Moving House

If you plan to buy a home, you’ll need a mortgage; you should speak to a mortgage advisor or bank about this. While various factors can influence how much you can borrow, expect your mortgage to be a 10-20% deposit (you’ll pay this cash up front) and borrow up to 5x your annual income.  

If you plan on renting, think about how much cash you have available monthly. You should budget around 30% of your monthly income on rent. 

This will be a personal choice. Think about what you need in your new property. For example, think about the size and location. Remember – your budget will play a role here. You may not be able to get something that meets all your criteria, so think about the things that are most important to you. 

Once you’ve found a property you like, it’s time to make an offer. 

If you’re renting, just let the landlord know you’re interested. They’ll then determine whether you are the right tenant. They’ll look at your credit score and income. 

If you’re buying, the process is a bit longer. You’ll need to consider the mortgage offer you have in place, and you’ll need to go through an estate agent. When making an offer, consider the local market. Don’t be afraid to offer less than the asking price, especially if the property has been on the market for a while. 

If your offer is accepted, you’ll need to plan a survey for the property. Your mortgage provider and real estate agent can assist with this. If there are issues with the property, you may need to revise your offer (or withdraw it completely).  

Selling your home can be slow, so you’ll need to be patient, even if you’ve found the perfect home to buy. While there are many ways to sell your home, people often work with us here at We Buy Any Home, as we can buy your property quickly. Contact us and get a free cash offer.   

Once the offer has been accepted and the property survey completed, the purchase should move at a more rapid pace, but it can still take a while. The conveyancing solicitor will provide you with plenty of paperwork that needs to be signed. Eventually, you’ll need to exchange contracts for the sale of your property (if selling) and the purchase of your new one. Once contracts have been exchanged, there’s no backing out. You’re committed. 

Eventually, the conveyancing solicitor will let you know the moving date (normally 1-2 weeks in advance), and details on where keys will be exchanged.

Make sure all your mortgage paperwork is in place. Talk to your mortgage advisor or bank about this. Remember – you need to have a firm offer for your mortgage before contracts are exchanged.

This might not always be possible. However, if you can, talk to whoever is currently occupying the property you’re moving to.

Find out things like:

• When the bins get collected (especially recycling)
• Whether any electrical or gas meters are located.
• Whether they have documents for any kitchen appliances they are leaving behind, e.g. warranties, manuals, etc.
• Who their broadband or phone supplier is. It’ll make the switch much easier.
• Where they purchased their tiles, wallpaper, or flooring. This is important if they ever get damaged and you need to replace them.

We suggest that you start packing as soon as you know you’re moving home. You don’t need to pack everything at once. Just pack the things that you are unlikely to need right away. For example – if you’re moving in the winter, pack your summer clothes. You can leave the furniture packing until a couple of days before moving.

While you can hire a vehicle and move furniture and items yourself, it’s a lot of stress. A few weeks before you move, start getting quotes from removal companies. You’ll find plenty in your area.

Always look into reviews from removal companies before you hire them. You should also ensure they’re insured to carry the goods you are moving.  

As soon as you have a firm move-in date, book the removal company that you’ve selected. You’ll be asked to pay a deposit, with the full balance due once the move is complete.

If you’re moving from a rental, you should pay a cleaning company to carry out your end-of-tenancy cleaning rather than doing it yourself. The cleaning company will ensure that the property is clean enough to get your deposit back.  

You can book these a week or so before your moving-out date, but you can always look for quotes earlier.

If you’re planning on downsizing, you may have far too many items to fit into your new property. You have two options here:

• Sell them
• Put them into storage

If you are putting it all into storage, it’s important that you start looking for quotes as soon as possible. Depending on where you live, there’ll be several storage units that you can rent.

You’ll need to start changing your address in the few days before you move. Who you contact will depend on your circumstances, but it’ll be: 

• Your bank
• Department for Work and Pensions
• HMRC (if a sole trader, or you run a business)
• DVLA, if you own a vehicle.
• Electoral roll – it is essential the electoral roll contains up-to-date information. It is a legal requirement.
• TV licensing (important if you plan on having a new TV at your property)
• Bank
• Credit cards
• Phone contracts
• Any bills that need paying.
• Loyalty cards
• Pension
• Insurance, particularly car and pet insurance.

When you have a firm moving date, head to the Royal Mail website and process a redirect. This will ensure that any mail sent to your old address will be automatically forwarded to your new one. This is particularly important if relocating; it would not be easy to pick up mail from the old home in person.  

Water bills, electricity and gas bills, landline bills, Sky or Virgin TV, broadband, and more must be cancelled. 

In some cases, you can move contracts over to your new property. It’ll save a lot of hassle. Just let the vendor know if you’re planning a switch.  

Organise property insurance in the days before your move (i.e., when you have a firm date). You must be insured in your new property from the first day.  

When you change your address with the local authorities, make sure you cancel your council tax at the same time. In most places, this can be completed online.

Not everybody will need a packing company, but if you have a lot of hefty furniture, it may be wise to book one. A packing company can dismantle the furniture and, in some cases, reassemble it at your new location.

A man & van is a method for smaller moves e.g. moving a few boxes and some smaller pieces of furniture. It is often an option for first-time buyers who may not have a lot of furniture, or those moving to a furnished rental. 

If you’ve got a lot of furniture to move (and big furniture), book a proper moving company. Ensure that they are insured for the move, particularly if you have something quite expensive.

Furniture removal companies will often be expensive, but worth the cost. They’ll carry the furniture around for you, saving you a lot of time and effort.

If anything needs to go into storage (particularly if downsizing), look for storage units. To get a quote, you’ll need a rough size of all the items being stored.

Always choose reputable, insured storage providers. This will ensure your items are in good hands.

For end of tenancy cleans, you’ll need a cleaner. Don’t do it yourself. Always ensure that the cleaner you choose carries out end-of-tenancies, and they are well-reviewed. It’ll ensure that the job is done properly, and give your landlord less opportunity to get your deposit back from you.