If you are one of the many millions who are addicted to the numerous property programmes on television, you probably have had your imagination fired and maybe even picked up a few tips , maybe what you really need to start with is a reality check.

Make each member of the family tale a big piece of paper and list in order what is most important to them in their perfect home. Depending on who you are you will list, amongst other things:location, shops, schools, proximity to friends and family, work, entertainment and leisure, garden , maybe land. After this you will be adding things specific to you, maybe some where nice to walk the dogs?

Then you need to try and put together a list which meets the needs of the whole family…no point having your dream house buried in the country ,if the children have to travel an hour to school each day and dad has a two hour commute at the beginning and end of each day, because the strain will be intolerable after the initial euphoria has worn off.

Decide which of these things are essential, rather than desirable, set a firm upper price and draw a circle on a map of the area you can search within. Then you are all set. All that remains is to ensure you keep a completely open mind and look at all and any properties which meet at least the essentials on your list.

Hopefully, at some point you will be ringing up for quotes from a removals firms having found that perfect home , which makes the cost and stress worthwhile!

Moving house is an exciting time, and knowing that you are moving into a home that will be perfect for you is a wonderful feeling.

There are many ways to find your perfect home.

Drive around the areas that you know you would like to move to, and see if there are any for sale signs up anywhere.

You can always be a little cheeky, and put a note through the doors of houses that you would love to buy. This has worked for many people, and you may get to see a house before it even comes on the market.

Make yourself known to all the local estate agents. If you can build a relationship with them then you might hear about properties to see before they are advertised.

There are many websites that advertise houses and can show you where they are on a map, so it is easy to narrow down ones to look at.

Above all, remember to be realistic with your budget, and what it likely to buy you where you want to live.

While it is normal to feel sad, it is also easy to turn the feelings of sadness around, and focus on the new house.

Thinking of all the ways the new house will be better for you, your family and lifestyle are good ways to feel more positive about the move.

Remember all the reasons you decided to move house in the first place. Perhaps you are moving closer to family, or out into the fresh air of the countryside. Perhaps you are relocating for a new job, with all the possibilities that this entails.

If you employ a firm which specializes in house removals to carry out any of the packing or moving of the furniture and boxes, then you will have more time to focus on the positives associated with moving house, rather than the stress and worry that this can bring.

Taking photographs of the old house and putting them into a scrapbook can be a nice way to say goodbye to an old house, and remember the good times that were had there.

You may be tempted to think that you can easily do it yourself because ¨there are only two of us in a small house¨, but when you come to actually packing up you are likely to be astonished at how many possessions you actually have and how much packing they require.

Hiring a van and loading , driving and unloading yourself is an option but takes a great deal of preparation. You will need a vast amount of packaging materials if things are to arrive undamaged and the means to move items such as fridges and freezers safely.

A professional removals firm will do all the packing for you , including safely packing and transporting unusual ( a big aquarium?) bulky ( that 12 foot dresser?) and valuable ( that fragile antique glass?) items. What´s more they will all be insured in the unlikely event that damage should occur.

Some customers simply walk out of the house on the day of the move, leaving the whole house including a fully stocked fridge to be moved, others prefer to do some of the packing themselves and leave bigger items to the removals firm. If you choose the later course then make sure you check the insurance situation with them ,as stuff you pack yourself is often not covered by them.

A good professional removals company will visit before hand to give you an estimate and advice if you want and this is a service well worth asking for. The check lists they provide are really useful, full of many tips on making the move a smooth one. They will also be able to arrange temporary storage if , for example, you don´t want to take all your furniture immediately because you have alterations or decorating to do.

All companies provide quotes, so prior to the move speak to several companies to find the most appropriate for you and know that you have done the most you can to reduce the stress of moving.