Breaking up is hard to do – thinking about moving on? by Heather Hilder on February 15, 2019 SO THAT’S IT, Valentine’s Day is over for another year… Do you stay or do you go? How long have you loved your home? Were you happy there? Really happy? Or are you beginning to feel a little squeeeeeezed (not in a loving way)? Is it time to ‘walk-away’ without a backward glance? I know the feeling! And yes, moving on can be an emotional time… Perhaps your eyes started drifting a while ago towards Estate Agents’ windows on your way to work, or maybe you’ve started flirting with the online portals in your coffee/lunch/afternoon breaks. Have you been slipping a glossy magazine like ‘House & Garden’ or ‘Country Home’, into your shopping trolley, or been drooling over fabulous homes and interior décor on Pinterest! Oh dear – you've already got itchy feet and the separation process from your current ‘love’ has already started. Then, without warning, your mind drifts back to all the wonderful times you’ve had when you first moved into your property – the plans for decorating, improving, spending hours beautifying the patio, garden, refurbishing in your own unique taste with oakwood flooring and marble tiling – the kitchen, bathroom and making your bedroom a safe and cosy haven from the world (and maybe kids-to-be) outside. BUT – it sounds as though the time is now to move on? That niggling 'Should I stay or should I go?' question, keeps popping into your mind when you least expect it. When you overhear that tiny phrase ‘We’re thinking of moving’, uttered by strangers, does a panic start to fill you? Maybe you’ve experienced a recent change in your life – a new real live love interest, new baby, change of job, friends moving away … BEFORE you move, consider the alternatives, because if you loved where you live before, you adore your neighbours, family and friends surround you, and all the shops and entertainments you frequent are within easy striking distance, then you may end up wishing you’d ignored the signs about thinking you wanted to move on! YOUR HOME-SMART START PLAN: Grab yourself a big cup of coffee (because you’re going to have to think carefully about everything); grab a piece of paper and a pencil (you’ll be rubbing out a lot) and start with YOUR solid, sensible SMART plan to move on… S-pecific WHEN are you going to move? WHERE to? Or will you extend your home instead? M-easurable Dot the i's, cross the t's – does everything add up? What’s your budget? A-chievable Can you really afford to move? Do you need to look at borrowing (from a bank, Mum and Dad)? What are the total costs of moving? R-ealistic Is this a pipe-dream, or a real possibility – are you 100% committed or known for falling helplessly and hopelessly ‘in love’ and then change your mind back as quickly as you can say ‘Valentine’? T-imely Is this the right time to move? What are your timescales? When will your BUYER be looking to move? The decision is probably agony – but if you’d like to talk it through in a 20-minute call with me to find out your options and whether you’re ready to move on, contact me heather@callaways.co.uk . Because I LOVE property with a passion, Heather Hilder-Darling
