Moving season is upon us, which means all who are going to switch their permanent residence this year have to strengthen their nerves to survive the ordeal. About two-thirds of all people aged 19-34 will go through a significant argument over moving homes. This is the conclusion of a recent nationwide survey conducted by one of the world's most trusted removals brands, Fantastic Services.

65% of young adults declare they argued with the people that helped them move. On the contrary, only 17% of people aged 55+ claimed to have had some kind of argument with helpers. Interestingly, people that are between those two age groups are much closer to the results of the boomers than the younger generation. Roughly 33% (one-third) of respondents aged 35-54 fought with those who helped them move.

How we move dictates how we act

The reasons behind this significant gap between the different generations might lie in the moving methods they prefer. While the youngest respondents prefer to rely on themselves and friends, older ones are adamant that a professional removals company should do the job. Only 37 per cent of the 19-34-year-olds are willing to pay a professional team to do the job, while among the 55+ respondents, the results are north of 50%. This comes to show that the elderly know the value of trusting a professional with chores and the value of acquiring help against payment.

Furthermore, the comfort of getting someone else to move your belongings and care for them reduces the stress significantly. As a result, only 5% of those who fell into an argument got into a fight with a removals company. Once again, the most common offenders are those aged 18-34. 9% of them argued with someone they hired to move their belongings. In contrast, only 3% of those aged 55+ did the same. Once again, those in-between are closer to the results of the elderly than the young (4%). Many reasons might stay behind this phenomenon, but we may find a hint in other statistics from the Fantastic Services survey, which suggests that two times more movers aged between 18-34 will argue about the price of the removals' company than those aged 55+. One in five young adults (20%) will go through such an argument, while with the elderly, the odds are one in ten (11%). Furthermore, younger people are much more reluctant to hire professional movers, as 17% of all declare that they argued with their partner whether they should hire a removals business or not. The numbers for those aged 55+ is half of that – 8%. Those in between have the same argument 10% of the time, which once again shows that they act more closely to those in the 55+ age group than the below 34-year-old group.

What are the reasons behind the fights?

The survey showed that the main reason for most house-movers fighting is how much of their old belongings to take to the new place. About a third (38%) of all respondents agree that this is the main argument when you're switching your permanent residence. Furthermore, there is an interesting consensus on this aspect of moving. All age groups (18-34, 35-54, and 55+) agree that this is the most common reason for a fight during moves. In this case, young adults are the least hot-headed. Only about 30% of them fight on this topic, while 37% of adults and 34% of the elderly do the same.

The results between the age groups are roughly the same regarding throwing away stuff. This triggers 29%, 26% and 27% of the respondents, respectively. Keeping in mind that almost 70% of all respondents say that picking up their belongings and moving them is the most stressful part of switching homes, it comes as no surprise that all age groups agree on this particular topic.

Arguing how many trips to take

Youngsters are much more prone to argue over how many journeys they would have to make. About a quarter of them (25%) find this the red line when moving homes. This may be due to the way they prefer to move their stuff. Around 11% of people aged 34 or less will use public transport, the Fantastic Services survey says. Naturally, when using public transport, the more trips are made, the more stressful the whole event is. Also, about 22% would borrow a friend's vehicle, which may cause some friction between friends.

On the other hand, only 4% of people aged 55+ will use public transport to move homes, and another 10% will ask a friend or a family member to borrow their vehicle. As a result, older adults are two times (14%) less prone to argue over the number of journeys that would be taken to move everything to their new place.

Damaged belongings

When moving homes with friends or family who are not professionals and who have no experience in packing or moving furniture or easily breakable belongings, finding damaged stuff at the end of the ordeal is anything but unexpected. Naturally, around 15% of all arguments are based on this exact reason. Younger people once again are more intemperate with their reaction, as 18% of them find it a good enough reason to start a fight. Once again, the 55+-year-olds that would agree with them are almost twice as few, with 10% claiming they will start an argument over damaged belongings.

The reason behind this behaviour might be that much more people aged 55+ will trust a professional removals company than the younger generation, who prefers to ask friends and family for help. This can also be why 19% of young adults and only 7% of the elderly fight over their expectations of family members and friends joining the effort of moving homes.

Whom do we argue with when moving homes?

Moving homes, without a doubt, is one of the most stressful events in a couple's life. This is confirmed by the Fantastic Services survey, as about 20 % of all people will start an argument with their life partner while in the process of switching homes. The statistics once again show that the younger the couple, the bigger the problems, as 35% of young adults would get into a fight over moving, while 20% of the adults and only 8% of the elderly would do the same. Naturally, the greatest difference is with the people that start a fight with a partner that they are about to move in with (16%,7%, and 2% respectively). Of course, it's much more common for people 19-34 to move in with new partners rather than 35-54-year-olds, let alone 55+.

The elderly are much calmer when it comes to family members as well. Only 6% of movers will get into an argument with a relative, while with the younger generation, the number is closer to 27%. The reason most probably is the fact that only 7% of the elderly would expect help and go into an argument with their family over this, while almost every fifth 18-34-year-old will do the same.

Friends and neighbours are most immune in this situation, as only 9% of people will enter a feud with their neighbours and 7% with friends. Interestingly, only 1% of those aged 55 and above will start an argument with a friend over moving. This comes to show that at a certain age, people start cherishing their friends more. In comparison, over 17% of young adults will clash with friends and 7% of adults.

What is the result of the argument?

More than half of these squabbles (55%) will end up with some kind of consequence. Most often, around (20%) of people would stop asking the ones they were in an argument with for favours. Another 17% will stop talking to each other, and 12% will develop a long-lasting feud. One in 10 arguments over moving homes will end up in court, and about 6% will end up in a split up or divorce.

Once again, those aged 18-34 are the most hot-headed, as they would escalate the problem 72% of the time. Adults will continue the argument only 45% of the time, while only around 32% of all 55+ aged will ruin their relationship over moving homes. The latter rarely will do anything more than stop asking for help, as only 8% will stop talking to their friends and family, 3% will hold a grudge, and less than 1% will go to court or get a divorce.

Hiring professionals will cost you extra but will save you some headaches

The survey has shown that in the long run, it's far better to hire a professional crew to do the job for you. Naturally, there will be some arguments on the cost and the company, and many are terrified of becoming victims of dishonest removals businesses. However, in the long run, while hiring a professional, trusted, and well-known brand will hit your pockets a bit harder, it will give you the peace of mind that professionals handle your belongings. Moreover, it might spare you from broken relationships, romances, and friendships.