Four tips to consider before moving

There comes a time in a homeowner’s life when moving house becomes a necessity. It could be a change in jobs, a change in income, or a change in the family, such as having children. PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • Before you commit to a moving,  you should be completely sure that you cannot re-adjust anything in your routine, budget, or current house to continue living in it.
  • This will serve as your checklist as you start to look around and will save you a lot of time and hassle if you are very specific about what you want.
  • Do you have some neighbours in close proximity? Is there a police station nearby? All these are important factors you should consider in relation to the location of a house?

There comes a time in a homeowner’s life when moving house becomes a necessity. It could be a change in jobs, a change in income, or a change in the family, such as having children.

Irrespective of  the reason for the change, moving house should not be a worrisome and negative experience if planned well.

There are a few things that a homeowner must have in mind before they make the move.

Here are a few of these factors:

SOUL SEARCH

Before you commit to a moving,  you should be completely sure that you cannot re-adjust anything in your routine, budget, or current house to continue living in it.

This is important because moving house  can be expensive and time-intensive. So, it is best to be clear from the onset why moving is a priority.

MAKE LIST

If you have no option but to move, then write a list of the things you like in your old home and things you would like to ideally have in your new home.

This will serve as your checklist as you start to look around and will save you a lot of time and hassle if you are very specific about what you want.

Once  you have your checklist, classify the attributes that you consider absolutely necessary home and the ones that you would be willing to compromise on.

One of the things you should never compromise on is the availability of basic utilities like water and electricity. If you are using a third-party like an agent to look for a house, share the list with them to help them in their search as well.

LOCATION

As you search for a home, one of the most important criteria is the location.

Is the house close to your work place?

Is there a lot of traffic around the area? Is it a secure place? Is it too close to the highway, making it noisy? Is it a place conducive to raising children?

If you have a home-based business, is it a place that is easily accessible to potential clients?

Are the houses within that area affordable? Are there amenities such as hospitals, banks and malls around the house?

Do you have some neighbours in close proximity? Is there a police station nearby?

All these are important factors you should consider in relation to the location of a house?

MONEY MATTERS

While it might be tempting to commit to a rental budget that is more than half of your pay check, be realistic and budget-conscious and follow the rule of thumb – your rental expenditure should be no more than a third of your net monthly income.

It is even better if it is less than a third of your monthly income, since that way, you have more money left over for saving.

THE RELATIONSHIP

Happiness does not just depend on the type of relationship you have with your loved ones and your boss; one more relationship can affect your happiness — your relationship with your landlord/landlady.

There are many horror stories about landlords who are a constant thorn in the flesh of their tenants.

So before you sign on the dotted line, get to know your landlord and find out if you will get along with them and if they are responsive when it comes to communication.