While I don't socialize with players of other servers, I still do empathize with anyone who is losing their friends from other server.
But I do empathize with SE too, it's something that needs to be done, and there's little ways to make it happen without hurting someone. Someone that makes a friend from other server should be mature enough to know that THAT could happen someday. And now that it's happening, what else SE should be offering to help? Talk with your friends, make the decision, you have the time, you have the free transfers, you can hire additional retainers to store housing items untill you have your house again (Let's be realistic and assume that SE will not provide any retainer for free, and if you REALLY will lose items for housing you should be responsible for that decision, is it worth losing these items for a mere additional fee?)
I assume for SE: Not making it or changing servers from side to the other sides are not options.