Moving home can be many things: exciting, tiring, exhilarating, disappointing. Above all, it is likely to be stressful. Whether the end result is for better or worse you need to accept that one thing. You are not going to get all the way through a move without some stress. Accept it, prepare for it and get on with things.
If you’re moving out of a home you own, there is the delicate balance of selling one place and buying another. You may have an offer for your home but nowhere to move to. The whole process of moving house creates a chain, which moves only as fast as its slowest link.
You do not want to be that link. Angry realtor phone calls, the possibility of buyers dropping out? It’s all additional stress. So you need to move as swiftly and serenely as you can. This means doing your homework. It means becoming a real estate detective.
Move Swiftly, But Know What You’re Getting Into
The importance of making a quick move is evident. The longer a house move goes on, the more money you spend. You’re in a period of suspended animation, and long-term planning is tricky, which runs up overhead costs. So you need to do the groundwork on any new place you might be moving to.
This means the obvious, which may be mandated by your realtor – inspections on the house itself to make sure it is free of pests, and so on. It also means, however, finding out if the area is one you can happily live in. That means doing a drive-by and looking at the area – where stores, schools and other things are located. But there’s more to do, too.
Get On The Net: There’s More You Need To Know
It’s sometimes advised that you speak to the locals in an area before moving into it. This isn’t a bad idea per se, but bias can play a role. Will they talk up the area because they’re used to it, or talk it down because they don’t like newcomers? It can happen.
It’s wise to get online to research the area factually. Say you find mountain cabins for sale, and they seem like a dream. You may need to check out information about how passable the roads are in winter.
Also, not to put too fine a point on it, wherever you’re moving, check out crime statistics. The most important thing about a home is that it keeps you safe. How sure are you that this area is safe?
Use Your Imagination
Along with the factual research you do, you need to do what all good detectives do – put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Imagine yourself in the new home. It’s 8.30 pm and you’re bored. If you wanted to get in the car and go somewhere, where would you go? Or it’s a Sunday, and you cut your hand in the kitchen; is the nearest hospital easy to get to?
The more thorough your research, and the earlier you do it, the faster you can move. Presuming the potential buyers on your home have got their act together, of course.
Enter your email address:
Delivered by FeedBurner
