Dear Crabby,
We need to move, and it is so difficult to pick the right time. Do we move when the kids are in school or out of school? Should we move in the summer or the winter? Is there a formula for all of this, or do we just learn as we make our mistakes?
Sincerely, Fretful Freddi
Dear Fretful Freddi,
Is there a formula that makes moving easier? Yes, I say just don’t move! Other than that, no, you are stuck with all the dilemmas you mentioned and more. I have done many of those things myself in the past and you try to think of everything, but inevitably you miss something, and it becomes a learning curve. The good thing is that we survive and so do the kids, and life moves along. I had a friend that moved many times for business, and he told me he always tried to move in the spring before
school let out. He felt that he got the best deals then and that his kids would get a chance to meet their classmates before summer vacation. It sounded a bit brutal to me, but then that seemed to work for him. I know that when you are house hunting and really have the bug for buying a new house, it seems like you need to do it right away. There is something to be said about that too. We have waited a few times and lost out on the house we really wanted. When the market is selling well, then you will need to be speedy in order to grab the house you want. Also, my dad always told me that, “The grass is always greener on the other side!” Meaning that you think by moving you will solve all your problems and this will be the end all, but that is not always the case. We moved one time only to find that the house we bought needed to have the sewer in the basement all replaced. After passing several inspections, we still had a foul smell and ended up having to hire someone to break up to cement with jack hammers. They found out that the sewer lines had rotted out through the bottom causing the raw sewage to seep into the dirt, which explained the smell that was coming back into the house. That was not a pleasant surprise for us new home owners. Try explaining to your wife that instead of those nice blinds she wanted, you need to buy a whole new sewer system! We did finally get the blinds too – eleven years later! So, I guess you need to make your own decisions. It seems like it’s one of those necessary things in life that when it’s time to move, you just know. Hope it all works out for you and that your kids live through the transition. Mrs. Crabby and I were always looking for a way to prepay all the counseling bills our kids might someday have – never did find it!
Sincerely, Dear Crabby
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