Should I Stay or Should I Go?

It’s time to go! You’re cramped in your home that worked perfectly when you bought it, but now you’re burgeoning at the seams. Or, the kids have “flew the coop,” and you don’t need all the empty space. There could be a number of reasons you’ve decided to make a move. Whatever the reason, moving can be hard both financially and personally. So, taking the time to plan will ensure that you confidently make the right decision.

Step #1: WHY do you want to move?

Why are you moving? I previously mentioned a number of reasons to move, but you must determine what these reasons are. This is absolutely a critical step in the buying/selling process.

Also, ALL decision makers need to be included on this first step. You wouldn’t believe how many clients I have helped over the years where everyone was on a different page as to why they should move. One person is ready to move like yesterday, the other doesn’t want to make a move until a year or more down the road. I cannot stress enough that everyone must be in agreement on moving; otherwise, you will just go in circles and drive yourself crazy trying to plan this entire process.

I always suggest for each decision maker, to write down on separate pieces of paper what their reasons are for wanting to move – then compare notes. The reasons for moving do not have to be the same in order for this process to be successful. But, everyone does have to be in agreement that it’s time to move.

An often overlooked idea is to get the kiddos involved in the decision making…a little! Now, I’m not suggesting that they play a major role in the decision process, but sometimes giving your children a “voice” can help ease their transition. This is a decision you have to make to include your children-you know your kids better than I do, so I’ll leave that part up to you 🙂

Once you have determined that you’re on the same page, moving is the right thing to do, now it’s time or the next step.

Step #2: When do I make a move?

When determining whether you should stay or go, it’s important to consider the “when…”

This step works similar to the first. Make sure all decision makers are involved. Once again, you may be on the same page to move, but you need to be on the same page as to when is the right time.

Sometimes the “when” can be more critical than the “why.”

I met with a couple where the husband said they were ready to put their home on the market, about to buy property in another state and wanted to start the process right away. Well, when I met with the husband and wife, I quickly learned that they were not playing the same sandbox! The wife had a 3-5 year plan; like how the heck was this ever going to work? It wasn’t, they both knew they wanted to move and knew where, but they were so far apart of the “when” that needless to say, it made for a very uncomfortable meeting for all of us and they are still in their same home.

Do NOT make this mistake. It’s simply not going to work if everyone’s not on board. You’ve got your “why,” now you need your “when.” I can tell you from both personal and professional experience, that if you do these two steps first, you will save yourself a lot time, money and stress!

It’s absolutely possibly to buy and sell a home at the same time. I’ve helped numerous clients obtain this dream! You just have to take a step back, breath and create a strategic plan and trust me, things will fall into place.

So, if you’re thinking of moving, do these initial steps and next week we’ll discuss the next step of the process. Stay tuned…and if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me Jill@jillwatsonhomes.com. I’ve got you covered!