This year has certainly been one to remember, hasn’t it? Not all of us expected lockdowns, businesses needing to shut and things changing so dramatically. A lot of lives were put on hold. There were no holidays, no big plans, and we needed to just do our thing and stay at home. So as we approach the end of 2020, you may be thinking about next year and trying to make up for lost time. It is understandable. Next year may be the year that you have some big plans in place. A lot of people like to think about what the next twelve months have in store in January. It gives you something to work towards and look forward to. For you, this might mean a house move where you need a bigger property or want to move someplace new. Lockdown might have made you realize that you need a different setting, a new project maybe, or just the chance to live somewhere different. But what are the steps that you need to take in order to make this happen. Here are some suggestions to help you get started with everything you need to consider when moving house.
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Think about your budget and know what the situation is
First of all, you need to know exactly what your budget is when it comes to moving house. This starts with getting a valuation and an idea of what your house is worth, versus what you may be able to get as an advance with a mortgage. You will need to consider all types of mortgage loan products and options to decipher the best route to take. Websites like PropertyGuru Finance could be a good option to look into. Once you know these figures, it will be easier for you to decide what the budget is and to begin the process of selling and buying your next home.
The budget is key. This is when you may need to do a little research into the property market. Before you are ready to make the move would be a good time to try and decide where you want to buy. This is especially important if you are moving to a new area and different location. There is a lot to think about and property markets are different in varied places. Consider doing all this when moving house.
Get your house ready for sale
Knowing the figures is one thing, but getting the top notch sale price for your home may be harder than you think. It is time to ensure that your house is ready to be sold. There are a number of things that you can do. You can look at minimizing the interior so that it appeals to more people. Decluttering is a great way to help your home look more appealing, and minimizing the furniture can help to make some rooms look bigger. You could look at redecorating your home so that is more neutral. Sometimes it is hard to visualize a new space and home if you are too blinded by colorful rooms. Decorating can also really freshen up the place. It can make a big difference to how your home appears. Even storing away things and presenting your home in the best possible light can be done with small changes that could make the biggest of differences to the price and valuation that you could potentially get. The more you work on it, the better things could be.
Look at all different types of properties
You may think you know what you want from a property, but the chances are you may not have considered all of the options. So the best advice would be to see all sorts of styles of houses. Look at houses that are finished, look at ones that need work. Consider properties with scope for extensions or ones that are just that little way out of your desired area.
The truth is, this year could have just highlighted everything that you don’t want from a new place, but not essentially all of the things that you do want. So take some time to really figure out what you want from your new place. Times are tough right now, and so it may be that the right property isn’t available just yet. There isn’t too much rush with these sorts of big purchases. Also the area may mean that certain types of properties are in more demand than others, so there could be a lot more competition out there for desirable properties in desirable locations. Looking at alternatives could help your budget stretch further or even highlight a different opportunity. Besides, you may be surprised by what you find and what you may or may not like.
Prepare for the move in advance
Finally, once you have sold your home and found the new place you want to live you now need to wait for the move date. But by waiting you can start to prepare well in advance to make the moving process easier and less stressful. Pack up ahead of time and clear things away. You could always use a storage facility if needed. You could even pack the boxes with your new place in mind so that unpacking will be much easier. This will be a great help on moving day, as when you unload the vans and trucks, your boxes will be able to go in the right place plus it is a lot of fun thinking about where you want things to go. It could certainly help pass the time if there is a big wait from buying to moving day. You might also want to think about that first night, and have a box dedicated to some of the things you will need. Also getting help to move will be a great idea, whether that is family and friends or hiring help to take care of the moving process. They could be a huge help on the day. Social distancing may make it hard right now, so if it isn’t possible a moving company could take a lot of pressure off.
Let’s hope these tips help you when it comes to moving house next year.
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