Moving house will be one of the most stressful things we do during our lifetime. A combination of dealing with our biggest financial asset, the emotional attachment we have with the property and the sheer scale of the thought of moving house can all seem like too much, especially so in our retirement years. In order to minimize stress, it is important that you take time to consider your approach.
We are no longer limited to just using the traditional estate agent services; so it is well worth investigating your options for selling your property. Organizations, such as National Homebuyers can take significant stress out of the house-moving process. As property buyers, they can make a cash offer for your property keeping you out of the complex property chains that very often bring so much anxiety to buying and selling property.
You might also want to consider selling your property without deciding on your next move. While furniture storage comes at a price, renting a holiday let or staying with friends and family in between your sale and purchase, can give you breathing space to make the right decision.
Planning your move is vital. Packing up your treasured possessions and clearing out the less valuable items well ahead of time will pay dividends. In particular, if your downsizing property, ensure sure you give due consideration to how much room your new home will provide. Putting furniture that will fit into expensive storage or having to make decisions on a removal date will only add to the stress.
Remember to clear out attics and any out-buildings, if you have them. These are places where unused and memorable items are often stored away; photo albums, children’s toys, sporting equipment and holiday souvenirs. If you can have a sort through before moving, you can offer them up to your extended family, neighbors or charity shops if you don’t want to take them with you. By doing this ahead of time it will feel more like a gift to the recipient rather than a moving-day drama.
Over committing yourself physically can bring both pain and anxiety. We all like a clean and tidy home, so when selling why not consider contracting a cleaning company to bring your current and future home up to standard while you focus on the important aspects of the move. The same goes for moving day, if you pack up your belongings yourself try to find a removals company that lets you have packing materials well ahead of time. Property buyers and sellers always end up disposing of a large volume of rubbish. Rather than clearing the rubbish yourself, why not hire a skip leading up to the move; that way you can clear out without having the worry of disposal.
Finding the right professionals to help is vital. Ensure you speak to friends and family for personal recommendations. In particular ask about valuations and how realistic they turned out to be. Of course we all get drawn to the highest valuation, but having a property incorrectly priced with put off home buyers and contribute to an unpleasant and stressful experience.
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