Moving to a bigger house before your baby arrives is a top idea. Babies might start life snuggled neatly into a moses basket, but a house can shrink before your eyes when you need a nursery and rooms start filling up with baby gear.
If you're thinking of moving soon make your search to buy, rent or sell your property easier with Zoopla. Its property listings feature on school admission maps so you can see if a house is within cut-off distance and catchment area of a particular school as well as recalculate home to school distances if you were to move to a different house – and they can show the admission success for families living in that area.
Because moving can pile on the pressure – especially when you're growing a baby 24/7. We’ve teamed up with Zoopla with this guide to the easy, stress-free move you both need.
At a glance
- It's a stressful time as well as organising, try to relax
- Make sure you get help lifting and carrying
- Chances are you'll have to change GP
It’s all in the planning
Research shows that moving house can be one of the greatest stresses we face in our lives, topping illness, loss of employment and even divorce. But with some careful planning, it doesn’t need to be. Get it right, and moving to your new gorgeous house will be the positive experience it’s meant to be for you and your lovely bump.
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Stay happy and healthy
We all know you need to minimise stress and relax while you’re pregnant, but in the rush of moving other people can forget how much rest you need. Being under additional strain during pregnancy increases the likelihood of post natal depression - more so than biological or hormonal factors. So try not to take on too much, and if you start feeling overwhelmed, make sure you’re talking to someone.
Get help
You shouldn’t lift or carry anything heavy, and you need to rest too. So ask friends and family for help. Find a good removal firm, and why not get a quote for having your stuff packed up? It’s often surprisingly affordable and makes the whole moving experience so much easier.
Eye on the prize
Chances are you’re moving for a positive reason – into a bigger house, to be nearer family, a great job or to escape the city. So even on the dog-tired days when you’re feeling low or stressed, remember why you’re moving and imagine relaxing in your new flash pad with a cuppa and a magazine.
Find a new GP
If you’re moving out of your current GP’s catchment area, get a list of GPs from NHS Service Finder so you can register with a new GP and arrange your antenatal care asap.
Keep the crucials
If you are in the last months of pregnancy, make sure your hospital bag doesn’t get shoved in the removal van along with everything else. You want all those exciting new baby essentials to hand just in case.