_According to mental health specialists, relocation is one of the most stressful events in individual's life, given a complex combination of factor of financial, social and emotional nature. People may be reluctant to relocate because they are afraid they will find it hard to create a new social circle in a new area. Besides, they would be leaving behind friends, colleagues and even perhaps some family members that they have built relationships with over the years. However, though relocating to another town or country may be a sad event, sometimes it is impossible to avoid this big change in one's life.

 What are the main issues to think about when considering relocation? Many of them can potentially be the same as in any situation where you live in a community (that is not in a luxury country estate with big parkland and security guards at the gate!)

 

 Experiences of many people suggest that the key problems of community living include:

 ·Parking ·Noise made by neighbours ·Speeding cars ·Noisy children/ teenagers ·Barking dogs ·Anti-social behaviour ·Environmental/ rubbish collection issues.

 Before relocating to a new area it is a good idea to do some research online. Go the council website to get a feel of the community and what are the key issues it is facing. Another useful website is Up My Street where you can find information on all sorts of things including schools and even crime rates. If you have children, look for local school ratings and reviews. These are useful also because they may indicate if there are many children and youngsters in the area. From what you find online and in local papers, does the area have a high burglary and other crime rate? After you have done desk research, it is a good idea to check the area in person. Do this at different times of the day as areas that are quiet during the day may be very different in the evenings and on weekends. If there are restaurants, pubs and clubs they may become noisy. It is also a good idea to ask local residents about the area.

 If you are relocating because of the new job, ask the new employer whether they can offer relocation assistance. Some employers do provide such help, which sometimes even includes training on cultural adaptation when relocating to another country. But not all companies offer such service as it can be very costly.

 To reduce the cost of relocation, consider bringing only the essentials to another location. It might be cheaper and more convenient buying some things in the new area. Once you have an idea of what you need to move and when, search for a good removals company. A good removals provider can reduce the stress of relocation, however this may mean a big expense on your part. One way to save is to choose a smaller man and van hire type of business rather than a big removals company. Do research online and don't forget to look beyond page 1 of Google as this industry is very competitive and the big removals companies have monopolised top search results. To get there they had to have big advertising budgets, which means their prices will be rather high too.

 After you find several man and van hire companies, find out how you are going to be billed, i.e. what is included into hourly rate, whether there are any extras for insurance, fuel etc. Contact a few selected companies to get a quote from them, preferably in writing, so that you don't end up paying hidden costs after the move. Also, ask the removals company to estimate how long the move will take given the time of day, traffic, etc. Finally, if you sign a contract read the small print to ensure you don't get any nasty surprises when it is time to make the payment.