homebuying

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Moving house can be a long and tedious process, but the day that you finally wake up and realise you’re moving into a new property can be incredibly exciting. A new house comes with new adventures, new possibilities and a new place to put down roots, but depending on your situation it can be weeks or months after buying a property before you finally get to move in.

 

Moving day can be quite complicated, and there is a lot to get done. Delays can only add to any potential stress, so it is important to make sure your move goes as smoothly as possible. Here are some tips to avoid any moving house delays:

 

Communication

 

You will speak to many different people while moving house, including estate agents, solicitors. surveyors, removal companies, and more. Filling out any paperwork quickly and replying to any enquiries can really speed up the process of moving.

 

Make sure you have copies of your ID, bank statements and any planning permission needed throughout the process, so you can be ready to hand anything over when needed. Keeping everyone updated throughout your move means any problems or concerns should be quickly fixed and the whole move should go smoothly.

 

Book in Advance

 

Ideally you should start arranging a removals van around four weeks before your moving day. Contact three or four companies and get a consultation with each. They will all provide you with quotes and you can decide which one works best for you.

 

Once you have that booked you can make any other arrangements you need, such as parking. If you are moving to a house that only has road-side parking, you will have to give notice to anyone it may affect, and let them know a removals van will be parking up for a few hours.

 

Avoid Exchanging and Completing on the Same Day

 

Although it may seem like an obvious option and a good thing to do, exchanging and completing on the same day can actually cause problems if you are part of a chain – it only takes one person to be unable to complete for the whole chain to break.

 

Try and leave a week or two between exchanging and completing, as this should give you enough time to resolve any potential complications that could come up. It’s good to have a bit of breathing space when moving house, as you never know what might happen.

 

Packing Preparation

 

One of the key things that will prevent delays on moving day is to have everything packed up and organised. The last thing you want is to be rushing around packing up some last minute items when you have a hundred other things to think about.

 

Start a month or so before you move, and keep everything as orderly as possible. Chuck out any clutter or take it to a charity shop, and pack a few boxes each night, carefully labelling them and wrapping anything delicate in bubble wrap. Having everything packed and ready to go will be a huge time saver when you get round to moving.

 

Arrange Child/Pet Care

 

Even though they are moving with you, children and pets can be quite distracting on moving day, and it can be quite an unsafe environment for them to be in with heavy boxes being carried back and forth to your new home.

Try and arrange for someone to look after them while you move, as this will allow you to concentrate fully on the task at hand and allow them to move into a new house afterwards with all their belongings in place. If you have older children you can find age appropriate tasks to enable them to help out with the move.

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Selling your house, especially if it’s your first home, is a big decision and not one to be taken lightly. Before you go buying your next house, make sure you’re ready to sell your current one first. I don’t mean applying a new coat of paint and trimming the hedges, although that certainly helps the sale price. I mean other things you might not have thought of. Here are 9 key things you need to consider when selling your house.

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1. Your Finances

First, consider your financial situation. Where will you live after you sell your house? If you’re moving out to an apartment first, there will be a period of a few months where you’ll be paying a mortgage and rent. Can you afford that? You’ll need to have some extra funds put aside to help cover you for those months.

2. The Price

Hand in hand with your finances, comes the price you want for your house. What you bought the house for and what you want to get out of it are irrelevant. What matters is the current real estate market in your community. An appraiser will accurately tell you the true value of your home. Don’t ignore their recommendation and market the house at too high a price or you’ll put off buyers. Remember, those buyers have realtors who can tell them if a house is priced too high.

3. Paperwork

Don’t let your house sale be held up due to missing or incomplete paperwork, ensure it’s all in place from the word go. Are there any issues with the house that would prevent you from selling it? For example, what if you owe more than the house is worth? This will slow the process down as the bank will need to approve the sale price. What if you discover that your mortgage has a prepayment penalty? Talk to your lender and ensure there’s going to be no issues and that you have everything you need in place to help your sale go smoothly.

4. Your Realtor

You will have plenty of choices when it comes to choosing a realtor. There is certainly no shortage of realtors in your area looking to sell your house. After all, they earn a living off the commission. You can either choose a big name company like remax or 21st or instead hire a local realtor. There are pros and cons to each approach. A big company would have the resources to get your house out there in front of a lot more people. Yet the local realtor truly knows the community like no other.

5. Your Likely Buyer

When getting your house prepared for the big sale, consider your target market. Do you live in an area with a lot of young families or conversely is it mostly peopled by downsizers? Think about the likely buyer of your home and stage the house accordingly.

6. De-clutter

The first step to making your home appealing is to de-clutter and depersonalize the space. Look at your home with fresh eyes and take down decorative items specific to you (like family photos) and de-clutter each room to maximize the space. Simply leave enough furniture in each room to show its purpose.

7. Finish Odd Jobs

Finish all of those odd jobs you’ve been meaning to get around to, from fixing dripping taps to cleaning moldy grouting. The houses which sell quickest are those which don’t need work done to them. Leave small jobs undone, and potential buyers will worry what else you haven’t done.

8. Refresh

A fresh coat of paint can do wonders to brighten up and refresh a dated home. Choose white or cream to maximize the sense of space, and to appeal to as broad a range of people as possible.

9. Clean

Nothing is a bigger turn-off to potential buyers than a grubby property – so pop on your rubber gloves and start cleaning. The less a potential buyer has to do, the more they can imagine themselves living in your property.

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