AS THE New Year home-buying season gets under way, housebuilder Barratt North East takes a look at how your personality shapes your moving experience.

Leading psychology and health expert Professor Cary Cooper says that moving home continues to be one of the most stressful life events and that your everyday personality will have a massive effect on how you approach a move.

Moving really magnifies an individual s personality, said Prof Cooper. It is one of the leading life events because it touches so much of your life, and that has a massive effect on how you behave and the type of mover you become.

Barratt North East sales director Fenton Hewitt said that, with more than 13,663 homes sold nationally last year, the developer gets to meet a wide range of buyers. Based on those moving into a Barratt home, the housebuilder has come up with this light-hearted look at buyer types what kind of mover are you?

The Organiser

Not everyone knows exactly what they want when they arrive at a development, but The Organiser has researched everything and is ready to make that move. They know the home they want, what extras they want to personalise their new home, and have everything in place to get the move under way immediately. Often they will be a busy couple with children who need to be organised in their lives, says Prof Cooper.

The Ostrich

They want a new home, they like what they see, but they are not familiar with the house-buying process and really don t want to know about it. But life is not bad for The Ostrich they can call upon the sales team every step of the way, making the move as easy and swift as possible. They didn t need to know everything after all.

The Home Maker

This is where showhomes come into their own The Home Maker loves to visualise how they could furnish their new home, what accessories look best in which room and they know the latest kitchen appliances that will look fabulous in their new home. Not surprisingly, the Home Maker will often be a busy mum with a large family whose priority is to create the perfect home, said Prof Cooper.

The Last Minute Mover

Deadlines are no friend of The Last Minute Mover. They get everything done in time just!

Everyone pitches in to help them out, but when it comes to moving day they are still packing up as they leave their previous home. I would expect to see more of these as the market and economy pick up and people suddenly decide to move, said Prof Cooper.

The Delegator

They know their strengths, whether it is choosing the right home or securing the best mortgage deal. But for everything else they rely on the experts to get it right, whether that is the legal side of the move or the removals company. Prof Cooper says men will often fit the bill for delegators, perhaps handling the mortgage, but leaving much of the rest of the work to their partner.

Eager Beaver

They want a home and they want it now. They often have a growing family and need more space, so take advantage of schemes like part-exchange to make a quick, hassle-free move.

What is clear is that different people have different approaches and different priorities when it comes to moving, and it is a complex business, said Prof Cooper. For some, structure is key in all parts of their lives, while others take a last-minute approach.