Ten things you need to remember when you move house

You’ve got the keys and you’re finally in so now you have a long list of things you need to change.

There is so much to think about, and as you become overwhelmed with excitement and panic amidst all the (organised) chaos, it’s easy to forget some important things from your ‘to do’ list.

So, here is a recap of ten really important jobs that you need to do once you’ve moved in.

1. Re-direct your post

Make sure you don’t miss out on receiving all those corny birthday cards from your best friends. On a serious note, you can get all your post redirected via the Post Office (although you do have to pay a fee). Also, be sure to inform your bank of your new address as soon as possible; in the age of digital banking, you can sometimes do this online or via your app.

2. Sort out your TV licence

While you spend more time online watching Netflix and YouTube there still remains the legal requirement to have a TV licence. If you had a license at your previous address and need to have it reassigned to your new home, you just need to change your address with them, and the contract will continue as usual. Otherwise you will need to purchase a new one which can be done simply by going online to register your new address and to confirm your payment preferences.

3. Set up the internet

Arguably the most important job of all … it’s best to ring up your current provider and ask about your contract terms. You might even be able to transfer it over to your new house or it could be a chance to shop around if you’re finishing your contract. You’ll need to book a date for installation though and that could take several weeks so try and plan ahead if possible.

4. Arrange your Council Tax

This is something you’ll want to sort out as a priority. Contact your local council to finalise your current bill, and to change your address if moving to an address that remains in the area covered by the Council. If not, then set up an account with your new council as soon as possible as you need to pay from the date you move in. The Council Tax due will depend on where you live, the size of your property and how many people live in your home. Local council websites are the best places to start to work out how much you’re likely to be paying.

5. Register to vote

It may seem like the last thing on your mind when you move in, but if you registered to vote in your old home you’ll need to register again for your new address to be able to to vote in national and local elections. Do not wait for a notification to arrrive through the post. This can be set up online using the local Council website.

6. Notify your Gas & Electric supplier

You should have already taken final meter readings before you moved out. Then you need to take new meter readings at your new home to ensure you get the most accurate bill possible. When you move home you can stay with the same energy provider or change to a new one, although check the conditions of your contract first.

7. Do the same with your Water supplier

This is another job that requires you to set aside time in your day to speak to a supplier although you might be able to do change your address online. Your water supplier needs to be notified so that they are made aware that your details have changed. Your new area’s water supplier will contact you once you’ve moved in to work out a payment plan with them.

8. Register with Doctor & Dentist surgeries

There may be a waiting list for good doctor and dentist surgeries in your new local area so sign up with your new address as soon as possible – you never know when you may need them.

9. Arrange insurance

Last but by no means least, make sure that you have your buildings and contents insurance in order. Be aware that you need to have building insurance from the point of exchange, not on completion – so make sure you remember to have signed up to a policy before proceeding with the exchange of contracts.

Finally... contact all your suppliers including credit card companies, DVLA, passport agency to confirm your change of address.

This can sometimes be done on a website where all the suppliers will be notified on your behalf saving you time and effort. Finally, let every company you make regular purchases from, typically online, know your new address to save deliveries still being made to your old address.

How to ensure a sale proceeds without delay

Sellers often ask how long will it take to move into a new home. If we lived in a perfect world an offer would be accepted and you'd be unpacking boxes six weeks later. Sadly this isn't a perfect world and there are many factors that they can influence the timeline of your property sale or purchase.

The first step is to make sure you have an estate agent and solicitor in place that are both aware of your time frame. It's also essential to check that your buyer has sorted out their finance. This is something that your estate agent should have checked before recommending you accept an offer from them, as a part of their vetting process, in order to make sure they are in a position to proceed with a sale. If this is not completed then this could be a real issue and therefore cause an unnecessary delay, or worse, result in a sale falling through.

Ideally a sale could be completed within six weeks if it's a simple straightforward sale with no chain and it is unusual for a house sale to take any longer than three months. If there is a chain there can be unexpected delays with other parties to the sale having their own challenges resulting in delays so you can expect your house sale to take typically between three and four months when this happens.

It is advisable to establish a completion date as soon as you can for all parties and to make this a part of the negotiations. Solicitors and surveyors will be busy especially during peak periods when sales are higher and therefore find themselves stretched which can hold things up. It's therefore important that you use a recommended solicitor that you feel confident will get things moving for you and help to speed up the process and mitigate any delays.

Solicitors who can appear to have no incentive to act quickly are one of the biggest causes of frustrations to clients so it's important to choose an agent that is on the case, chasing any missing paperwork and communicating frequently with all parties to minimise delays and therefore ensure a smooth transaction.

If you cannot rely on your estate agent to communicate between all parties in a timely manner then this will only cause delays and hassle leaving you with no option but to try to get things sorted out yourself. Avoid an understaffed estate agent and do not choose an agent based purely on price.

The most important thing you can do is to choose a great estate agent and a reliable solicitor other than that make sure that all the relevant property searches are up to date and have all of your paperwork prepared and ready with your funding in place in order to help the sale and purchase process progress quickly.

If you would like to talk to us about property in Guildford please feel free to call me on 01483 320207 or go to https://instantvaluation.newman.uk.com/ to discover how much your property is worth today.

Top tips to sell property successfully

There are three main principles that are most effective when selling a home. These are presentation, marketing and pricing.

The decisions that house sellers make around these principles can significantly influence the chance to sell their home above or below market value. How you prepare your home for viewers and hiring the right estate agent to market your home will not only ensure your property is sold sooner but can potentially add thousands of pounds to its value and sale price.

Presentation

Declutter

Get rid of all the excess stuff that you have accumulated over the years, using the garage or your loft to store bulkier items or better still perhaps store it at friend's or family's houses, for the short term.

Potential buyers should not need to use their imagination to realise what the property might look like if they were living there themselves. Make it easy for them to see the most of the fantastic living space you are offering. Ideally storage spaces and garages should be empty or well organized to emphasize their practicality to potential buyers.

Touch up

Give your walls and ceilings a fresh coat of neutral paint to make your home appear lighter and more spacious. This will enable viewers to gain a quick impression of how they could adapt the rooms to their needs and tastes. It will also make it easier for the buyers to move straight into your home and to use the rooms immediately, than if the walls are painted in loud colours or are too dark.

You want to create a great first impression from the garden gate to the front door and to create a memorable experience and lasting impression that moves a viewer towards becoming a buyer.

Fix and clean

Make any minor repairs to any damaged items that you might have been putting off. For example, fill holes in walls, repair cracked tiles, replace missing doorknobs and worn or stained carpets.

The majority of buyers want to be able to move in and without having to make repairs that were left behind. Clean everything until it sparkles. Remove limescale, clean or re-grout tiles. Eliminate bad odours. Hang out fresh towels in the bathroom.

How does the garden look?
Perhaps the bushes and shrubs require a trim. Clean patios and decking. Mow the lawn. All these jobs around the house may not directly add value to your property but it will make it more presentable so you are more likely to sell as potential buyers visualize the need for less work and more downtime in future years.

Light and airy

Mirrors make a room look surprisingly bigger and lighter especially in smaller rooms or hallways so have windows cleaned inside and out and replace any broken light bulbs to make the place feel light and airy. Ensure you have lamps on in any dark corners. This will make the property feel bigger and more attractive.

Make your property look better

Plants and flowers add colour, life and light to a room and they smell great. So does that fruit bowl full of different coloured fruits, on your kitchen table or counter.

Cater for all the senses

Bad smells are one of the biggest turn-offs for buyers. Rather than just covering them up fix the source of the smell. Unblock drains, wash out bins, open windows and air the kitchen from old cooking smells. Conversely good smells can make a property feel more enticing.

Marketing

How do you choose the right estate agent?

Choose an agent who can demonstrate the most extensive marketing techniques and tools to attract the highest number of potential buyers. After all more viewers equals more offers which leads to a higher sale price. The photos taken and used need to be professional to showcase your home in the best possible way. Ask agents to show examples of their still images and virtual reality photography. 360-degree viewings are becoming more popular. Floor plans are a must.

One very important marketing tool is that is becoming more popular is video. Ask would-be agents to show you the videos they have recently produced and used to promote or sell other properties. Video is a great way to advertise the lifestyle that living in your home will provide. This will go far beyond the static pictures and imagination required to picture what a home is really like.

In this new age of social media more and more buyers are discovering property for sale on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin. Videos are the new commodity required to sell houses. If a picture paints a thousand words then the video brings a thousand pictures to life.

Showing the property

If you have hired a great estate agent let them show the property to viewers instead of you doing this yourself. It is a part of a professional estate agent's job to know the things to say and what to highlight. A great agent should have the techniques to deal with objections and ability to move viewers towards making offers.

Pricing

On the topic of pricing choose the agent who demonstrates the most experience, research, evidence and facts when it comes to setting the price of your house. Work with the agent who knows the most about your area. There is a wealth of information an agent should show you on the homes for sale nearby that you are currently competing against; plus evidence of sold homes in your area, with size comparisons, as well as their own local results.

Do not simply be impressed by the agent that proposes the highest asking price of your property. The price at which a house is listed is extremely important. Local Rightmove statistics show that over 40% of properties have had their listing price reduced before they sell often due to being overpriced in the first place. Rightmove also demonstrates that if a home does not sell within the first four weeks of being listed the interest level drops, levels out and then often does not sell at all.

Subsequently an agent typically suggests a price reduction to gain further attention. Time is lost when this happens. Would-be buyers see that the price has been reduced and can be forgiven for thinking the home has not sold due to a lack of interest or that there is something wrong with it. This is then often reflected in fewer offers received and when it eventually does sell the price achieved can be less than should have been if the property had been priced correctly at the initial valuation.

If you would like to talk to us about property in Guildford please feel free to call me on 01483 320207 or go to https://instantvaluation.newman.uk.com/ to discover how much your property is worth today.

Realise the benefits of having your property re-valued every 6 months

We all know getting your home valued at different points in your life is important. This is especially important if you are trying to sell or are planning to sell in the future, but most people don’t realise you need to re-value every 6 months or so, to really reap the benefits.

The market can change quickly
The valuation you arranged is unlikely to be accurate if more than 6 months old, because the market (which tends to determine the value of your home) changes all the time. If you plan to move, or want to know the latest trends occurring in the local property market, to make an informed decision, it’s time to get a new valuation.

Guildford has gained from a 200% growth in property values over the last 20 years.

To build equity
If you haven’t arranged to have a valuation done for a while, you may discover that the increase in your property value over recent years, has created enough equity for a deposit on another property. This does not suggest you leverage yourself to the hilt, but it is useful to know how much equity you possess, particularly if you have considered moving, or are thinking of purchasing a property as an investment.

Are you considering some major renovations?
If you are, it’s also a good idea to get a property valuation to work out whether or not you might be over-capitalising your property. If you find a good valuer or estate agent, they should also be able to advise you on what kind of extension or refurbishments will add value to properties in your area, if you have thoughts of adding value to your property before moving in the long-term.

Making renovations to your home because it’s something you really want – like a walk-in wardrobe - is all well and good, but it might be an idea to keep in mind the potential resale value of your property before you proceed. For example, making a walk in wardrobe out of a third bedroom could detract, rather than add, to the value of your property if you live in an area where demographics are weighted towards families.

Maximise your war chest but do not over-capitalise your home compared to others in the area

Re-mortgaging your property
A preliminary valuation will help you work out what percentage of your property you own, and whether you can get a better deal. If your mortgage is up for renewal, you should definitely know the value of your home to give to your mortgage provider; and to support you in your negotiations to achieve a favourable mortgage and repayment terms. They will double-check the value, so ensure you get a professional valuer, to provide a more accurate figure.

So, act now. Get your new home valued to stay informed and up to date with your options.

Detached house with potential to modernise

Located in a quiet close within a short distance of Merrow village and local schools, including St Peters Catholic and George Abbot, this property has the potential to become a desirable family residence.

Having lived in the property for over 40 years making little change except for the addition of a conservatory and double glazing there is scope for modernisation work and the opportunity to extend (subject to planning approval) into the garden which is a corner plot. This will make the property a delightful family residence, located in a desirable area.

3 bed house in need of modernisation located in a desirable area

There are several larger 5 bedroom properties valued at the £1m+ mark located in this road to suggest that this will be a viable proposition. This is why I like this particular property.

For those who enjoy the game of golf, Guildford Golf Club is just across the Epsom Road.

The price was recently reduced so there will be a surge in demand for this property so why not contact our friends, at Hill Clements now to arrange a viewing before the property sells?
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-72108418.html

If you would like a chat about property prices in Guildford or want to discover where you will find your next residential or investment property in Guildford call 01483 320207 or email richard.hodgson@newman.uk.com

In the meantime why not visit https://instantvaluation.newman.uk.com/ to perform an online valuation for your home to discover how much it might be worth in today's market.