Tips to help with a quick and stress free house move

It is common knowledge that moving house can be a very stressful event. From appointing estate agents to organising removals, the process is typically unfamiliar which can lead to many home movers becoming worried and anxious, but there are ways you can help improve the process and hopefully achieve a quick and relatively stress free house move.

Prepare, prepare, prepare

Before you start appointing agents and advisers, or eye up a new property, there are things you can do to prepare yourself and your property to improve your chances of a stress free house move.

We recommend you use a checklist such as the one found here. There are many moving parts to selling a property, some take the matter of minutes and some rumble on for months. So having a checklist and regularly updating the list will help keep a grip of your progress.

When you have decided to commit to moving, you should prepare the property ready for the selling process. Most people think preparing the property involves grabbing the paint brush or cleaning the carpets. Although these are great ideas, you should also prepare the paperwork for the property. Collect together any paperwork relevant to your move. During the conveyancing, you will be asked for documents such as any warranties or guarantees, title plans, any lease details (for leasehold properties),and paperwork relating to any work you may carried out (planning consent, building completion certificate, servicing of boilers/maintenance of wood burning stoves etc.) Collecting the information in advance and passing it on to your solicitor and making it availability to the surveyor will make the sale process smoother whilst avoiding time communicating back-and-forth between your solicitor.

Arrange your finances

Before you start the process of moving, you should ensure you get your finances in order. Arranging your finances may include checking your credit score which is used by mortgage lenders to check your suitability as a borrower. There are things you can do to improve your credit score. Such as registering on the electoral roll at your current address and paying your accounts on time and in full each month.

Before you start arranging viewings of properties you like, you should secure an Agreement in Principle from your mortgage lender.

An agreement in principle essentially shows what a mortgage lender will allow you to borrow. This will allow you to set a budget. Most Estate Agents only allow buyers to bid when they have proof of an Agreement in Principle. You can sort an agreement yourself, however speaking with a mortgage adviser could help reduce the stress, as they will do the searching for you.

Finally, although the Agreement in Principle will show you how much you can borrow, this doesn’t necessarily mean it is how much you can afford to pay each month. You should check the current mortgage rates and calculate how much it will cost you each month. Again, to reduce the stress and increase your chances of getting the best deal, appointing a mortgage adviser to do this for you is a great idea.

Appointing professionals

When buying or selling a property, appointing reliable and efficient property professionals will make a world of difference. You want to find an agent and conveyancer who will proactively manage the move through to completion. Appointing local professionals who have a good reputation and are easily contactable is a great start.

If you prefer verbal communication over written, then make your property professionals aware of this.

Throughout the selling process, you will be in regular contact with your agents and conveyancer. So agreeing a form of communication that works best for you is paramount. Once a sale has been agreed, and you have appointed a conveyancer, a lot of communication will come in the form of emails. So be prepared to set aside time, once or twice a week to keep on top of the messages.

Check your buyer

Hopefully you obtain multiple offers which will allow you to be more selective. Checking your buyers status (first time buyer, in-a-chain, investor) and their purchasing arrangement (cash, mortgage etc.) should effect your decision making.

The more complicated your buyer’s situation, the more vulnerable your sale will be.

You should ask your estate agent to confirm the buyers situation and ask them to highlight any potential risk factors. A higher offer from a buyer in a chain is likely to be a lot more risky than a lower offer from a chain-free buyer. Similar for cash buyers over mortgage buyers although this is rarer.

Be flexible

Your ultimate goal is to move forward with a successful, quick house move. So it’s important that you remain flexible throughout the process. You may be need to be willing to compromise (a survey may identify an issue which needs resolving or a reduced offer) to get the sale over the line. As we touched upon at the beginning of this article, there are many moving parts when selling a property. It is important to keep focused on your desired outcome and be as flexible as possible to make it happen.

Moving house can be a stressful event, an event that many people fear and are keen to avoid. However, through careful planning, the correct appointments and some flexibility, the process can be made much easier.

Downloading and regularly checking and updating our checklist can help breakdown your house move into more manageable sections. Seeking professional advice is key, and our search tools can help you find the necessary advice you are looking for.