Monday, March 16, 2020 / by Karey Kendrick
Moving Up to a Larger Home? Mistakes to Avoid!
- 1. Rose Colored Glasses
- 2. Failing to Make Necessary Improvements
- 3. Not Selling First
In this report, we outline the six most common mistakes homeowners make when moving to a larger home. Knowledge of these six mistakes, and the strategies to overcome them, will help you make informed choices before you put your existing home on the market.
Most of us dream of improving our lifestyle and moving to a larger home. The problem is that there's sometimes a discrepancy between our hearts and our bank accounts. You drive by a home that you fall in love with only to find that it's already sold or that it’s more than what you are willing to pay. Most homeowners get caught in this hit or miss strategy of househunting when there's a much easier way of going about the process. For example, find out if your agent offers a Buyer Profile System or “Househunting Service,” which takes the guesswork away and helps to put you in the home of your dreams. This type of program will crossmatch your criteria with ALL available homes on the market and supply you with printed information on an on-going basis. A program like this helps homeowners take off their rose-coloured glasses and, affordably, move into the home of their dreams.
Failing to make necessary improvements
If you want to get the best price for the home you're selling, there will certainly be things you can do to enhance it in a prospective buyer's eyes. These fix-ups don't necessarily have to be expensive. But even if you do have to make a minor investment, it will often come back to you ten-fold in the price you are able to get when you sell. It's very important that these improvements be made before you put your home on the market. If cash is tight, investigate an equity loan that you can repay on closing.
You should plan to sell before you buy. This way you will not find yourself at a disadvantage at the negotiating table, feeling pressured to accept an offer that is below-market value because you have to meet a purchase deadline. If you've already sold your home, you can buy your next one with no strings attached. If you do get a tempting offer on your home but haven't made significant headway on finding your next home, you might want to put in a contingency clause in the sale contract which gives you a reasonable time to find a home to buy. If the market is slow and you find your home is not selling as quickly as you anticipated, another option could be renting your home and putting it up on the market later - particularly if you are selling a smaller, starter home. You'll have to investigate the tax rules if you choose this latter option. Better still, find a way to eliminate this situation altogether by getting your agent to guarantee the sale of your present home.
Check out Next Weeks Video when I cover part Two – the remaining 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Trading up to a Larger Home! Don’t forget to click here to download the entire report. Thanks again for watching.