Our Town America Survey Reveals Moving Stresses Relationships, Decreases Intimacy
Pinellas Park, FL (PRWEB) May 22, 2014 -- In today’s world, a move to a new home may damage more than your personal belongings. A new national survey reveals moving also scars personal relationships as couples fight over why they moved and where they moved while struggling with money problems and decreased intimacy. And talk about relationship revenge in a move. Nearly 1 in 3 survey respondents admitted to “accidentally losing” a significant other’s prized possession or purposefully tossing it in the Goodwill bag.
The survey was just released for May’s National Moving Month, the start of the busiest moving time of the year. More than 40 million Americans are expected to relocate this year and most will make their move during summer months when the weather is favorable and kids are out of school.
The national survey of more than 300 men and women who have moved in the past five years reveals:
- Of those in a relationship, more than 1/3 (35%) say moving has scarred their relationship due to increased fighting (51%), decreased intimacy (49%) and financial strain (49%) - the top three moving relationship stressors.
- 46% of respondents say they disagreed over where to move and 42% say they fought over the reason for the move – negative feelings that can linger long after they unpacked the china.
- Those with children say the stress hit the whole family with “choosing the right school” and “helping the kids find new friends” as the top two moving stressors related to their kids.
Dirty Dumping
- Nearly 1 in 3 (30%) respondents admitted they had “accidentally” lost one of their partner’s prized possessions - by “accidentally breaking it” (43%) or dropping it off at Goodwill “by accident” (34%).
- Topping the I Hate it Hit List of the 5 things people secretly toss are “knick knacks,” photo albums, books, decorative towels, and old trophies.
The survey was commissioned by Our Town America, the nation’s premier new mover marketing franchise, a company dedicated to minimizing new mover stress and restoring housewarming traditions by connecting new movers with welcoming local businesses.
“These survey results show that moving is highly stressful for relationships so it’s critical for neighbors and local business to make the transition easier,” says Michael Plummer, President and CEO of Our Town America. “In a move, people are overwhelmed with learning new roads, meeting people and perhaps starting a new job, so we help local business owners deliver personalized housewarming gifts to ease the stress. These packages include thoughtful offers from local businesses, like grocery stores, salons, and restaurants, so families can focus on their relationships instead of worrying about what to cook for dinner - when they haven’t even unpacked the pots and pans yet.”
Our Town America, a national franchise, with franchise locations from coast to coast, delivers these welcoming packages free to the mailboxes of new movers with offers for discounted, often free, products and services from businesses close to home. Research shows once the new movers try the business, they repeatedly revisit that business.
“This survey shows movers desperately need this welcome package because they’re not getting enough help from their community or from their neighbors,” says Plummer.
Unfriendly Neighbors Add to Moving Stress
- More than half (53%) of the respondents said that today’s neighbors are not as friendly as the neighbors they remember as a child because they “seem too busy.”
- This is unfortunate as nearly half of respondents (49%) also voted “meeting new neighbors” as a top three requirement to feeling comfortable and settled in a new home.
Housewarming Gifts Matter
- More than half (54%) of survey respondents have moved six or more times and more than 2 in 3 (67%) have moved out of state or out of the country - today’s movers need a helping hand to feel comfortable and learn more about their brand new surroundings.
- 88% of respondents said that receiving a housewarming gift would make them feel more comfortable in a new home/neighborhood, yet less than half (46%) have ever received a housewarming gift when new to a neighborhood.
- 81% of respondents said they would have liked advice about their new community upon move in. 93% say they would take advantage of an offer from a local business that took the time to welcome them to the community.
###
*Editor’s Note:
*Please cite Our Town America as the source for this survey.
*This online survey of 306 men and women was conducted by a third party and commissioned by Our Town America.
*Survey participants have no affiliation with Our Town America.
About Our Town America
For more than 40 years, Our Town America has been providing new movers with traditional hospitality by mailing warm gifts from neighborhood businesses in a premium gift certificate package. Since the company started franchising in 2005, Our Town America has consistently been placed in the Franchise Top 50, ranking #8 in 2010 for franchisee satisfaction.
One of the catalysts for this success has been Our Town America’s dedication to the “sponsor exclusivity” concept, meaning they will only recommend one of each business type in any specific zip code. Additionally, Our Town America allows businesses to focus only on the zip codes they’d like to reach, whether that is as small as one or as large as the entire country.
Due in large part to Our Town America’s devotion to those concepts, thousands of satisfied business owners throughout the United States attest to the success and effectiveness of the program. Additionally, dozens of locally owned franchises validate Our Town America’s concept as a viable business opportunity.
It is Our Town America’s mission to assist new movers adjusting to their community, help businesses gain new and loyal customers and provide franchisees with an excellent opportunity. The eight million households who received Our Town America’s welcoming envelopes over the last year prove that Our Town America is committed to following through on that mission statement.
For more information, visit the Our Town America website at http://www.ourtownamerica.com.
Graham Chapman, Our Town America, http://www.ourtownamerica.com, +1 (919) 459-8157, [email protected]
Share this article