You’ve built up enough savings for the deposit and have found a home you’d love to call your own! So, what next?
The next step can be one of the most exciting stages in your moving journey, starting with reserving your home all the way to completion!
The process of selecting and applying for a home
We recently caught up with Bella - Senior Sales Completion Coordinator for our new build shared ownership homes. In this Q&A we spoke about all the important questions surrounding the sales process of purchasing a shared ownership home, including questions such as –
- What kind of questions will be asked during a financial assessment?
- What does my solicitor do for me and how much will it cost?
- When do I pay my deposit?
- What does it mean to exchange contracts?
- When will I get the keys to my new home?
Read the full article here for more information and advice on what to expect throughout your home buying journey.
Tips to consider before moving house
After successfully reserving your new home it’s useful to plan what steps you will take in advance. We’ve put together a list of resources to prepare you for the big move and make the run up to moving day as stress-free as possible!
Moving guide timeline
Make the process of packing hassle free with the help of timelines and checklists! As a rough guide it’s advisable to prepare for your move at least 6 weeks in advance, from collecting boxes for moving day to clearing out unwanted goods, you’ll want to plan out your move week by week. Not only is it useful for scoping out what needs to be done and when, but using tools such as a timeline will also help you to consider steps you may have otherwise missed. It’s a win-win!
Consider creating your own timeline in a spreadsheet or use our general checklist below to plot out the key steps to ensure a smooth move such as:
- Having a clear out, selling or donating unwanted goods
- Collecting boxes for packing up your belongings
- Commencing the packing
- Planning moving day including organizing a removal firm if required
- Packing a box full of essential items for moving day (e.g. kettle, cutlery, cleaning products)
- Notifying companies of your move and your new address
- Arranging post to be forwarded if required
Once you’ve reserved your new home we’ll also send you a six week timeline taking you up to the point you exchange, this shows your week by week what to be doing in the process.
Checklist resources
Avoid frantically packing boxes and looking for important documents on your move day by creating checklists to stay on track! We’ve created two checklists to help make your life easy during what can be a stressful time.
General Checklist
Use our general checklist infographic to fill out your own to-do list. Figure out what needs to be sorted a month before, week before, day before and so on and tick off as you go along.
Using your checklist as a guide will help you to stay in control of your moving journey, helping you to remain calm and focused.
Download your moving house checklist here.
Essential Checklist
It’s all too easy to focus on how you will decorate your new home with new pieces of décor and furniture and put to one side, if not totally forget, about those all important items to bring with you on your house move.
That’s why we’ve created essential checklists to ensure you have everything you need when you move. Either create your own essential checklist using our template below or use our existing essential checklist as a guide.
- Create your own essential checklist – Download here
- Use Sovereign’s essential checklist – Download here
What to do following reservation
Once you’ve reserved your home and ticked off every action you need to do in the lead up to your move then it’s on to stage 3 of your journey – moving day! We’ll be back next week to discuss those all-important things to consider – from how to keep children occupied to saving money from the moment you move in.