Moving is tough. Here are a few tips to make it as easy as possible.

Determine why you want to move. What are the most important “must haves” for your next home. Is it the location, the schools or maybe the need for more room? Knowing what you are looking for will help you work more efficiently with a real estate agent.

• Get the right agent. Talk to your friends, family and neighbors. Ask them why they liked their agent, how effective they were in the negotiation of the offer, whether they communicated on a timely basis, if they were a good listener.

• Once you pick an agent, communicate your wants and needs. Share your financial situation so the agent can be a good negotiator for you.

• Do your homework. Ride through communities and do research on the school system and local crime rates. Visit free websites such as greatschools.com and crimemapping.com.

• Perform some of the legwork yourself. Use free websites such as Zillow.com, Trulia.com and Realtor.com to find properties. These websites can even send you daily alerts on new properties. Organize your list by area and ask your agent to set up appointments.

• Look, look and continue looking until you know you have found your home.