“First Time Buyer”

Lock-up or Loft?

One of the great things about becoming a First Time Buyer (FTB) is that you have the chance to furnish a home from scratch without all the possessions that you will inevitably have built up if you move again later on. I’ll be writing on this in a later blog about ‘Filling the Void’.  But first, let’s address the First Time Buyer, FTB Lock-up or Loft question!

Are you surprised as to how much ‘stuff’ you have already accumulated.  So you’ll be facing the dilemma that every move entails to some degree or another – what to keep and what to off-load.

Make a ‘Keep or Sling’ Checklist

As with many aspects of moving, making a checklist is a great way to gain insight and focus.  Firstly you’ll need to take a step back.  Take a look at everything that might need to be included, covering all the things you have at your current address.   You may, as well, have items that might be kept elsewhere, such as at your parents or with friends.

You have to ask important questions such as ‘is this important to me for sentimental or emotional reasons’.  If the answer is a resounding ‘Yes’ that particular item may well be irreplaceable!

Other things you might want to keep because they will be useful or ‘placeholders’ until you can afford to upgrade them. Then there will be the things that you had either forgotten about, realise you don’t need or can’t remember why you even wanted in the first place! As the decluttering queen Marie Kondo once said, “The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.”

Lock-up, Loft or Offload

Finding that you have things that you don’t want to take to your new home can actually turn out to be profitable. You could sell on EBay or Facebook Marketplace or maybe even do deals with friends.  Now that you have a First Time Buyer’s mortgage to pay for, extra money could come in handy.

Of course there’s always the charity shop route too, but don’t just use that as an easy dumping ground option, only donate things you think might actually have resale value.

Keep, don’t take

Most people will have things that they want to keep but might not see how they will fit into their new home. There are plenty of reasons for this and restricted storage space is one. If you are buying a flat you most likely won’t have a loft or a garage, which is where most items in this category usually end up!

So the question will be, can you store these strange objects in a space belonging to someone else? If you’re moving out from your parents’ home, this can sometimes be a no-brainer, as the items in question are likely to already be in their loft or garage.

If they want to reclaim the space, or if you’re moving from rented accommodation, a commercial storage facility might be the answer. These modern units usually offer a secure temperature controlled environment with affordable prices, making them an option well worth looking into.

So now, it’s down to you!  As a FTB, which items will you lock-up or loft?

You can read more about storage options in my comprehensive guide covering all aspects of becoming a First Time Buyer, (FTB) here…