Moving house ranked more stressful than divorce or having children

By Jacqueline Wake Young

August 31 2022, 11:45 am

Moving house is very stressful and a lot of hard work.

Moving house is more stressful than having children or going through divorce, a new poll suggests.

It was ranked the most stressful life event by 60% of Scots surveyed in the study by Legal & General Retail.

The survey revealed that the average adult in Scotland moves four times in their life.

The research investigated the most common difficulties homebuyers face and how unexpected hurdles can influence future decisions.

Having children is a handful – but some people said that moving house was more stressful.

Motivations behind moving

Many buyers have flocked to the suburbs due to flexible working policies and the poll confirms that many movers are happy to put up with the stress of moving in exchange for a garden or spare bedroom.

Stressful side effects

Scottish homebuyers have been feeling the pressure as almost two-thirds (60%) experienced increased stress levels because of moving.

While getting the keys to a new place should be exciting, Scots experienced anxiety (48%), sleep deprivation (30%), and arguments with their partner (21%).

When compared to other life-changing moments, 60% of Scots ranked moving house as the most stressful life event, more so than having a child, starting a new job, or going through a divorce.

Women were more likely to state ‘having a child’ (37%) as their second biggest stressor, while for men this was third (26%) behind job interviews (30%).

Working out the financial side of moving can be one of the biggest headaches.

Financial pain points

Many Scottish homebuyers face financial worries when looking to buy a home, as 43% dread not having enough money to cover unexpected expenses.

A third (33%) found that raising a deposit is the most difficult aspect of buying a new home.

Further, 43% of Scottish homebuyers experienced worry over financial security during their most recent move.

These financial concerns were evident for many Scottish respondents who had recently completed their move.

Scottish homebuyers paid the highest amount over budget for their most recent property on average than any other region (£1,250.50).

Scots experienced anxiety and sleep deprivation in relation to moving home.

So, what would UK homebuyers do differently next time? Some 33% said they would want to understand the complexity of buying a property more thoroughly.

Many said they would need to be more prepared with their finances with a third saying they would save more money than just the deposit.

Lessons learned

The top three actions homebuyers in Scotland would do differently were:

Saving more money than just the deposit required – 33%.

Factor in more time for the moving process end to end – 32%.

Understanding more thoroughly the complexity of the buying process – 27%.

Despite all challenges, a resounding 84% of UK adults polled (and 81% of Scots) said they would consider moving again in the future. Whatever the stresses associated with moving the respondents said buying a home was still worth it.

Despite all the challenges associated with moving home, those surveyed said it was well worth the effort.

Chief marketing officer at Legal & General Retail, Paula Llewellyn, said: “There’s no shortage of households considering moving across the UK but it’s clear it’s still an incredibly stressful life event, especially due to the financial strain of the process.”

Legal & General has developed a handy tool to help calculate any hidden costs buyers might encounter while climbing the property ladder.