Moving a house

Moving House During Coronavirus—What You Need To Know?

We’re living in uncertain and unpreceded times.

The impact of the C-19 Coronavirus crisis is ricocheting around the globe. Each news cycle brings new information and developments. At the moment, an economic slowdown and job losses look inevitable. However, the housing market is yet to experience the full force of these factors.

Sure, there’s no denying there’s a new level of hesitation in the housing market. And people who are at the beginning of the selling or buying process are most likely to put their plans on hold. At least for the time being.

In reality, some homebuyers and sellers can’t afford to wait. For instance, maybe you’ve found your dream home, or you want to sell your house quickly to move abroad, or you’ve already completed on a property, and it’s too late to default.

Whatever your situation, if you want to go ahead with your transaction, it’s crucial you understand the risks in an ever-changing environment.

What you need to consider if you want to buy or sell your house during COVID-19
How you proceed with your home purchase depends very much on how far along you are in the process. If you’re in the middle, you’re more likely to want to speed things up and exchange as quickly as possible. For example, if you’ve already accepted an offer, or you’ve set a completion date.

To help you navigate these choppy waters, here are five things to consider when moving house during COVID-19.

#1 Limited or no viewings in person

Social isolation means property viewings done in person are going to dwindle or become totally non-existent. But this doesn’t mean you can’t see inside in a property. Thanks to technology, many estate agents offer virtual property tours. And, even before COVID-19 hit our shores, virtual property tours were growing in popularity as not everyone has the time to visit a location in person. For instance, if they live abroad or in another city.

According to a study by the American National Association of Realtors, 45% of buyers reported finding virtual tours useful when house hunting. It’s not surprising as virtual tours offer consumers a unique opportunity to experience a property without stepping foot in it.

#2 Securing a mortgage

Thanks to technological innovations in the finance sector, the process of applying for and securing a mortgage has become simpler. As a result of digitalization like AI and automation, you can now complete a mortgage application online via your smartphone.

What this means in practice is mortgage lenders can make decisions on mortgage applications far faster due to more efficient access to applicants’ financial information.

#3 Conveyancing delays

The more steps or people involved in your house buying process increases the risk of hold-ups. Of course, this is true of any house buying experience, but even more so in the current climate.

Potential delays include the availability of a solicitor to complete deals, registration lags at and difficulties in getting key documents witnessed due to self-isolation as e-signatures are not accepted.

To avoid delays prioritize getting local authority searches completed as quickly as possible.

#4 Risk of transactions not completing on time

It’s important to remember if you’ve already exchanged contracts but not yet completed, you are legally bound to continue. If you or the other party default at this point, you risk incurring financial penalties for breach of contract and even legal action.

One option is to add a force majeure clause into the contract. This will allow you to agree to a postponement of the completion date. But it’s a complex process and involves all parties in the chain to decide together.

#5 Relying on others

Great, you’ve managed to exchange and complete successfully. Before you crack open the champagne to celebrate, remember you still need to control the logistics of physically moving.

Removal companies may struggle to move people as a result of the virus, creating delays along the chain. Rather than moving your belongings, one option is you just take essentials and place the rest of your stuff in storage. This way, everyone can still move but without relying on anyone else.

Final thoughts

Try to stay calm. Talk to your estate agent and find out what is happening and what support they can offer. Communicate with your chain. By working together, you have a better chance of agreeing on a way forward or managing delays so that everyone can move quickly and safely.

 

26th March 2020 / by / in
The Best Time of Year to Move – Debunked

Moving to a new house is never an easy feat. There are so many variables to consider and every single person’s situation is different, however, you will find common themes across all the seasons when it comes to deciding what time of year to move to a new house.

We have created a guide of all the pros and cons for each season when it comes to moving so you can form a well-rounded opinion for your next move.

Winter

Why you should move in Winter

  • Save Money – Far fewer people are moving to a new house during the winter months due to the slower market and cold weather. This means rates are cheaper and you can save money across the board, even when it comes to buying your house.

 

  • Flexibility – With most removal companies having a less hectic schedule during winter you should be able to take advantage of this when it comes to booking in your own removal, especially if you haven’t got a confirmed completion date.

 

  • Time & Care – If most removal companies are working on fewer jobs this time of year, it should also help you with any additional requests, such as packing or moving large furniture. Your local removal company in Kent will be more than happy to do this anyway, regardless of the time of year, but it does help when it’s quieter.

 

Why you should not move in Winter:

  • Poor Weather – Moving in bad weather is no fun for anyone, whether that be the removal company or the homeowner. Although cold, most winters in the UK are mild but there is also a fairly high chance that you could be faced with ice, fog, and even snow, so you need to be prepared.

 

  • Christmas – The Christmas period itself needs to be organized and thought of, so it may not be wise to plan your move around this. Especially if you are purchasing a number of presents or making other plans, the additional stress can be too much for some people.

Spring

Why you should move in Spring:

 

  • Reasonable Weather – Not too cold and not too hot, spring is a happy medium for many house movers. The sun is usually out most days, although it can sometimes be a little chilly, it is not unbearable. This also makes driving and transportation a lot safer.

 

  • Term Time

 

Most kids are in school during the spring, excluding the Easter holidays, making spring an ideal choice for families. Moving with kids can be difficult, particularly if they are younger, so you can make things easier by moving whilst they are in school during the day. This gives you a lot more time to sort everything out yourself.

 

Why you should not move in Spring:

 

  • Busier Times – It’s commonly thought that summer is the most popular time to move but spring definitely comes up in the ranks too. The property market is quite busy and this means you will be up against a lot more buyers when it comes to purchasing a proper and hiring a removal company.

Happy couple opening boxes in the living room

Summer

Why you should move in Summer:

 

  • No Weather Issues – There is always an unlikely chance that extreme weather conditions could occur, however, summer is the best guarantor of this not happening.

 

Why you should not move in Summer:

 

  • Popular – Summer is commonly thought of as the most popular and common time to move to a new house so things can be quite hectic during this season. The days are longer and people tend to be happier and better equipped.

 

  • Summer Holidays – Moving with kids can be difficult. On the other hand, if they are off school and have to move with you, it can sometimes be easier if you don’t have to worry about taking them to and from school.

Autumn

 

Why you should move in Autumn:

 

  • Mild Weather – As summer ends you will find the weather starts to cool down slightly and daylight hours are usually still long until November, making autumn a good alternative if summer is too expensive.

 

Why you should not move in Autumn:

 

  • Start of New School Year – It can be a pain to move in autumn if you have children, as most terms will start in September. Especially if you plan to move your children to a new school, it could be hard for them to adjust if they are mid-way through.

 

Our Verdict

 

At the end of the day, you need to make the decision that is best for you. We would recommend moving in the quieter months and where weather is a lot less harsh, but this also has an effect on the number of properties being bought and sold, so it entirely depends on your own situation.

As long as you plan well and get organized in advanced you should have a successful move, no matter what time of year it is!

22nd January 2020 / by / in
Our Top Tips & Tricks For Moving Home In 2020

The new year has finally arrived! With this change of year, many decide its time to make a change to their everyday life. Whether it be a new year’s resolution or looking into moving home there is no doubt that you’ve thought about it.  Exploring the possibilities of moving home can be a very exciting time but it’s important that you take your time to ensure all the planning has been completed comprehensively. Once you have taken the time to find the perfect new home you now need to dive into the depths of organizing the move itself. The day of the move doesn’t have to be a stressful experience, we have put together some of the best tips & tricks to help ensure that your home move runs perfectly. 

 Find a Trustworthy Removal Company 

Removal company

 Let’s start with the basics, the heart of every successful removal is the company in which you put your trust in. A removal company is in charge of a lot more than just taking your possessions from A to B. You’re removal company will deal with the handling and packing of your beloved possessions so it’s extremely important that you chose a company that you can trust. One of the best ways to find a removal company that you can put your trust in is by exploring the options available to you in your local area. If you looking for a removal company in Cheltenham make sure you also speak to friends or family who has recently moved to your local area and research the companies that they used. 

 

Plan ahead to ensure everything runs smoothly 

 A successful home move is always down to the little things. Planning a home move can be very complicated but by taking the time to start this planning well in advance ensures you have plenty of time to get everything sorted. We recommend that you give yourself 6 months of planning time before the day of the move. This will ensure that you have adequate time to do research into the removal companies you chose. With 6 weeks for planning, you have total peace of mind that you can get everything organized without feeling rushed by the ever-approaching move date. Having enough time to plan your home move is essential for reducing stress on the day of the move, therefore keeping you and the family happy. If you rush this every so important planning stage you may find that one aspect of your home move is not coordinated correctly leading to a move day disaster. 

 

Pack your possessions in advance 

 Packing your possessions is a crucial part of the preparation stage and this cannot be left to the very last minute. 2 weeks before the day of the move make sure you communicate with your removal company to ensure they provide packing material. If this is not the case make sure that you order this material in well in advance. When you’re packing material arrives start to pack away all of the items that you may not necessarily need to hand for everyday life. Whilst you are packing up your items make sure that you label the boxes as going along. This will ensure that when you arrive at your new home you can ask your trusted removal company to help place your boxes into the correct rooms, this will help make unpacking one step quicker. Leave your overnight essentials in a separate bag, even if you don’t get around to unpacking that same day you have your most important possessions to hand. 

18th January 2020 / by / in
Three Things to Consider Before Deciding Where to Move

You’re Moving Home

Moving home is a really exciting time. You could be moving to a new city for a new job, to be closer to your family or friends – or perhaps you just fancy a change. Some of us tend to move more than others, but research from Zoopla revealed that the average person moves every 23 years. It might not be quite that long for you, but it shows if we’re moving we want to be moving to the right place….

16th October 2019 / by / in ,
7 Tips to Make Moving Less Stressful for Your Kids

When it comes to changes, kids can be pretty sensitive to them. Everyday routine is something that kids enjoy and they prefer knowing when’s the time to eat, where can they go play, and which are the boundaries. However, when the family decides to move somewhere, kids can feel a bit confused or scared. That’s because you’re taking them out of their comfort zone and into something completely unknown….

11th September 2019 / by / in
Tips to Safely Store Furniture in a Storage Unit

Storing furniture seems to be a very simple task. You just need to rent a unit in a self-storage facility, and then you (need) to transport the furniture from your house to the facility. That’s it. However, the way it will be packed and prepared for storing has a significant impact on the items’ condition. Although renting a self-storage unit is a great idea if you need some extra space, it also demands proper planning and preparation to be satisfied and to make sure that your belongings will not be damaged. We know the best tips and tricks on storing furniture, and we will share it with you in this article.  

6th September 2019 / by / in , ,
Hacks While Renting a Car

1. Choose the right car

Depending on your travel, Number of passengers and luggage you carry choose the right car. Understand whether you need a Sedan or SUV for your trip. You might want a more comfortable one if you have a child or aged person traveling with you. If you are the only one traveling and want to save money, then you can stick to a small car. Size is not the only factor if you are eco-friendly; there are a lot of car rental companies which offer hybrid vehicles. You may also check if the company is charging you any extras for facilities such as ski rack, car seat, GPS system etc….

17th July 2019 / by / in , ,
Log Cabins Will Always Be in Fashion

Log cabins are generally cost-effective and they can also offer you that rustic feel of conventional outdoor living. Sometimes people want to work at home so they need a dedicated area to actually work. Sometimes people want to live in a log cabin all year around and it is their choice. Thanks to the growing number of the log cabin manufacturers, you can easily find and buy your dream log cabin for you and your family. Your custom-made log cabin kit will cover 5 factors such as wood and materials, floors, cabin exteriors, roofing, and your cabin’s interiors….

16th July 2019 / by / in