Top reasons for knowing when it’s time for change

THERE are several key points in the year, particularly at the start of a new one, when many homeowners tend to sit back and re-evaluate whether their property meets their current needs.

People tend to stay in the same property for years, even when the original reasons for moving there have long disappeared. If your location is based on old habits such as a school which your children have left, or a commute which is no longer needed, then a clever move at a stagnant time can provide a new lease of life and a fresh new outlook.

Sometimes inertia keeps us from moving, especially when the thought of a move is daunting both physically and financially. We are told moving house is one of life’s most stressful events, but sometimes staying put can be more stressful and financially draining in the long run.

According to experts at Stacks Property Search, many people generally show preferences for an extra room, bigger garden or more parking, but there might be more urgent reasons which may hasten the need for a move sooner rather than later.

If the house has become too big, with too many rooms to heat, high maintenance costs and you live in less than 50 per cent of your space, or your garden has become a duty rather a joy to tend, then heating and maintaining space which is rarely used makes no financial sense. In this case, a downsize could be beneficial.

Conversely, if your children are growing up and have spread themselves into all your living spaces, then looking at reconfiguring the space or upsizing may be the answer. The average family of four ideally needs more than two downstairs living spaces as it is important that everyone has a corner they can call their own.

If parts of the property have become difficult to reach later in life, then a new property with easier access and fewer stairs would take away the strain, such as a bungalow or a ground floor apartment.

According to the House Buyers Bureau, some of the most common reasons people are wanting a quick sale are family-related, bereavement, financial difficulty, ill health, downsizing, emigration and divorce or separation.

The House Buyers Bureau offer a quick sale platform which can expedite the process by purchasing the property and preventing the collapse of the sale, thereby saving the sellers time, money and stress. This is useful when buyers are withdrawing as a result of the increased cost of borrowing, as in the current unsettled mortgage climate.

It is worth considering your current needs, ie, where you need to be, perhaps closer to family, or in a quieter area, more space, less space, or urban convenience closer to home. Then discussing these requirements with family, friends and a local estate agent in the area to which you wish to relocate may be the first step to changing your life.