For buyers and sellers looking to move before the festive period, preparation will give them the best possible chance of meeting a tight deadline.
Despite the end of the Stamp Duty holiday, the property market is still active, with buyers looking to take advantage of low mortgage rates. We take a look at how to organise a quick move.
Find the right estate agent
Talk to friends and relatives in your area and ask for recommended agents who have worked well for them. If you want to sell quickly, you may need to price realistically. Make sure that your agent knows from the start that you want to move without delay so that everyone involved is aware of your wishes.
Put a solicitor in place
Find a solicitor to take on the conveyancing work early on, when you put your property on the market or when you start looking for somewhere to buy. They will be able to let you have a list of information that they need from you so that you can both start work on putting together the required paperwork.
Obtain a mortgage in principle
Arrange a mortgage offer in principle before you have found a specific property. This means that you can provide the lender with the documentation they require at this stage and they can ask any questions they need to. Once they have issued a mortgage offer in principle, it will be much quicker and easier to obtain a mortgage offer once you have found the right property.
Prepare your property for sale
If you want to sell quickly, you won’t have time to carry out work to your property, however you should try and ensure it is clean, decluttered and that the garden is neat and tidy. This will help you when you come to move, as well as making your property more attractive to potential buyers.
Start packing early
If you will be packing yourself, start as soon as you have a buyer or you have found a property to purchase, so that the job doesn’t end up being stressful. You can start by putting everything that you won’t need into boxes, decluttering as you go. Try and keep the boxes specific to particular rooms and label them thoroughly.
Doing little and often early on means that when you come to unpack, everything should be well organised and you will only have items that you really need.
As soon as your solicitor is able to confirm your moving date, make sure you book your removals company. They are likely to be busy as the festive season approaches. If you don’t have much time to deal with packing and unpacking, consider paying for your removals company to do this for you.
Make lists of who to notify of your move
There is a lot of admin that goes with moving house. Making a list of who to contact and the details that you will need, such as your account numbers and customer numbers, means that you will be able to deal with it quickly when the time comes.
You will need to include utility companies, authorities, organisations that you hold an account with and the NHS. Find a comprehensive list online and work through it methodically.
If you would like to speak to one of our expert property lawyers, ring us on 0345 241 3100 or email us at mail@cplaw.co.uk
