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Sell without the stress – 10 tips for a chilled-out move

Selling your property doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, it could even be pleasurable – and why not, a new home is an exciting stage in anyone’s life. So re-imagine your house sale as a Zen experience by following our ten tips for a chilled out move…

  1. Finish your ‘To Do’ list

If you’re anything like the rest of us, you have a permanent ‘To Do’ list of little (and sometimes not-so-little) jobs to be done around your home. Sound familiar? Well, now is the time to get every item on that list ticked off: from refreshing the grouting in the bathroom and touching up the paintwork, to straightening the blind in the kitchen, prioritising all these fixes now can let you focus on viewings once your home is on the market.

  1. Don’t rush

Allowing plenty of time for your sale will mean you can pace yourself – essential for a ‘Zen’ house move. Start the process of decluttering as soon as possible, clearing out all your unwanted possessions and donating to charity or taking them for recycling. You want to give the buyer a lovely feeling of space to imagine your home as their home. Further along the line, you’ll have viewings to organise and admin to attend to, and you’ll wish you’d done all this sooner.

  1. Work out a budget and stick to it

Calculate roughly what your move will cost, add extra for unforeseen expenses – then create a spreadsheet for your budget, itemising everything and updating as you go along. This is a great stress-avoider: it stops surprise costs creeping up on you. Create a folder just for your house sale paperwork too.

  1. Think big – go with small

You might want to get the best price for your home, but that doesn’t mean to say you have to go with the biggest estate agent or solicitor on the block. In fact, with a smaller company with fewer overheads, you can often get the best of both worlds – personal service and competitive pricing.

  1. Get to know your new area

If you’re relocating to a different area, don’t just go there to view the property you’re interested in. Spend half a day hanging out there – it won’t just calm any frayed nerves by acclimatising you to your new neighbourhood, you’ll also be able to check out nearby shops, cafés and amenities to make the first few days in your new pad a breeze.

  1. Call in those favours

Chilled-out sellers plan ahead and dog-sit, help out neighbours and have their children’s friends to stay well ahead of the big move. Why? So that when the day comes, you can call in all those favours, farm out your children and pets and borrow that drill you’ve already packed. Simple. 

  1. Make the most of your rental property

Are you currently renting? Make the most of your position by planning to end your lease a week or so after you move into your new home. That overlap can cut down on angst as you won’t need to get your rental property cleaned and vacated on moving day.

  1. Pick the right removal firm

If you’re planning a stress-free sale – don’t even think about moving yourself. Ask friends for removal company recommendations and pick one who offers packing services too. Arrange for them to visit your home well before your moving date – the best removal companies are busy!

  1. Create your own ‘Moving Day Kit’

This is a great way of keeping calm on the big day. Put together anything you might need and pack it all into one bag: think phone chargers, toilet roll, drinks, snacks, plastic mugs, tea bags and UHT milk. After all – who can ever find the teapot on moving day? 

  1. Make time for yourself – and your family

Moving house is up there with divorce and bereavement when it comes to the big stressful events in our lives – but it doesn’t need to be. Plan evenings off when you don’t mention the move, and make sure family time isn’t completely sacrificed every weekend. That way, you’ll come through the whole process with everyone’s sanity intact…