Why did we move house?

 As I write this blog we have been in our new home for 2 weeks, we're starting to settle in and we're hosting my family for the first time this evening, which I'm really excited about. There were many reasons why we decided to move house. I want to share with you the why behind the move, but also encourage you to think about reasons why it might be time for you to move house.

Before I begin I do want to say Andy and I know how blessed we are to have this new home, we thank God for it every day. We couldn't be in this home without God blessing us and guiding us along the way. I do understand some of you reading this blog might not be in a position to move house, so as you read this blog, maybe take encouragement for what you can change in your current home right now to make it the home you want it to be. 

Reason 1 - We needed a family home

As I mentioned in last weeks blog Andy and I really believe that God is preparing us for the next chapter of our lives, which we're hoping will include children. Our previous home was a 2 bed, but as we work from home we didn't have a spare room available for growing a family. Also the area we were living wasn't the area we felt comfortable raising children, we witnessed drug deals often and regularly experienced drunk people on the streets. I wanted to feel safe pushing a pram around the neighborhood, and I certainly didn't feel that way in our last home. We knew God was preparing us for something new, so moving into a new family home made so much sense and we felt so much peace during the whole process.

Reason 2 - It made financial sense

We knew that if we waited to move after we had children we likely wouldn't get enough loan for the family home we wanted. When the bank assess how much they are going to offer you they look at your income and expenditure. At the moment both Andy and I are working, and our expenditure isn't too high as we don't have children. However if I was on maternity leave and we had expenditure going out every month for baby needs, it would have meant we wouldn't have been lent as much from the bank. So therefore it seemed like the right time to move, before we bring children into our family.

Reason 3 - We started to lose peace in our previous home

As I mentioned earlier the neighborhood wasn't the best and we also had neighbors who at times would make noise when we were either trying to sleep, or trying to relax with friends. As the months went by I started to feel quite anxious in the home and lack of sleep didn't do either of us any good. I've always struggled to sleep and in the previous home I'd often be up for an hour or longer trying to get to sleep, in this new home it takes me like 10 minutes, I think that says a lot.

Reason 4 - We wanted space to host

Andy and I love hosting, whether that's for church, or for friends and family when they're visiting. Our previous home did allow us to host from time to time, but it did feel hard at times to host. In our new home we have plenty of space for guests, plus at present a spare room where guests can stay overnight, which we love as we have family and friends who don't live in the area, so it means they can stay with us. 

Reason 5 - Because we felt God telling us to move

Andy and I had talked about moving many times and it never felt quite right. However towards the final months of 2024 we started to talk about it again and we really felt God's peace on the situation. Andy especially was very keen to move and he believed it was the right time to move, I believe that was God leading Andy to lead us as a family to move home. Our story of moving house was incredible, it took us just over 2 months from putting our house on the market to moving into our new home, which is usually unheard of, especially as we had a chain. To me this was God, it could only be God continuing to remind us that we had put an offer on the right home and that it was also the right time to move. God really showed up and showed off!

I briefly want to talk about ways in which you can be hospitable without having the ideal home to host in. I do want to do a blog on hospitality, but I want to write this further down the line when we've had experience hosting in our new home. Here are my tips on hospitality, no matter what home you're in:

1. Find ways to relax when hosting, so your guests also feel relaxed. Whether that's creating a peaceful atmosphere, or prepping a slow cooker meal so you're not spending hours in the kitchen. Remember your guests are there for you, not the meal you're providing. (Although if you're like me, food is always appreciated!)

2. Try and keep your home a welcoming space for spontaneous visits from friends/family. I'm not a fan of the mad rush trying to clean your home an hour before guests arrive. Andy and I try and keep our home de-cluttered and clean most of the time, so it's easier to get ready for guests coming over. Plus a tidy home I think helps guests relax. But please don't get too obsessed with this one, especially if you have kids, as your home is never going to look perfect when you have kids leaving a trail of mess.

3. Keep an open schedule if possible, so your guests don't feel rushed. We try and do the majority of our hosting at the weekend if we can, as we know we're not needing to go to bed early for work, this means we can relax and not feel like we're kicking our guests out super early (as we are early birds!)

4. A listening ear, a cup of tea and something to eat goes a long way. You may have a messy home, you may not be a pro cook and hosting may feel super draining for you. But please understand that all your guests really want is someone who is there for them, to listen and to have a laugh. Even making a pot of tea and getting some shop bought cake can be enough, you don't need to impress, your presence alone is enough.

I hope this blog has been helpful in some way, whether that's you realising it could be time to move, or even finding some new ways to host in your current home. Remember, there's a season for everything and God will guide us if we keep listening to him.

Next Blog: What I learnt from attending a marriage course