Parents considered '˜fourth emergency service'

Adults are leaning on parents as “the fourth emergency service”, and moving back to where they grew up in the hope that mum and dad can help them sort out their lives.

According to new research, home is definitely where the heart is, with half of the 1500 adults polled saying their plan is move back to their home town in the North West, and set up home a stone’s throw from mum and dad.

But their motives may be tinged with an element of self-interest – around a fifth admitted they wanted to stay close in the hope they could have help with childcare, while nearly 18 per cent confirmed they wanted mum and dad to help out with all aspects of their life.

According to the survey, carried out by Independent Network which is part of replacement door and window specialists, VEKA Group, it positions aging parents as the “fourth emergency service” for young families.

The research revealed the average Brit moves home six times over the course of their lifetime, with most moves taking place before we hit middle age: a third of 20 somethings up sticks and move house between three and five times.

However by 40, around half of homeowners in the North West are keen to settle down, with no plans to move again.

Perhaps staying put after 40 isn’t so surprising – the research also listed the top stress factors linked to moving home, from the costs to just measuring the curtains, dealing with upset pets and leaving behind the neighbours.

Settling in

However once they’ve made that final move, homeowners’ focus shifts to ensuring it is just as they want it – spending around five months to complete home improvements to make the new property really feel like ‘home’, according to the report.

A spokesman for Independent Network, said: “Moving house can be one of the most stressful things you can do. Very few of us experience a hitch free move, whether it’s all the legal red tape or being faced with a lot more repairs and DIY when we finally get to the new house.

“Creating the perfect forever home for your family’s needs can take time. New windows and doors are one of the first things that people want to do when they move to a new home and given that it can take as little as a day, the survey results show that home movers in the North West often spend more time than this on unpacking boxes and putting up pictures!”

Costs add up

The overall cost of moving, followed by how long it all takes, were voted as the most stressful aspects of a house move.

But even when we’re in, the work doesn’t stop: the typical adult will spend seven hours assembling furniture and 13 hours will be spent painting the walls.

Putting up pictures, shelves, mirrors and lights will be a further ten hours and another ten will be spent cleaning. Meanwhile the scale of moving home has been broken down to reveal it involves some 30 cardboard boxes, 25 screws, 21 old newspapers and a whopping 31 cups of tea.

The hidden costs of moving house were also revealed – with the typical adults having to take four days off work. Aside from the cost of the new property, we spend around £4735 on extras related to the move.

While around 18 per cent of homeowners move to get away from bad neighbours, most enter the property market in search of more space for children and the dream of a more rural property.

Stress factor

Research for replacement door and window specialists, VEKA Group, also reveals what stresses us most about moving home.

Top stress issue is the cost of the move, including the hidden costs that take us by surprise.

The time it all takes scores highly too, with hold-ups with solicitors, frustrating legal tape, wrangling with difficult buyers and vendors, and problems with estate agents all adding up.

Unexpected repairs and decorating is another stress point, while the sheer emotion of leaving your old home and neighbours, dealing with upset pets and the upheaval it causes to children all scoring high.

Even apparently little things, like organising our change of address details and utility providers can tip our stress levels over the edge.

VEKA Group is the UK’s largest replacement door and windows manufacturer, and is recognised for continuous development of new market leading products. Find out more here inveka.co.uk