Moving home for the first time in years?

Although the reasons for wanting to sell your home after living in it for many years can be appealing – like moving closer to family, for example – the actual decision to get started, and how to go about it, can be daunting and emotional. Here are some tips from Your Move to help you get started.

The basics will be the same

Although it might have been some time since you bought or sold a property that doesn’t mean the basic principles aren’t still there.  It’s all about presenting and marketing your property well, making sure it’s set at the right selling price and that you have the support of a good agent and solicitor to help you along the way. Choosing the right estate agent is really important, so do the homework to find a good one perhaps considering, as part of this, how you’d most like to deal with them i.e. online or via a local high street branch, or a combination of both. You’ll also need to understand what services they offer and why they might be most suitable for you. There’s a handy blog on our website that provides some top tips and basically reiterates the importance of asking the right questions to help you in making your decision.

Now might be the time to make the first move    

You might think that you can’t begin to sell your home if you haven’t got another one to move into, but that’s not the case. If anything this could hinder your chances of securing another property because sellers might not be prepared to wait for you to sell, and might favour other buyers instead. Putting your property on the market as soon as possible, therefore, is really important, especially as demand for property is currently so high (*).  If you do sell quickly there will still be some months to go before you complete the transaction and, during that time, you can negotiate when you’d like to leave the property and on what terms. A keen buyer will usually wait.

Covid-19

Understandably sellers may worry about estate agents and potential buyers entering their home in the current Covid-19 environment so it’s really important that you feel confident in the agent you use and that they can demonstrate that they are doing all they can to protect you. Some agents, like Your Move, provide assurances that they are continuing to operate COVID secure processes and procedures in branch and when visiting customer’s homes. We organise virtual viewings of properties at first and then only arrange ‘in person’ viewings if we are satisfied that the buyer is in a strong position to buy and serious about doing so. 

Start the search

Once you’ve decided to sell, consider where you’d like to buy, or let, next. There may be many reasons for making a move and this might impact what kind or property you go for next – and where this might be.  Family and friends might also influence your decision, as might your finances. If you’ve thought about renting instead of buying, it’s a good idea to understand what this might involve including the costs and the long term availability of the property, think too about what you’ll do with existing furniture and belongings. There’s a lot to consider if you plan to downsize, as our blog explains.

Some agents, like Your Move, offer both sales and lettings services so can offer advice on both and, because it is a national network, branch teams are able to work with colleagues both locally, and across the UK, so wherever your next move might be, and whatever circumstances you may be in, they’ll be more than happy to help. 

So if you are thinking about selling, and want some help and advice, why not contact your local Your Move branch– or simply book a free market valuation online – there’s no obligation but it's one way to make that first move.

(*)Buyer demand is up 55% compared to normal levels according to Zoopla. July 2021