As we all know, moving home is one of life’s biggest upheavals ranking alongside divorce and death in terms of the stress that it can bring into someone’s life. However, it can also open the door to a new home and it doesn’t have to be the pressured and stressful experience that many make it out to be.
If you’re selling your home
Avoid selling in a rush. If you have found another property you need to move into, or you’re moving for work, try to give yourself as much time as possible to go through the process so that you don’t have to make snap decisions.
Be prepared. Is your home ready to be viewed by someone who might be interested in buying it? Cluttered surfaces, dirty carpets, stained walls and an untidy garden can all be off-putting. They are all also easily fixed with a little attention or some basic DIY.
Don’t dismiss any offers. Many buyers have fallen into the trap of pricing a home too high and dismissing the first offer that falls below that out of hand. If the first offer you receive is well below the asking price it still deserves further investigation.
Make an effort for the viewings. Buyers don’t expect a show home but equally it doesn’t pay to make them feel unwelcome. If you have viewings going on then make time for them so buyers have the opportunity to wander around unflustered by family life, pets or mess.
If you’re buying a home
Get all the right surveys. It’s just not worth skimping, even if you know the seller or they’ve lived there for years. There are so many things that could affect the value of the home in the future and surveys are the fastest and most efficient way of ensuring you have full disclosure from the start.
Get your ducks in a row. Line up the financing well before you find the property of your dreams – if you don’t then you could miss out to another buyer who had the foresight to get a mortgage offer in place earlier. Decide how you’re going to manage the process, engage your solicitor and be prepared to move quickly when you find the right place.
Give yourself some distance between exchange and completion. It’s just too much of a rush to exchange and complete on the same day so if you want a stress free experience then make sure these are spaced a little way apart. There will be a lot to organise between exchange and actually getting the keys to the property, from moving out of your current address, to lining up energy and internet providers at the new place and transferring money to the right accounts to ensure that all the payments go through on time.
