Tips for Buying, Selling, and Moving

When real estate changes hands, it can be very stressful. Even when the circumstances are nothing but sunshine and rainbows, it’s a lot to take in. A smooth transition when you’re buying and/or selling your house and moving to a new one is hard to come by, but not impossible. Here are some tips for making the process a little less painful.

Plan for the Financial Aspects

There are almost always costs associated with buying or selling your home. Since money is one of the most common things people worry about, it makes sense that if you can plan ahead and cover the moving tab with ease, you’ll have a much less stressful experience.

Buying

Home buyers generally pay for inspections, appraisals, mortgage down payments, escrow costs, and various other fees. If you’re intending on renting instead of buying, you’ll likely need to plan for a deposit plus the first and last month’s rent.

Selling

If you’re selling traditionally, you’ll likely be responsible for closing costs like real estate commission and title fees plus basic repairs to make sure the house is ready for its new owners. If you’re selling direct, it cuts down on the financial burden since there is no commission when you sell directly, plus you don’t have to worry about making repairs since we buy homes on an as-is basis.

Moving Expenses

Moving can be expensive! The American Moving and Storage Association says that the average in-state move costs $2,300 and the average tab for moves across state lines costs $4,300.

To save a little money while moving, ask around on local sites for boxes and packing materials rather than buying new ones. People are often so happy to get rid of them that they give them away. You can also recruit friends and family members to help and rent a truck and drive your own stuff rather than hiring movers.

Prepare for an Emotional Rollercoaster

It can be hard to leave a house. Home comes with a lot of emotional baggage. Even a move that’s nothing but positive can come with a little homesickness. Do something special to help you remember your old home like having a painting done of it or DIY-ing a framed, stylized map of the neighborhood. Once you get to your new home, do something special to make it your own right away like hanging your family photo.

Clear the Clutter

Moving to a new house means moving all your stuff. If you have less stuff, you have less to move (which means less to pack and unpack). Before you sign a single contract, go through your home room by room and get rid of anything you don’t really need. Throwing perfectly good but extraneous things away isn’t the most environmentally friendly option, so consider donating to a non-profit or posting extra stuff on a local free stuff internet page. If you need more decluttering inspiration, Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing and TV series on Netflix are ridiculously popular, so maybe they’ll help you, too!

Pack an ‘Up-and-Running’ Box

Getting to your new home and finding that you don’t have the basic things you need to function in your home and get to work unpacking and settling in can be stressful. Where in that big ol’ truck did you put the silverware? Even worse, where’s the nearest store because there’s no toilet paper here?! Put together a box of the things that you need as soon as you arrive and let it ride to your new home with you.

Some other packing tips include starting in advance so you don’t have to rush, organizing your items by room, and packing items tightly using plenty of packing material to make sure all of your things survive the move intact.

Hire a House Cleaner

There are professionals that will make quick work of the pre or post-move house cleaning. You may be surprised at how affordable it is to have someone come in and thoroughly clean your home (old or new) before a move. You’ll rest assured that the home you’re moving to is fresh and clean for your family.

In Closing

Moving can be stressful and buying or selling a home only ratchets up the pressure even more. The trick is to prepare as much as you’re able but not to stress too much about every little detail.