When it comes to moving house, there’s a whole host of things to consider and that’s why, here at Search Mortgage Solutions, we’re committed to helping make the dreams of our clients a reality. We all have dreams and whilst securing a mortgage is only part of a bigger picture, it’s a big part and one which almost all other things involved in the process hinge upon. We are, however, here to help see our clients right through to their move in date and, as such, have put together our very own ‘Guide To Moving House;’ a three part post which looks at everything from securing your mortgage through to considering ways to turn your new house into a home. In short, it’s a collection of our top tips as well as a few from carefully selected others within the ‘property’ and ‘home’ industries.
1. Securing Your Mortgage
We would say it but securing your mortgage is the first thing which you need to do when considering moving home. Of course, it helps if you have an idea as to the approximate price of properties you’re looking at, however the sooner you get your decision in principle, the better! It’s important that you know how much you’re going to be able to borrow so that you can start hunting for your dream home and know you’ve got a mortgage offer in place so you’re able to make an offer straight away.
Our top tip here is to take the time to sit down with a specialist mortgage broker. In most instances, it won’t cost you a penny to receive invaluable professional advice which will help you to ensure you end up with the right mortgage which is right for your personal financial circumstances both now and moving forwards.
2. Put Your Home On The Market
Whilst there’s nothing to stop you looking for your new home straight away, it’s important that you get your home on the market as soon as possible. The sooner you’ve accepted an offer on your house, the quicker the chain can generally move and, as such, the sooner you’re in your new place. The estate agent who you choose can play a huge role in how quickly your home sells and it’s important you take the time to shop around and speak with a number of local options as well, of course, as looking at the online alternatives. North-West based V-Move’s Victoria recently offered her top tips in a blog post on the ‘Staging Secrets To Getting Sold’ and suggested, “Create balance in your bedroom. Our eyes love symmetry, it makes us feel relaxed, it’s easy on the eye. To achieve this, two of the same bedside tables and matching lamps really helps.”
This goes to show that as well as choosing a great estate agent, it’s important that your home looks it’s very best and makes potential buyers desperate to put in an offer.
3. Find Your Dream Home
With your own home on the market, it’s time to start checking out what’s for sale and setting about finding your dream home. Whilst some of you are bound to want to up-size, there’s likely as many of you who want to downsize, however regardless of what you’re looking for in a property, the approach is generally the same.
Long gone are the days of walking round all of your local estate agents offices thanks to the likes of Rightmove, OnTheMarket.com and Zoopla. From the comfort of your own home, you can browse all of the properties for sale in the areas you’re looking, sorting by the number of bedrooms, price and a whole host of other variables. Money Saving Expert offer their own top tips on finding your dream home, with one of our favourite being, “before putting in an offer to the estate agent on any property you’ve viewed, pose as many questions as possible – and get important answers in writing.”
Once you’ve found your dream home, however, it’s time to set the wheels in motion and put in your offer – an exciting yet nerve-wracking time for many!
4. Consider Renting A Storage Unit
We all know how stressful the weeks running up to a move can be and having all your belongings packed into boxes never helps. Boxes simply get in the way and you suddenly find that you’ve absolutely nowhere to live in the final weeks in your current home. As such, one of our top tips is to consider renting a storage unit for a short period, if only to offer you a solution to move your belongings out of the house and give you a little space to pack up those items which you use on a daily basis.
We had a brief chat with the team over at The Storage Works in Great Harwood who outlined to us, “it’s common for customers to hire a storage unit for a couple of month’s either side of their big move and you’ll generally find that almost all storage warehouses are more than happy to cater for this. Most will offer storage rates on a weekly or monthly basis and you generally won’t need to tie in for a long period. This offers the perfect solution for those wanting to start packing early without needing to find storage space for box after box at home whilst you’re still trying to live a ‘normal’ life whilst also packing the last of your belongings.”
5. Hire A Removals Company
Despite what some think, you can rarely complete a home move on your own, even if you own a van. Items such as sofa’s and dining tables simply aren’t designed to be moved around in domestic vehicles and, as such, it’s generally the easiest option to hire a removals company for the day, complete with a team to do all of the heavy lifting for you. They’ll help to ensure all of the logistics are in place and that the move runs smoothly, ensuring you’re free to worry about the important parts rather than packing vans and driving back and forwards with furniture hanging out of the back!
Whilst many of you will be familiar with a local removals company, if you’re not, our suggestion would be to use Rightmove’s ‘Removal Quote Tool’ to receive quotes from a number of companies who are both members of the British Association of Removers and who abide by a very strict code of conduct.
6. Hire A Skip
It’s a common fact that when you’re moving house, you’ll find you’re able to part with a whole host of belongings which you’ll never again need! It’s the perfect time to have a clear out and one which will be well needed before the big moving day! We caught up with Redmond from Reds Skip Hire who outlined to us:
“Whilst people hire skips for many reasons, one of the most common is due to them having a clear out, often when they’re moving house! With skips available in all sizes, often the same day from people such as ourselves, it’s an easy and efficient way and saves the time of having to trail to the local waste recycling centre over and over again!”
7. Start Planning Any Renovations Or Interior Design Work
Ahead of your big move date, we’d strongly recommend that you take the time to begin planning any renovations or interior design work which you’ll want to have done. Trust us when we say that, in many instances, it’s far easier to have work carried out as soon as you move in, before you’ve fully unpacked everything than decide two month’s down the line that you want to make some changes.
Our top tip here is to consider the storage you have available. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with buying free-standing storage from the likes of Ikea, a far more flexible solution if budgets allow is to start discussions with a bespoke furniture designer who can design and manufacture pieces which fit around your everyday lifestyle. One such example is London based Barbara Genda whose bespoke wardrobes offer the perfect solution to those wanting a bedroom storage space designed specifically for them. In Barbara’s own words, “Our walk-in closets are specifically designed around your individual needs and all of our fitted bedroom wardrobes are made from our exquisite selection of fine woods and classic finishes.” On the other hand, if you’re looking to add a little uniqueness to your home but don’t have the luxury of the space or budget for a fully customised storage space, why not go as far as you can and commission a bespoke piece from a specialist in that space? Our London team have heard great things about Novita Furniture from clients and we love the examples on their site!
The bottom line is that any bespoke projects such as this need careful planning and, as such, if you can arrange for the work to be done prior to moving in, you’ll thank yourself for it in the long run!
8. Change Your Locks!
Whilst it might sound bizarre – consider changing the locks to your main entrance doors as soon as you’re in. It’s not necessarily something everyone would do, however you can’t be too careful and can you really call somewhere your home until you’re 100% confident that you’re the only ones with access? As stated by the guys over at MPL Locksmith Training when we asked them on the topic, “It’s not usually the previous home owners who you hear of entering a property once it’s sold with their own key, however perhaps those who they’ve given a key to in the past. The bottom line is that you can’t be too sure who has a key to your house unless you change the locks. Confused.com suggest that over 50% don’t change locks and, as far as we’re concerned, it’s something which every new home owner needs to do as a priority! A quick call to a specialist locksmith can see your locks changed in a matter of hours and you’ll be pleased to know it won’t break the bank either!”
On the other hand, if you’re a keen DIY’er, why not change your locks yourself? This great guide on ‘Fitting Your uPVC Door Locks’ from uPVC Door Locks talks you step by step through the whole process and offers a quick and easy approach to keep costs down.
9. Replace Your Bedding
Above all else, in order for you to be able to call your house your home, you need to be able to get a great night’s sleep and what better way to settle in than to replace your bedding for your move in date! It doesn’t need to cost a fortune to replace the entire families bedding, especially when you shop online. At the moment, we love the Jeff Banks bedding sets if you’re into something a little luxurious yet affordable or if you’re after something homely yet which has a little fun factor, the luxury bedding sets from Amara are just perfect! To start you off on your journey to find the best bedding you can … here’s an image of just one of the fun bedding sets mentioned above:
10. Add A Little Luxury To Your Garden
Turning your house into a home doesn’t just mean the interior and it’s important that you give some attention to your garden as well! After all, when ‘done right’ your garden is the perfect place to unwind after a busy day, to let the kids play or to host a family barbecue!
Where budgets allow, why not treat yourself to something luxurious such as a hot tub? It’s something which the whole family will get use out of and if you opt for an affordable model such as a Vita Spa, you won’t have to break the bank whilst still adding that extra special touch to your home! We took the time to look into the numerous different garden luxuries and are struggling to beat these great models, however if you’ve got your own suggestions, please do let us know!
On the other hand, if a hot tub isn’t your thing, something as simple as digging a pond and filling it with your favourite fish can add an extra special touch and help to turn your new garden into your own space!
At the end of the day, a house isn’t a home until you’ve added your own special touches and once you’ve moved in, the fun and creativity really begins!
