Why Do People Move: 6 Good Reasons to Move House

You wouldn’t do something difficult, important, and life-changing without having a good reason to do it, right?

Whenever you undertake a big challenge, you’re probably sure (or at least have every reason to hope) that it will be worth the time and effort, the risks and inconvenience, the costs and hardships involved in its completion – you will have analyzed the situation, researched your options, and gathered all the necessary information before making an important decision about your next step in life, there is no doubt about it.

If this next step involves a house move – just the kind of difficult, important and life-changing endeavor we’ve been talking about – then you most certainly have a very good motivation to start a new life in a new place.

The same rings true for all the millions of house movers who relocate around the world in pursuit of their dreams or in search of a better life – every person has their own solid reason to move and start afresh.

Have you ever wondered what these reasons might be? Why do people move from one place to another? What are they looking for? What are they running from? What are they hoping to achieve? Is your own relocation incentive among the most common reasons to move?

Care to find out? Let’s take a look at the top reasons to move to a new house:

House Related Reasons

According to a recent U.S. Census Bureau study, about half of the people who move house do so because their old home no longer suits their needs and/or preferences:

Home is too small

The need for more space is one of the main drives behind a residential move. This is quite logical, considering the fact that upsizing to a larger house with more living space can become a necessity under many different circumstances:

• When the family grows and the old home starts feeling smaller and smaller with each new child;
• When kids become old enough to need their own separate rooms;
• When the home becomes so packed with items that there is no breathing space left in it;
• When people start earning more and can afford a more spacious home that will better suit their increasingly upscale lifestyle;
• When people need extra room for work (studying, working from home, etc.) or relaxation (practicing hobbies, exercising for health, gathering family and friends, etc.).

So, if you find yourself waiting too long in line for the bathroom or can’t find a place to retreat to when you need some peace and quiet, if you want to try out your gardening skills or to be able to invite all your friends and neighbors over for a barbecue in the backyard, if your home is lacking in storage space or bursting at the seams with stuff, your best and only option is to move to a bigger house.

Related: What to know when moving to a bigger house

Home is too big

Ludicrous as it may seem, the number of people who move house because they have too much unneeded space is not much smaller than the number of people who move because they don’t have enough space. People choose to move to a smaller home when:

• Their grown-up kids move away and the large family home suddenly starts feeling like an empty labyrinth of memories, bereft of purpose and joy;
• They can no longer afford the housing expenses (rent or mortgage, monthly bills, maintenance expenses, etc.) for a large house or apartment;
• They don’t have the energy to maintain a huge home anymore.

Downsizing provides a very convenient and cost-effective solution in all similar situations.

See also: Tips for downsizing to a smaller home

Home is too expensive

The chance to save some money on household expenses is another major reason for moving house – be it to a new home in a cheaper area or to a more easily affordable home in the same city. Lower taxes, insurance rates, and utility bills, and/or cheaper overall cost of living (food, transportation, healthcare, home maintenance costs, etc.) can make a big financial difference and reduce much of the stress and frustration that come with a tight budget.

Desire for own home

While living in a rented property can be the best option for young people who have not yet found a stable job, started a family, or decided where they want to live, as well as for people who need temporary living accommodations, it is not a suitable long-term housing solution.

Homeownership comes with a great number of responsibilities but it provides a lot of wonderful opportunities as well – a chance to create the home of your dreams, freedom to enjoy the lifestyle you’ve always wanted, greater peace of mind…

So, when people settle in life and save enough money to afford buying their own house or apartment, they usually start searching for an appropriate new home and move out of their rental property as soon as they find a place that suits their needs, preferences, and available budget. This makes homeownership one of the top reasons to move house.

Desire for a better home

Upgrading to a better home – a new build, a fashionable design, a convenient layout, a modern décor, advanced home systems, attractive features, etc. – is one of the major goals for people who are not completely happy with their current living accommodations. They work hard and spend prudently in order to save enough money for a better, more comfortable home. Once they can afford it, they move into their dream house or apartment and build the life they have always wanted for themselves.

Wish to live in a better neighborhood

Even if there is nothing wrong with the house itself, people may move to another home simply because it is located in a better neighborhood – one that is safer, greener, friendlier, more prosperous, etc. One may wish to move to another neighborhood for a variety of reasons:

• Convenience. Many people decide to move house so that they can live in areas with better infrastructure, abundant local amenities, easier access to quality medical care, educational institutions, recreational centers, entertainment venues, etc.;
• Safe, family-oriented environment. Families often choose to move to safer, calmer, better-kept, child-friendlier neighborhoods with plenty of green areas, playgrounds, hobby clubs, etc., so that they can ensure the well-being of their young children and their own peaceful and enjoyable living;
• Bad relations with neighbors. Having frequent problems and conflicts with the people next door may be a good enough reason to move someplace else. Not being able to trust your neighbors or feeling uncomfortable in their company are serious issues that cannot be easily ignored (See also: Moving because of bad neighbors);
• Old neighborhood has changed. There may have been drastic negative changes in your current surroundings since the time you settled there – the crime rate may have increased significantly over the last several years, the area may have deteriorated economically or socially, the traffic may have become worse, the green areas may have been built on, etc. You may find such living conditions to be intolerable and decide to move to another area that better suits your lifestyle and your preferences.

While the need to move into a more fitting home ranks as the top reason for moving house, there are many other important incentives to relocate as well.

Family Related Reasons

Changing personal relationships – getting married or divorced, moving in with a boyfriend/girlfriend or separating from one, etc. – are the second most common reason for moving house (about 30% of all home movers relocate for family-related reasons).

People move into a new home to establish a new household, start a family, start afresh after a breakup, be closer to family, ensure the well-being of loved ones, or help them fulfill their dreams:

1. Moving after a change in marital status:

• After getting married, newlyweds move in together to start their family and establish their own household – they either move into an entirely new home or one of the spouses moves into their partner’s property. Even if they have already been living together before the marriage, the couple usually moves into a new house or apartment that is better suited to their new needs and can accommodate a growing family;
• Getting divorced also results in moving house – one of the ex-spouses moves away to a new residence or both ex-partners move to smaller homes, as one person can’t afford to keep the large family home when living on a single income.

2. Moving in together with a partner or breaking up with a partner. Similarly to getting married or divorced, moving in with a significant other or separating from one involves a move to another home.
3. Following a spouse or partner. One of the spouses/partners may need to relocate for work or study or some other important reason, leaving the other one little choice but to follow them to the new city, state, or country where they need to be.
4. Moving in pursuit of love. The person you believe to be your soul mate may live in a different city, a different state, or even a different country. If you feel that the great distance between you prevents you from being happy, so you may decide to follow your heart and move to the place where your love interest lives, so that you can be together.
5. Moving closer to elderly parents or to children. Moving to be closer to loved ones is one of the most common reasons to relocate – many people want to live nearer to family, so that they can help and support each other, spend time together and enjoy each other’s company.
6. Moving to a better school district. As children reach school age, many families decide to move house in order to provide their young ones with better educational opportunities – some cities offer higher quality education and more diverse schooling options than others, some schools have a geographical catchment area (the family must live in that area for the child to attend that particular school), etc. Parents who want to send their kids to a specific school (or just to a “good school”) may not live within the necessary catchment area, so they may decide to move to a better school district or to another city that offers the kind of education they want for their children.
7. Moving to a child-friendly neighborhood. As already discussed above, people who have young children often choose to move to child-friendly neighborhoods where their little ones will be safer and will be able to meet other kids their age – peaceful, pleasant districts with many green areas and playgrounds, close to quality medical centers, stores that specialize in kids’ items, and various other amenities that will be needed on a daily basis, etc.

Job Related Reasons

Job-related factors come in third place in the list of most common reasons to move to a new house. About 20% of all home movers relocate because of:

New job

Relocating for a new job is one of the most frequent reasons to move to a new city.

When presented with the opportunity for career advancement, higher salary, stable job, better work conditions, etc., most people are quite willing to move as far away as necessary (be it halfway across the country or even halfway across the globe) to grasp that chance.

It is also very common for people who cannot find an appropriate job in their current area or feel restricted by the lack of prospects in their fields of expertise to move to a different city or state in search of better employment opportunities.

Corporate transfers

Employees can be sent to a different city or state with a long-term assignment or can be required to relocate to another branch of the company they’re working for. Companies may relocate to another city or state or to a foreign country in an attempt to improve their business opportunities or cut down overhead costs.

In all such cases, the companies’ employees (together with their families) need to move house as well – to the place where the company is relocating to or to the city where they have been sent to – in order to keep their current jobs.

Moving closer to work

Long commutes and heavy traffic can also provide a very good incentive for moving house. Many people choose to relocate closer to their places of employment in order to save some time, money, and nerves on the way to/from work.

SEE ALSO: The ultimate job relocation guide

Moving After Retirement

Retirement (as well as aging, in general) is another major reason to move house. As people grow older, their needs and preferences change and they often decide to move into a new home that is better suited to their new wants:

• Moving for a relaxing retirement. Most elderly people wish to live in a safe and peaceful area, with year-round mild climate, low cost of living, and easy access to various local amenities. As soon as they find the right place – friendly community, nice weather, low crime rate, cheap housing options, good healthcare, pleasant green areas, plenty of local conveniences, etc. – they leave their current homes and move into their chosen retirement destination where they can enjoy the remainder of their lives in happiness and peace;
• Moving to a smaller home. Seniors often downsize to smaller homes that do not require as much maintenance and as many expenses. It is much cheaper, safer, and more convenient to live in a small, single-story home than in a large multi-story house;
• Moving to assisted living. A lot of elderly people require special medical care and constant assistance in their everyday lives. Their best option is to move into retirement communities or nursing homes for seniors where they will be taken good care of by skilled professionals (especially if they don’t have children or if their children are not in a position to look after them);
• Moving closer to children. When possible, moving closer to family benefits both the elderly and their children – the younger people can take proper care of their aging parents and the seniors can assist in the raising of their grandchildren. As already mentioned, it’s pretty common to relocate near loved ones as it can literally work miracles for both the physical and emotional well-being of people.

SEE ALSO: Tips to help seniors move

It is exactly the need to ensure one’s well-being that constitutes another good reason for moving house.

Climate and Health Issues

The climate is not among the most important reasons to relocate, yet sometimes the unfavorable climatic conditions in a certain area may result in too much trouble and cause people to consider moving to a different part of the country where the weather will be milder and less of a concern.

The freezing temperatures, heavy snowfall, and strong wind during the long winter months in some northern parts of the country cause a lot of problems (slippery icy roads, snow-covered roofs and driveways, frozen pipes, frequent colds and flus, etc.) and may result in severe health issues. When people get sick and tired (both literally and figuratively) of living in such a harsh environment, they may decide to leave their current area and move to a place with a warmer climate.

Very hot or humid climates, on the other hand, may also have a negative effect on some people (allergies, fatigue, dizziness, etc.) and make them long for crisper and cooler weather. What follows is a move to the mountains or to some more northern areas.

Climatic considerations aside, certain health issues may also trigger a residential move – people with physical ailments, such as back or knee problems, often choose to move to one-story homes; people with respiratory problems usually need to move to the suburbs or to some more rural areas where the air is much purer than in large industrial cities; people with specific medical needs may have to move closer to specialized medical centers; etc.

Dreams and Achievements

Last but not least, people often move house in pursuit of knowledge, adventures, self-discovery, and other personal dreams or goals:

• Moving to study. Academic pursuits often take people to different cities or countries that provide greater educational opportunities in their specific areas of interest. Moving to college is more common among young people, of course, but people of various ages may move house so that they have the chance to enhance their knowledge, improve their skills or acquire new ones, etc.;
• Moving to expand one’s horizons. Moving to a new place means stepping out of one’s comfort zone and experiencing new cultural practices, social relationships, behavioral norms, points of view, etc. Moving house is, in fact, quite a mind-opening experience as it gives people the chance to look at life from a different perspective;
• Moving to start afresh. Sometimes, people just need a change – a chance to start afresh and leave old regrets, disappointments, and failures behind, to find a new purpose and discover their true selves. Moving to a different place allows one to make new friends, pick up new hobbies, explore new career options, and become the person he/she has always wanted to be.

So, why do people relocate? All things considered, the best reasons to move house can be groped in four major categories:

1. Change in lifestyles – a change in family circumstances (marriage, breakup, new children, etc.), a change in income (promotion, losing a job, etc.), a change in employment status (new job, retirement, etc.), a change in priorities (no need to look after grown kids, health issues, new goals in life, desire to “return to the nature”, etc.);
2. Financial reasons – struggling with financial difficulties, need to save more money, increase in one’s disposable income, etc.;
3. Desire for convenience – desire to live closer to workplace or local amenities, desire to live in a safe and prosperous area, desire to live nearer to loved ones, etc.;
4. Pursuit of personal dreams and goals – better education,self-discovery, fresh start, pursuit of love, etc.

Now that you know all the good reasons to move to a new house, have you already found the answer to the most fundamental question of them all “Why should I move house?” (or “Why should I not move?”, for that matter)?

In case you are not absolutely sure, you may want to take a closer look at the telltale signs it’s time to move to a new house and make your final decision.