Make your house move easier and less stressful with our handy relocation guide!
Relocation is one of the main reasons people need to sell a house, whether you have a new job or moving away for a better life. Unlike moving to another neighbourhood in the same region, however, there’s a great deal to think about moving to a new country to ensure your big move is smooth and stress-free.
Relocating somewhere else can be an emotional time in any person’s life. They say that moving house is one of the most stressful undertakings in life, and the stress can increase significantly if the move involves relocation for work. So before you set out on this life-changing journey, use this relocation checklist to ensure there aren’t too many surprises along the way.
Enquire about relocation benefits from your employer
Don’t forget to check out the costs of moving, as you may be able to get some of these back from your employer if you’re moving house because of work; there is a chance that you might claim relocation expenses. In addition, financial assistance for the cost of hiring a removal service may be available, or with the various costs associated with the legal process of selling property in the UK. More generous employee schemes include a new home and property buyout schemes.
If you receive relocation benefits, you might be liable for specific tax contributions. However, costs up to £8,000 may be exempt from tax if they qualify.
House moving costs include:
- Moving costs
- The purchase of new items for your new home
- Bridging loans from an employer
- The legal costs of buying and selling property
Relocation costs will only qualify for tax exemption if:
- You’re a new employee moving to a new area for work.
- You’re an existing employee moving location for work.
- The costs apply to the tax year in which the move took place.
- The new home is close to the place of work, and the old house wasn’t
Choose a suitable estate agent when selling and relocating to another area.
Your priority is a quick house sale, so that may need to reflect your price expectations. You will also need to choose an estate agent with a track record of selling houses quickly.
Regardless of how good your estate agent is, they won’t be able to guarantee a particular timescale for the sale of your property. The open market is notoriously unpredictable, and it has the potential to ruin your plans for a quick sale.
The best option could be to sell your home to a house buying specialist such as Flying Homes. Then, you sell your property directly to a cash buyer without any involvement from the open market. Therefore, you can avoid property chains and all of the issues with the potential to derail a house sale.
There’s no need for advertising, endless property viewings, price negotiations or conveyancing. Instead, you put the entire process in the hands of the house buying service and wait for your sale proceeds to arrive.
Alternatively, if your move isn’t reliant on a speedy sale of your home, then consider all your selling options to maximise the sale price.
Take a trip to your new area.
As soon as the house selling process is underway, it would help if you started searching for your next home. Take a trip to your new area, but make some appointments with local estate agents first. Ask about the best options for your budget, and make sure you find out about local services and amenities.
Moving away to an entirely new country will be an emotional wrench for you and your family. It’s a good idea to take several trips there to familiarise yourself with the new surroundings. Take the time to visit local restaurants, shopping areas, and leisure facilities, as doing so will also tell you whether or not the specific neighbourhood is suited to your needs.
Arrange finance
You must have your finance arranged at the earliest opportunity. After all, any delays to your relocation could put your job in jeopardy. Compare the mortgage products available to you, but check with your employer to see any preferential deals related to your employment.
Arrange your removal services
If you’re relocating a long-distance, you will need a specialist service that deals with such an undertaking. The cost involved is likely to be very high, so shop around. However, your employer may have an agreement with a particular firm — giving you either a completely free service or a hefty discount.
The cost to move a house is already high, but it can get higher if things go wrong and your possessions get damaged. Make sure you check exactly what the removal firm’s insurance covers. Also, ask for an itemised breakdown of costs, as a basic removal package price won’t include everything.
Make your travel arrangements.
Once you know that your house sale and purchase are proceeding as planned, you should make your travel arrangements. Of course, this may be a simple case of driving to your new home. However, if you want to take some of your most precious possessions yourself, you may need to hire a trailer or a van. You may wish to take the train or plane to cut your travel time.
Put your affairs in order.
Moving to another neighbourhood in the same area is tricky enough, but leaving the area altogether means the need for putting your affairs in order is more significant than ever, so compile a checklist for moving house. After all, you won’t be able to pop round to your hold home every week to pick up any mail not redirected.
Ensure you have informed all utility providers of your new address and arranged new utilities to be active on your moving day. In addition, contact the Post Office to ensure any of your mail addressed to your old home is automatically directed to your new property. It’s also a good idea to ensure you have any essentials you might need, such as toiletries and prescription medications.
Moving house to start a new life in a new part of the world is a vast, emotional step. It may get highly stressful at times, but you can make the relocation process run as smoothly as possible by putting plans in place from the outset.
