Moving home can be a daunting prospect. However, it can run more smoothly, and even be enjoyable, with a bit of thought and careful planning. Whether it’s your first time selling your home, or it has just been a long time since you went through the process, we hope this guide will help you arrange your home move smoothly.
We have put together this guide to help you navigate the process of moving home. Understanding the procedure will ensure you are confident in your decisions and make the right choices for you.
We have added a checklist you can use to ensure you haven’t missed any crucial steps. This means you can spend less time worrying and actually enjoy this exciting step in your life.
If you are selling your current home to buy a new home, there are several main actions you need to take.
Selling your property
If you are already a homeowner, you will, of course, have to sell your current property before you can move into your new, dream home.
You want to ensure that you get the best price possible for your home and that it sells quickly and easily.
Getting ready to sell
It is worth talking to at least three estate agents before you start the process of selling your home. They can help you to prepare your home for sale and make the best of its features. If you are planning to do any work on your home before putting it up for sale, ask the estate agents for some advice to ensure you spend your time and money in the best way possible to realise the full potential of your home.
Here are some general tips on preparing your home for sale.
Pricing your property
You want to get the best price possible for your home, but you don’t want to price it so high it puts potential buyers off and makes your property hard to sell.
You should ask at least three local estate agents for a valuation of your property. Your estate agents should show you similar properties that have sold in the local area to back up their valuation. You can then choose the average price based on these valuations.
Advertising your property
You can sell your home yourself or use an estate agent. Estate agents know the local market and have access to potential buyers, so it’s often best to use their services if you want to get the best price as quickly as possible. Make sure your estate agents will advertise your home on the most popular property websites such as Right Move and Zoopla.
Bear in mind that estate agents will charge a fee. You may be able to haggle a bit, but this is likely to be around 1.5% of the final sale price. Make sure you have a written agreement and understand all fees before going ahead as some estate agents charge considerably more.
Arranging a mortgage
If you are selling a property and buying another one, you will need to arrange a mortgage on the new property.
You may be able to move your existing mortgage to the new property, or you may need to apply for a completely new mortgage. This is where you are likely to need an adviser to guide you. They can weigh up the cost and benefits of both options and tell you what is most suitable for you.
Portable mortgages
Some mortgages are portable so you can transfer your current mortgage to your new property. You will need to check with the lender to find out the terms and conditions that apply. Your mortgage adviser can help you with this and remove the stress for you.
While moving your mortgage may be a good option, you should bear in mind that your lender will still use a variety of criteria to assess whether to grant the new mortgage. This means you are effectively applying for a new mortgage so:
Your adviser can look through your current offer and guide you through this.
Apply for a new mortgage
If moving your mortgage is not an option, you can, of course, apply for a new mortgage. However, if you are still in the introductory period of your current mortgage, you may have to pay early repayment fees.
If you choose to look for a new mortgage, then contact your mortgage adviser so they can find you the right mortgage. Today most mortgage applications can be sorted digitally end-to-end.
At WIS Mortgages, we search through products from over 90 suppliers to find you the most suitable deal. Call us on 0203 0111 898 and our mortgage advisers will be happy to explain your options.
Finding a new property
Searching for your dream home can be really exciting. However, to make sure you find the right home for you also have to be practical.
Start by writing a list of the features your new home absolutely must have. Then write a list of ‘nice to have’ features. Be realistic and decide where you are prepared to make compromises if necessary.
Now you can go to the estate agents with a clear idea of what you are looking for and with this information they can find the right properties for you to view saving you time and hassle.
Visit several estate agents in the local area as they will often have different properties available. Your estate agent can arrange viewings and liaise with sellers when you are ready to make an offer.
There are lots of things to bear in mind when looking for a new home. As well as the obvious features such as number of bedrooms and size of the garden, remember to consider:
The area
The property
When viewing a property, you have an excellent opportunity to ask the estate agents anything you need to know.
Good questions to ask include:
You might want to take photos as you go around potential properties as well as taking notes. Take a good look to see if the property appears to be in a good state of repair.
If you are interested in a property, arrange with your estate agent to go back for a second viewing. It is always worth viewing a house again as you can’t always take everything in during one viewing. This is a major decision so visit the property as much as you need to be sure it is right for you.
Once you have found the right home, you can make an offer. If this is accepted, you can instruct your solicitor to proceed with the purchase.
Contact UsSell your existing property
Arrange a mortgage
Find a new property
Organising your move
Once your house purchase is underway and the solicitors are dealing with the legal details you can begin to plan for the move itself.
This will involve planning both the physical removal of all your belongings as well as a variety of admin tasks.
Luckily, this doesn’t all have to be done at once. Here’s a checklist of the tasks that need to be completed and a rough time frame of when each job needs to be done.
If you are packing your own belongings, you can begin this process ahead of time by packing non-essentials well in advance of your move.
Six weeks before you move, you should:
Four weeks before your move, you should:
Two weeks before your move, you should:
On moving day
Change of address list
There are a lot of people who might need to be informed or your change of address. As well as family and friends you may need to notify:
We hope this guide has helped you understand all that goes into moving home and will ensure your move goes as smoothly as possible.
If you want to know more about your mortgage options, give us a call on 0203 0111 898 to speak to one of our advisors.
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