Are You Ready For A Bigger House?
The thing they don’t tell you about having kids is all the stuff they accumulate. As well as all their toys and gifts from well-meaning relatives, they require a lot of accessories and clothes. While their possessions keep on growing, your house is suddenly bulging at the seams.
No sooner have you child-proofed your current home, it’s time to move to a larger place. But moving with a baby or toddler in tow is no easy task. Minimise the stress and workload with the following tips.
Work Out Finances
The first question to ask yourself is whether you can afford a bigger place. Can your finances stretch to larger mortgage repayments? Or will the sale of your current home provide a big enough of a deposit to ensure your monthly repayments are manageable? What happens if the interest rates suddenly rise? Will you be able to manage the increase?
It’s also important to consider your household bills. You’re likely to pay more council tax and use more electricity and gas to light and heat your new home. All of these increases mount up.
Have A Sort Out First
Before you think about putting your home on the market, have a good sort out first. A house that is crammed full of stuff is hard to sell, and you need to make it as appealing as possible to potential buyers. So, begin by going through your home room by room and sorting through all your possessions. Make four piles; keep, throw away, give away, and recycle. Work through every single item you own and add it to one of these four piles. Discard or give away any items that are not useful or meaningful. Be absolutely brutal in your choices. If you still have items that you want to keep but don’t have the space, consider renting some temporary storage space until you move.
Enlist Professionals
Moving is stressful enough without having to worry about whether you have got all your paperwork in place. You may initially save a few pounds by going through processes yourself, but this is usually a false economy. The legal pitfalls are huge, and it’s likely that this will cost you much more in the long run. So, find a solicitor or conveyancer who has experience in this area. These people deal with house sales on a daily basis and will save you time and money. And it’s one other item you can cross off your list.
Which Area?
Deciding on where to live is also a big consideration once you have children. As well as proximity to work and extended family, you have nurseries and schools to think about. It’s very different from moving alone or with your partner.
Check out league tables and get a feel for the schools in your chosen areas. If possible, speak to other families about their experiences. Look at things like amenities, sports clubs, and leisure facilities to get an idea of life in that area. When you visit, try to go at different times of the day and week. And check out crime statistics. It’s possible to search by postcode to compare areas.
No-one likes to live in a property they have outgrown. There comes a point when it’s just not practical, and it causes frustration and stress. But before you make the leap, work through the steps above to ensure your move is as smooth and stress-free as possible.
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