When it comes to moving house, there’s a whole host of things to consider and that’s why, here at Search Mortgage Solutions, we’re committed to helping make the dreams of our clients a reality. We all have dreams and whilst securing a mortgage is only part of a bigger picture, it’s a big part and one which almost all other things involved in the process hinge upon. We are, however, here to help see our clients right through to their move in date and, as such, have put together our very own ‘Guide To Moving House;’ a three part post which looks at everything from securing your mortgage through to considering ways to turn your new house into a home. In short, it’s a collection of our top tips as well as a few from carefully selected others within the ‘property’ and ‘home’ industries.

1. Securing Your Mortgage

We would say it but securing your mortgage is the first thing which you need to do when considering moving home. Of course, it helps if you have an idea as to the approximate price of properties you’re looking at, however the sooner you get your decision in principle, the better! It’s important that you know how much you’re going to be able to borrow so that you can start hunting for your dream home and know you’ve got a mortgage offer in place so you’re able to make an offer straight away.
Our top tip here is to take the time to sit down with a specialist mortgage broker. In most instances, it won’t cost you a penny to receive invaluable professional advice which will help you to ensure you end up with the right mortgage which is right for your personal financial circumstances both now and moving forwards.

2. Put Your Home On The Market

Whilst there’s nothing to stop you looking for your new home straight away, it’s important that you get your home on the market as soon as possible. The sooner you’ve accepted an offer on your house, the quicker the chain can generally move and, as such, the sooner you’re in your new place. The estate agent who you choose can play a huge role in how quickly your home sells and it’s important you take the time to shop around and speak with a number of local options as well, of course, as looking at the online alternatives. North-West based V-Move’s Victoria recently offered her top tips in a blog post on the ‘Staging Secrets To Getting Sold’ and suggested, “Create balance in your bedroom. Our eyes love symmetry, it makes us feel relaxed, it’s easy on the eye.  To achieve this, two of the same bedside tables and matching lamps really helps.”
This goes to show that as well as choosing a great estate agent, it’s important that your home looks it’s very best and makes potential buyers desperate to put in an offer.

3. Find Your Dream Home

With your own home on the market, it’s time to start checking out what’s for sale and setting about finding your dream home. Whilst some of you are bound to want to up-size, there’s likely as many of you who want to downsize, however regardless of what you’re looking for in a property, the approach is generally the same.
Long gone are the days of walking round all of your local estate agents offices thanks to the likes of Rightmove, OnTheMarket.com and Zoopla. From the comfort of your own home, you can browse all of the properties for sale in the areas you’re looking, sorting by the number of bedrooms, price and a whole host of other variables. Money Saving Expert offer their own top tips on finding your dream home, with one of our favourite being, “before putting in an offer to the estate agent on any property you’ve viewed, pose as many questions as possible – and get important answers in writing.”
Once you’ve found your dream home, however, it’s time to set the wheels in motion and put in your offer – an exciting yet nerve-wracking time for many!
In part 2, we’ll take a look at our top tips for the run up to the big move once your offer has been accepted!