Help Moving House - The Basics

TractorFactor

Hi all

Bought our first house 7 or so years ago.

We're looking to move but have no idea of even the basics.

MORTGAGE
We've just gone through a re-mortgage so I know I need to see I I can port this to the new property.
Do I then get a new 2nd mortgage to cover the added expense? Can I then merge them together when one is out of its fixed term?

LISTING OUR PROPERTY
Do people generally list and search at the same time?

VIEWING
What sorts of questions should I ask the estate agent?
There is no square footage listed so I'd be keen to know how it compares with our current property.
Should I ask them how far along the sellers are?

What other things should I be thinking about in these early stages?

Also, when it comes to moving day, if four people are all moving into each other's houses, does this generally happen on the same day?
I know some may move into rented but just wondering whether moving trucks leave house A for house B just as moving trucks for house B are leaving.
Because then how do you have time to clean? 

user1977

TractorFactor said:

Because then how do you have time to clean? 

Who said you needed to clean?

Wyndham

It's unusual to have two mortgages. It would be expected that you would either port (and potentially increase) your current mortgage, or get another one for the full amount. You'd need to do some research on your options here, and the current mortgage terms will be important.

You can list and search at the same time, but in certain areas agents won't let you view if you haven't already got a buyer for your house. Both finding the next property and selling your own can take time, and the time is unknown!

For viewings, not sure if you mean the viewings you are going to do, or viewings of your own property. For the new property you'll have a list of things you want - some of which will be set in stone, others will be more flexible. These lists are personal, but think about the number of bedrooms, the living space, garden, garage and so on. You'll know if you are looking for a house, or a flat, for a detached mansion or a studio. It may be worth making a list, and when you view checking against it. In reality you'll have choices to make, so if, say, you really want a garage, but you've seen something that is perfect in every other way, but doesn't have a garage, then you'll have to decide what is more important to you. For viewings of your house, it's worth tidying up!

On moving day, it's normal for everyone to move on the same day. If you don't, you'll have two mortgages to pay, or not have a property at all. Once the date is agreed, removals turn up at all the houses in the chain and start packing. You're then waiting for the money to go down the line, which starts with the bottom of the chain, and then goes through the rest of the chain in turn until in reaches the top. It is only when this is done that the house is legally yours, and you can get the keys. Sometimes it's all quick, and you're still packing in a house which is no longer technially yours. Other times it goes slowly, and you and your removal van are waiting outside of your new home. Personally I'd avoid moving on a Friday, because lots of people do, and this means that most chains take longer to complete on Fridays because it's all so much busier.

As for cleaning - personally I think it is polite if you can. You can tidy up and start to clean in the few days before as you start to pack things.

gwynlas

Prior to putting your property up for sale you to need to clean declutter depersonalise complete any outstanding jobs and get place looking good enough to photograph.

EAs like everyone else act on first impressions so a well presented property should sell more easily than the proverbial tip.

Check out who aappears to sell most of your type of property before inviting 3 to give you valuations. You need to like their photos and descriptions and agree selling price, percentage fees and strategy.
Some might suggest high vakuation to get your contract but then suggest a price drop if it isn't attracting viewings.

Buyers can always make offers and it is up to you to accept or not but the EA should assist you to achieve as much as possible.

There are lots of posts you can read before proceeding

sheramber

Clean as much as you can beforehand. e.g. as you empty cupboards to declutter and pack,  clean that cupboard and do not use again.

leaning items, any eatables or snacks. ( incase you need them where you go before your stuff is unpacked. 

Number rooms in your new house and mark boxes wich roomthey are to go in e.g. bedroom1, bedroom 2. kitchen, living room etc. The movers can then leave them in the appropriate room.

As a room is emptied by the movers hoover / mop it and close the door.

Either take these with you , if going by car, or the movers will pack them last.  They will wait for a short time to allow you to finish the last room.

on your last day pack a box with necessary items such as tea, coffee, milk, sugar, , cups, snacks etc   cleaning items, . incase you need them where you go before your stuff is unpacked. 

Albermarle

On moving day, it's normal for everyone to move on the same day. If you don't, you'll have two mortgages to pay, or not have a property at all. Once the date is agreed, removals turn up at all the houses in the chain and start packing. You're then waiting for the money to go down the line, which starts with the bottom of the chain, and then goes through the rest of the chain in turn until in reaches the top. It is only when this is done that the house is legally yours, and you can get the keys

There can be exceptions, where a buyer is not moving from their own home, but is a first time buyer for example. In this case the sale can complete and they get the keys, but they decide not to move in straightaway,

AlexMac

TractorFactor said:

MORTGAGE
... I know I need to see I I can port this to the new property.  Do I then get a new 2nd mortgage to cover the added expense? Can I then merge them together when one is out of its fixed term?

I hope Nationwide are typical, as our experience with them was great; they let us port our existing mortgage of the same excellent % rate, then threw in an "added loan" at their then less favourable rate; so after a couple of years we overpaid and cleared the dearer one.  They have been great lenders by the way, over several properties...

LISTING OUR PROPERTY
Do people generally list and search at the same time? We did; and got lucky with a really fast sale and an almost equally lucky find of a new buy

VIEWING
What sorts of questions should I ask the estate agent?
We usually invite three local agents to visit, then decide based on their quoted fee rates, estimated sale value, the claims they make about their track record and gut feeling (aka first impressions).  Again, last time we got really lucky in that the Agent had an ideal and eager buyer already on their books- and then we got even luckier in that as we were buying locally, another nearby branch of the  same agency happened to be the seller of the house we opted to buy! 

There is no square footage listed so I'd be keen to know how it compares with our current property.
I've never been too concerned about square footage (or costs per Sq ft) as prices seem to vary so much between areas here in London (although an Italian mate said that cost pSqM was the way they do it there?)

Should I ask them how far along the sellers are? I guess so, although one caution is that you can't trust anything an EA says; although having said that, when we sold a holiday home a few years ago, the EA was great; and helpfully, was efficient and  on top of the process so kept chivvying and aware (maybe a local area -/small town phenomenon; it was on the Isle of Wight!)

What other things should I be thinking about in these early stages? Doh...?

Also, when it comes to moving day, if four people are all moving into each other's houses, does this generally happen on the same day?
This can sound tricky but yes; and mostly it works.  

I know some may move into rented but just wondering whether moving trucks leave house A for house B just as moving trucks for house B are leaving.
As we were moving locally last time, we didn't have to load up til the day of moving; so no having to empty the house a day(s) early then camp in the empty place nor use a hotel.

But the EA tends not to release the keys til the seller's solicitor tells em they have received your money from your solicitor, so if the cash is cascading down a long chain, I guess that could delay things.  (some prople avoid moving on a Friday before a Bank Holiday in case of screw ups)  

Our last move was as I implied, only a mile away, so we were loaded up by noon, and at the new house by 12.30.  BUT, despite me feeling confident that my lawyer HAD passed on the cash, the seller's EA claimed to have no word of this; then they went out to lunch, and didn't phone us to offer us the keys til late afternoon..  No problem; I'd simply busted in, changed the locks (which I always do on day 1; who knows who has copies?) and was drinking tea (from the priority labelled moving-in box of tea, cups. milk, kettle etc) by the time they rang


Because then how do you have time to clean? 

You do your best to clean before and after the removers; but it will never be good enough for some people  I recall how, on another earlier move, I did the incoming buyer a big favour by letting then start unloading their van before the solicitor confirmed receipt of their cash (strictly against the rues; don't try this at home kids!).  Then was as p155ed as h311 when the buyer walked in, ran her finger along the mantlepiece, and sniffed haughtily as if it was filthy; grr!

Good luck; having bought and sold 10-12 times; it gets easier

Wyndham

Albermarle said:

On moving day, it's normal for everyone to move on the same day. If you don't, you'll have two mortgages to pay, or not have a property at all. Once the date is agreed, removals turn up at all the houses in the chain and start packing. You're then waiting for the money to go down the line, which starts with the bottom of the chain, and then goes through the rest of the chain in turn until in reaches the top. It is only when this is done that the house is legally yours, and you can get the keys

There can be exceptions, where a buyer is not moving from their own home, but is a first time buyer for example. In this case the sale can complete and they get the keys, but they decide not to move in straightaway,

True - but I stand by my use of the word 'normal'. In this particular case, I think the OP will fall into this category.

jonnydeppiwish!

When you move, put furniture in the rooms it needs to be in, everything else put in the garage or one dedicated room in the house. Take one box out at a time.

Means you don’t have to feel overwhelmed by the whole process.

Oh, and don’t forget the essentials box - kettle, tea and biscuits

Herzlos

You can't get 2 mortgages, but most mortgage lenders will give you sub-accounts. For instance we ported our old mortgage and kept that rate, then took out additional borrowing at the new rate. As an illustration we owe a total of £150k but that's made up of £50k @ 4.9% and £100k at 1.9%.

Porting usually avoids any early repayment charges if you're doing the transactions on the same day.

For the logistics of moving you want to try and get the house empty and clean as early as possible in the day, get everything loaded up and then you can hand the keys over as soon as you're notified that you've been paid.

It's well worth hiring a moving crew to at least do the lifting part, you can pack everything up yourself though some can do that for you too.

As said, avoid a Friday, because if it goes wrong the solicitors won't be open again until Monday morning, so you risk either being stuck in a packed house for the weekend, or if you're really unlucky in a hotel.

Bigphil1474

OP, before putting your house up for sale, have a good clear out - makes it a lot easier for keeping the house tidy for viewings. We had sell, charity shop, and junk piles and cleared loads out. Also helps when moving. I also spent a few months doing some fixing up and tarting up. Paid off. 

We started viewing when our house first went on the market and realised this was a mistake. It's okay to look on Right move and get a shortlist going, but we found if you view before you have sold (SSTC) you just can't put an offer in if you find the house you love, so we stopped doing that until we sold.

I would 100% say get a moving company in to move you, unless you know a load of people who can help and have got suitable vehicles. Start packing up at least a month before you move. We moved about 5 miles and the removal guys basically turned up, told us to go and find a coffee shop for an hour or two and when we got back they had done most of the lifting. We had packed up ourselves - got about 50 moving boxes for free off FaceBook, and ended up buying another 50. At the other end, the people we were buying from were doing mostly DIY move and they ended up having most of their stuff on the driveway for hours as they couldn't shift it quick enough. We were sat down having a cuppa tea while our team got everything in the right place. As above, don't move on a Friday - too risky for the finances.