There’s no doubt that things change in a home when it’s put on the market. Those changes can cause stress for the entire family.

Fortunately, there are ways to reduce that stress considerably. With a little bit of planning, you can even make the home selling process a relatively pleasant experience for everyone.

The first step is to talk candidly with your family, especially kids, about their feelings and concerns regarding selling your home and moving. Their worries may include:

• Losing connections with friends.
• Finding a new job.
• Starting a new school.
• Disruptions in the home during viewings.
• Work involved in preparing the home for sale.
• Keeping the home clean and tidy for viewings.

The more you’re aware of how your family feels about the process, the better you can deal with those issues.

Keeping the home clean for viewings and open houses is usually one of the major stressors. It may feel like you’re tidying up for a special guest several times a week! A solution worth considering is hiring a maid service on a short-term basis. That help can save you a lot of time and stress, especially if you’re also searching for a new home.

During viewings, it’s best for you and your family to be out of the home. So, consider planning little adventures. You can visit a museum, eat at a restaurant you’ve been wanting to try for months, or take the gang to a recreation centre. These ideas will go a long way toward alleviating the sense of being “kicked out” of your own home!

While shopping for a new home, you will likely view a lot of properties and may even attend a few open houses. That’s part of the process of finding your next dream home.

But there is another type of open house you should also attend. It’s one for which you need no invitation – the “neighbourhood open house.”

Of course, this isn’t an actual advertised open house. The term simply means that you’re able to view any neighbourhood you’d like to live in and try it on for size.

So when viewing a home or attending an open house, take some time to explore the neighbourhood. Get a sense of what it’s going to be like to live there. You can:

• Take a walk around the block.
• Visit the local park and playground.
• Have a coffee at a local cafe.
• Visit the local school.
• Test access to commuting routes to work.
• Check out daycare facilities.
• Drive to the local shopping centre.
• Investigate local features, such as theatres, restaurants and golf courses.

The neighbourhood you live in is just as important as the home itself. Before you buy, make sure you get to see your neighbourhood too.

Even if you live in a beautiful home in a great neighbourhood, a dispute with a neighbour can make living there a miserable experience. That’s why it makes sense to settle such disputes quickly and amicably.

How do you do that? Here are some tips:

1. Deal with the issue quickly. It’s tempting to avoid facing an unpleasant dispute with a neighbour and hope the problem just goes away. That rarely happens. To settle a dispute, you need to act quickly.
2. Avoid displays of anger. Acting angrily typically only gets the other party on the defensive. It can escalate the situation and rarely, if ever, leads to a resolution.
3. Isolate the problem. Never generalize a dispute with a neighbour. Be specific.
4. Don’t complain; propose. Rather than complaining about loud music at night, propose a solution. For example, “When our front lights have been turned off, that means we’ve gone to bed. Would it be possible to turn down the music at that time? Thanks!”
5. Say thanks when there’s a resolution. You may never be close friends, but being cordial will go a long way toward easing the tension.

“Congratulations. Today is the day. You’re off to great places. You're on your way!”

Dr. Seuss

“Don't mistake activity with achievement.”

John Wooden

“Doing the best in the moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”

Oprah Winfrey