Lifestyle

Moving to Your Own Place After a Divorce: How to Find Something Affordable and Safe as a Single Parent

Are you recently divorced or going through a divorce right now? If so, the emotional strain can be hard on your personal life. While dealing with the rollercoaster of pain and suffering is normal for most people when they split up, life still goes on. If you’re a single parent, things can be even more challenging if you need to move out of your current home. Making sure that you and the kids are taken care of is the main priority. Here are just a few ways that you can make the experience a smooth and successful one.

Moving to Your Own Place After a Divorce: How to Find Something Affordable and Safe as a Single Parent

 

Making it a Stress-Free Experience

No matter how far away you move, it can be stressful dealing with time-frames and financial woes that you may face along the way. That’s why it’s important to have a few things in place to ensure that you keep stress levels down. This starts with pre-planning. Get everything in order prior to your move. Such as:

  • Setting up a moving company or transport van, like North American Van Lines well in advance to assist you with your move.
  • Finding a reliable person to help you pack or move if you don’t hire a moving company.
  • Have a document or list of phone numbers for utility companies at your current residence and new place of residence.
  • Create a moving day survival kit with necessary items that you don’t want to be packed away such as toiletries, phone accessories, nourishment and bedding.

Don’t forget to take time out for yourself during a stressful move. Try to focus on positive things like your new lifestyle and building new memories with your kids in your next home.

Finding Affordable, Safe Housing

Whether you are being forced to move, or you just want a fresh start, making sure where you’re living remains affordable and safe is important to your success. This starts with obtaining affordable housing that you can easily pay for each month. If you are currently in an apartment or home but not sure if you can sustain living there, now is the time to seek assistance. You may qualify for low-income assistance from state or local agencies if you fit the criteria.

If you have a solid income coming in and just want a fresh start, you may seek out moving to a new home with new surroundings. Finding a place that fits your needs is important, and so is obtaining a house or rent payment that doesn’t rock your budget. One general rule of thumb for calculating how much home you can afford is the rule of 40. According to Moneyunder30.com, your maximum debt payments should never exceed 40 percent of your total gross income. Find
something in which you can live comfortably, but also allows you to set money aside each month for savings.

Moving to Your Own Place After a Divorce: How to Find Something Affordable and Safe as a Single Parent Check Your Credit

Whether you need to move or somehow finance the house you currently live in all on your own, one thing is for certain, you’ll need to have a decent credit score. In a nutshell, the higher your credit score, the better interest rate or rent payment you’ll qualify for. Don’t be shocked and surprised the day your divorce is final. Know as soon as possible what your credit score looks like. This allows you to either maintain a good score or improve your existing one. If you’ve pulled your credit report prior to applying for a home loan and you see discrepancies, now is the time to take care of them. Call the major credit bureaus and get the issue resolved right away. Be sure to keep all correspondence and documentation with you. This will be helpful when the finance company runs your report and questions your credit criteria. In many cases, some debts won’t be resolved until after your divorce decree is finalized.

If you’re planning a move across the country or anywhere new, make sure to research the neighborhood well. There could be a reason why that cute apartment or rental home is well under the average market price and still vacant. Ask yourself a few questions first:

· What’s the neighborhood crime rate in the area?
· Does the school system have a lot of credentials and accreditations?
· What is the poverty rate for the area?
· Has there been a history of pest infestation in the area?

Negative answers for any of those questions should be a cause for concern. Be sure to carefully evaluate before deciding to put a deposit down with a Realtor or landlord.
Moving with kids after a divorce can be daunting, but with proper research and planning, it can turn out to be the best thing for all of you.

One thought on “Moving to Your Own Place After a Divorce: How to Find Something Affordable and Safe as a Single Parent

  • Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Divorce is never been easy but for sure anyone can overcome it.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *