If you have decided that now is the time to move house there are certain things to think about and consider before you can go ahead with the move. Whether you are upsizing, downsizing, or simply moving for work you need to think long term when investing in a house. A house should become a home, a home is somewhere you enjoy spending time. Don’t just get somewhere for the sake of it. Make sure you find the property you fall in love with before you move.
If you are struggling to find your dream home from the ones listed on the market you could think about building your own. Why build your own home? Well, you can select the floorplan and the basic design you want, this way you tick all the boxes on your want and desire list.
Here are three things to consider when moving to a new house.
Budget
What is your budget? This should be one of the first things you decide upon. You need to make sure you have enough money available to buy the home you want. Speaking to an expert in the field of moving will help you understand your budget better. A mortgage advisor for example will take a look at all your incomings and outgoings and suggest a good budget for you.
Once you have your budget you can start looking at properties and decide on which one you want to put an offer on. Don’t be afraid to look at properties slightly over your budget as you can always try to negotiate with the sellers. Some sellers are happy to discuss the price while others won’t accept offers. Your realtor if using one will know which sellers accept counter-offers on their house prices.
Area
Once you have your budget in mind, it is time to start looking around different areas to find where you want to live when you move. The area is very important as you will be living there potentially for a long while. You need to find out whether the area is safe to live in and what the crime rates are, you can do this by looking online. You don’t want to move to an area with a high crime rate as you will end up feeling unsafe.
You also need to think about what else is on offer in the local area, is there a shop for example. You don’t want to be traveling miles and miles out of your way to do your weekly shop. So a supermarket locally would be beneficial to you. You also need to make sure that there is a good doctor’s surgery in the local area, take a look at reviews or speak to people and find out.
Rooms
Finally, you have got a budget in mind and have decided on which area you want to live in. Now is the time to find the house of your dreams and the one you want to move into. When looking at houses you need to have a general idea of how many rooms you would like in it to suit you and your family. You might want a bedroom each if you have children or they can share. If you can’t find anything in your budget with the number of rooms needed, fear not. You can always get a smaller property and add on a loft conversion or extension. Not only does this give you extra space it also adds a bit to your selling price if you ever decide to sell.