George Berry, Residential Area Manager, looks at the post Christmas rush to Rightmove and how the pressures of the season prompt us to reassess our homes and lives.
It is madness that after all the frenetic run up to Christmas, parties and hosting and not to mention the expenditure, that it ends abruptly on Boxing Day. It is the day that Rightmove witnesses its biggest web traffic of the year.
What does that tell us? Either people are bored and escape into the dream world of a new home search or the tensions of rarely dedicated time with each other makes us re-evaluate our lives. It is a sorry state of affairs that divorce lawyers complete the vast majority of their annual target in January.
We all get caught up on the treadmill that is our lives and it takes real effort to get off it. However, maybe we need to pause and change our annual festive patterns to alter the potential path of the fate. For instance, if we went on holiday rather than have Christmas at home, stresses and strains may dissipate. In addition, the sheer commercialism of all the gifts may be reduced to focus on time with loved ones rather than be suffocated by wrapping paper and Sellotape.
Do you need some space?
Not only does hosting the volume of family and friends test even the strongest of relationships but it puts pressure on the spatial abilities of our homes. Room swapping, inflatable beds and blankets on sofas can also be a big driver to Rightmove to suggest the need for more space.
With family together, it is often a time for big plans and big conversations and the reality of situations becomes apparent. Maybe it is an elderly relative showing signs they can no longer be independent or a boomerang child and their partner craving their own space but unable to get on the property ladder. Is it any wonder we are seeing a rise and return of multi-generations pooling resources and buying one property with annexe accommodation to provide for these changing needs?
So, as we make plans for the forthcoming year and new resolutions it is a perfect chance to focus. Will a new house move really paper over the cracks or do we need to look at the mirror and address the issues and concerns closer to home first?
Do you need to move at all?
Maybe redecorating, decluttering, re-configuring furniture or even room uses may make a start and it might become apparent that that a home move is not even required. A potential garage conversion or extension may provide for the additional space that the festivities highlighted was needed.
The grass of a new home may initially appear greener and whilst for many the reality may well be the case we must not rule out that our existing home may be able to solve our needs. With careful consideration and planning it may also increase the value. Of course, there may come a time when a move is required and we may need to upsize but as mortgage rates increase and living costs rise, the probability is higher that the next move will be a downsize. If only to buy time before we can potentially upsize again.
When the economy is tough and the purse strings strained it is a perfect chance to evaluate what we really need. Combine this with the festive period, as we all clamber around shops for presents and then post-Christmas bargains, the one thing we all lack but costs nothing is time.
Spending time with family and friends costs far less but gives so much more. It is a perfect chance to have a new year, a new you and maybe not necessarily a new home.
This article first appeared in the Diss Express.
