Ahead of Valentine's Day, we catch up with Zen Move Founder Lucy Lafferty-Brown to find out how changing your mindset can take the stress out of moving. Plus how to access her free meditation move plan
Research shows moving home is the third most stressful thing a person can experience after divorce and bereavement, so what's the connection to Valentine's Day? Well, like anything, if you do it with love it should fare better. Here we ask Zen Move Founder Lucy about her 'law with love' mission and how we can think our way to a stress-free house move.
Lucy, tell us a bit more about yourself?
I have eight years of experience as a qualified solicitor and I'm a partner at Chester & Co solicitors, an established local firm in Bournemouth. I have helped thousands of people move homes and observed how stressed clients would get during the process; it would often significantly impact their mental health. As a result, I launched Zen Move, intending to eliminate those negative feelings that clients often experience during a house move and help them approach matters positively.
My business is all about re-framing your mindset on managing stress as it is not just about moving homes; it is also about moving your headspace.
What is conveyancing?
Conveyancing is the legal transfer of a house, flat or piece of land from one person to another (the buyer and the seller.) The process starts when a seller accepts an offer or a buyer has an offer accepted. If you have never owned a property, you may not know that conveyancing is an essential part of the buying and selling process, so it is best to do your research on who you would like to act on your behalf and carry out the legal work for your property, such as looking at reviews online, word of mouth or if you have a trustworthy estate agent who can make a recommendation.
And the inspiration behind Zen Move?
Moving house is one of the most stressful things we can experience. That's because there is a need for a unique approach that removes the stress from the process so you can focus on the positives of moving to a new home. I have always believed in the power of meditation, and I meditate daily to help my mind stay clear and calm from day-to-day life and the fast-paced industry I work in. During the lockdown, I had a moment of clarity about joining up the love and compassion meditation brings together with law and the work I do.
By shifting the way we work, communicate with clients, and providing the opportunity to learn how to meditate, I realised I could help bring about a systemic change in the legal process that would make moving as stress-free as possible. The intersection of law and mindfulness makes complete sense because it can change your relationship to stress and help you see things in a positive light.
I also want to stress that some clients may not want to meditate with their lawyer, which is absolutely fine, but they do want the Zen approach!
What things can home movers do to speed up the conveyancing process? Organisation is key. Things like hiring a removal company in advance and making sure you have instructed a surveyor and mortgage advisor are all fundamental aspects to have in place to speed up the process. Instructing the right conveyancer will significantly impact how your move goes.
However, communication is a two-way street for all parties involved. While conveyancers must communicate with you, it will also help if you communicate with them and action your to-do list promptly to ensure everything moves swiftly.
At Zen Move, we also use an app so you’ll be able to clearly see each step in the legal case and understand the process. Information is updated whenever a task is completed by us, saving you unnecessary time spent on phone calls and emails.
And home movers set their own fee?
Yes that's right. But it's not about paying what they want but paying what they think is a fair fee to take the stress out of conveyancing. Most clients go above and beyond the standard cost (about £1,500 for a standard purchase freehold) because our service is of more value to them than keeping prices cheap and perhaps not receiving the best service (which is what a lot of big conveyancer firms do). There have been a few cases where some people are going through a tough time, financially and we have done the right thing to waive additional fees to try and ease that stress away from them. Although, disbursements paid to third parties cannot be negotiated.
Do you offer services throughout the UK?
We can act for anyone in England and Wales. Our goal is to spread our wings and be international eventually but one step at a time 😉
What does Modern Living mean to you?
I believe this is living in a way that you feel content and happy and with the people you love, within an environment that has advanced so much in science and technology. Like our Zen Move principles, it's about making sure your mind feels clear and not overloaded with unnecessary stresses and anxiety.
What one piece of advice would you give to anyone thinking about or in the process of moving?
Download our FREE meditation programme, an eight-week course designed to help you stay calm during your move. Just head over to our website and use the code 'STILLNESS40'. This is an exciting chapter of your life, make sure it feels right, and you are ready for it 😊.
What's next for Zen Move?
To continue to grow as a firm that cares about making a difference and continue to recruit solicitors based on their compassion and talent because this is what truly makes a difference to the process. I look forward to Zen Move helping mental health charities and services, in particular young people – it would be great to help get them on the housing ladder in some way or another one day!
Another inspiring success story, and it's safe to say Zen Move is changing the mindset of how we buy and sell our homes. For more information visit www.zenmove.co.uk or follow them on Instagram @ZenMove.
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