How to successfully move into a new home during the school year

Moving is stressful, and can be even tougher when you have children who are in school and your move falls during the school year. Here are some tips for making a midyear move, from Redfin real estate agent James Sharpe.

Before You Buy

1. Find the right school. If the school or district is a key factor for you, find the right school and then base your house hunt around it. Redfin has an easy to use search by schools feature feature that shows you a map of the attendance area for your selected school and when homes in that area become available.

2. Include your children in on the house search. Want your kids to get excited for the move? Ask them what they want. A playhouse? Then you'll need a spacious backyard. Their own room? Better plan for that. Bringing them along for the search gives them an opportunity to weigh in, and will help ease their transition.

Before the Move

3. Schedule a school visit. Now that you found your school, and its attendance area, get the ball rolling on your child's enrollment. You'll want to get the full checklist of items you'll need and complete the paperwork way ahead of time. Many schools will even offer you and your children a tour and meet with teachers, which can get the kids excited for the new environment.

4. Ask your family how they're feeling. Every child is unique, and age is a huge factor in their transition. Each one will react differently to the major changes ahead, so try to keep an open communication throughout the process. Set the precedence with your attitude, and let them know you care about how they feel.

During the Move

5. Give each child a job. Making them a part of the physical process guarantees they won't feel left out. Assign them tasks, like labeling boxes or letting them pick the paint colors for their new rooms.

6. Take pictures. Don't let the memories of your former home fade away. Snap plenty of photos of your old house and any places around the neighborhood that are special to you and your family. Take photos of everyone in your children's lives, including their friends, so they have something to remember them by.

7. Pack your children's room last. Packing their room last ensures that theirs will be first to be unpacked in the new house, so they can immediately make themselves at home. Encourage them to keep a bag of their toys and belongings with them during the move. It's important to keep them surrounded by familiar things, especially if you beat the moving truck to your new home.

After the Move

8. Get involved immediately. In order for your child to fully transition, they'll need to make new friends. Get them involved at school by looking into any extracurricular activities the school offers, and get yourself involved in the school's parent group. It's important for you to make friends, too, and you can accomplish both goals by setting up play dates between your children and those of the parents you'll meet.

9. Be neighborly. Baking a cake, or cookies, for your neighbors is a great step in establishing some relationship with your new community. Encourage your kids to help bake, or have them put together something for your neighbors as well. You're on the lookout for new friends for your kids to play with, so get to know all the parents in your neighborhood.

10. Keep in touch. You don't want your child to lose contact with their friends, old and new, so give them a special book to write notes and keep contact information. Reach out to their favorite teachers, too, for their email addresses so your kids can send them updates about their new surroundings.

Just remember that every situation and child is different, and there will be a few ups and downs. But keep calm and stay positive. It may take a lot of patience from both you and your children, but when it's all over you'll be rewarded with the peace of mind that you did it right. Happy moving!

Happy moving!