factors.

You’ll want to work with a trustworthy and reputable homeowner’s insurance company. If the worst happens, you want compensation to be quickly paid out. The last thing you need is a legal battle over details, so choose a company that has a reputation for being clear about its terms.

You might also be able to negotiate better terms by bundling insurance policies together. If you need auto or life insurance as well, you could save a lot of money and make it easier on yourself at the same time by dealing with the same company for all of your insurance needs.

Fixing Up Your New Place

Whether you’re moving into a ‘fixer-upper’ or a perfectly up-to-date property like a very large home with recent renovations, you’ll probably end up fixing or adjusting something to make it yours.

Many new homeowners find themselves unsure about what kind of jobs they can save money on by doing themselves, and which jobs absolutely require a licensed professional. Sometimes it’s a little unclear, and it depends on what your skills are, what your budget is, and how much risk you are okay with.

Some jobs are okay to do yourself – if you have the time and the energy. For example, laying out a tile floor is a big job but it doesn’t necessarily require advanced skills. You can watch a couple of YouTube videos and read a couple of articles and do it yourself. But you risk making mistakes that a professional wouldn’t make, and you should count on it taking much longer than it would take a contractor.

Other jobs should never be attempted by DIYers. You might be able to unclog a drain or install a light fixture, but most electrical and plumbing services require advanced knowledge and experience. You can’t install a water heater by yourself, or rewire the kitchen. Amateurs can cause real damage to their homes and even put themselves in danger by attempting to do complex renovations without experience.

The average cost of a renovation is $15-60 per square foot or $20,000 to $100,000 for something like a very large home.

Of course, there are a lot of tasks that are in between and depend on your personality and skills. You can do pest control and rodent removal services by yourself, but most people would be happier outsourcing this task to a professional.

Whether you choose to do renovations yourself or hire someone will depend on the budget you have, how handy you are, and how much risk you are okay with. While DIY renovations cost less, you might end up spending a lot of your time and energy on producing less-than-stellar work, which is worth factoring into your calculations.

Design and Making Your New Home Yours

Making a property like a very large home feel like your space requires more than just fixing it up. You need to furnish it and decorate it with things you love.

There are hundreds of choices to make about the interior design of your new home, from which room to use as a home office, to what kind of nursery bedding to buy. The paint you choose, curtains, artwork, throw rugs, couches, and the general arrangements and ‘feng shui’ of each room will have a huge impact on how people feel inside a place like a very large home.

Should you handle the design of your home yourself, or hire an interior designer to help?

Like renovations, this depends heavily on what your skills and expectations are. The average cost of hiring an interior designer is $5,406, with most people spending between $1,893 and $11,180.

If you know exactly what you want and the process of designing your home is fun for you, you can probably handle this yourself. However, if you want an exceptionally beautiful home interior and you don’t know where to start, hiring an interior designer might be the best decision you could make. Quality interior design can improve your living experience, and increase your home’s resale potential, too. Although designers do charge significant fees for their services, they also provide massive value.

Move In the Easy Way

When you have handled all of the money, paperwork, and red tape, all that is left is to get your stuff together and move in!

This should be an effortlessly fun part of the process, but it usually ends up being one of the most stressful. There is a lot to remember, and you need to handle both logistics and your emotions as you get everything together.

Hiring the best moving company you can afford makes a big difference. While you can save money by asking friends or relatives to help, none of you have the skills that experienced movers have, and the process will take much longer. You could also end up unintentionally damaging your furniture or belongings.

The average cost of a move in 2023 is $1,250. That’s more than pizza and beer, but professional movers will get the job done faster, and keep your property safe, and you won’t owe them a favor when the whole thing is done.

Stress Less, Move Right

Moving into a new place like a very large home can be overwhelming. There are a lot of details and a lot of pressure to get things right. By planning things in advance, knowing what you want, and working with professionals like the best moving company, contractors, real estate agents, lawyers, and interior designers, you can stress less and enjoy the process of moving into your dream home.