Jeff "King of the Castle"
Picture your ideal new home. Chances are that it has a pretty lovely backyard and enough rooms for every kid to enjoy. But chances are a home of this size is likely to not be your first property. As a result, many first homeowners reach a point in their property investment journey where they consider the efficacy of upsizing.
Whilst reality may force you to sacrifice on some fantasies, indulging your imagination will help you narrow in on the cardinal reason for your upsizing move. Before you make any decisions about where to move or how to do it, you first need to make an assessment of your current situation. Whether on your own, with a partner, or family, making the choice to upsize your living space is a big decision, and one that shouldn’t be made lightly. There’s more to budget for than just a larger mortgage, for instance. Homebuyers must also consider expenses like stamp duty (it won’t be waived this time!), capital gains tax, and home insurance for larger properties.
To help, we’ll be outlining some of the top financial and logistical considerations any homeowner should make when looking to upsize.
Ready your Finances
First, let’s start with the most important aspect of upsizing: preparing your finances. Upsizing your home comes with many exciting opportunities and new financial considerations, as we’ve already alluded to. If you’re comfortably making your current monthly mortgage repayments, there’s no guarantee that the repayments on your new home will be as comfortable. You may find that your body corporate fees, council rates, utility rates, and home insurance premiums are so much higher than your smaller property that you’ll need to budget entirely.
Because of this, we strongly recommend creating a realistic budget that outlines your estimates for all basic everyday costs well before you start looking for a larger home based solely on your equity and existing borrowing capacity. This includes factoring in all of your weekly or monthly expenses, from your current mortgage repayments to your energy and water bills, costs of renovations if applicable, and commuting costs. These factors can add to the financial strain of upsizing and help determine where you see yourself settling in. And remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
Find The Right Property
This point may be seen as a given, but hear us out. Searching for a house with the right amount of bedrooms, bathrooms, or garden space is an obvious consideration. However, when searching for the right property, there is more to consider than just the home itself. As the adage says: “Location, location, location”. It’s integral to survey the suburb you plan to move to. Familiarise yourself with the local cafes, schools, and public parks. It may also help your decision to visit the local council and learn more about community initiatives to better connect with your community.
Deciding to own a property also comes with the neighbourhood around you, and it’s important that the property is considered in tandem with the surroundings. A tried and true trick is to consult your local police station to better understand the crime rates in the suburb. Realtors often hide these statistics, and naive buyers will be none the wiser. Knowing more about the safety of your neighborhood will ensure you make an educated decision to move to somewhere you will be able to settle for years to come.
Manage the Move
If you’ve been able to find the right property in the right location (and at the right price), it’s time to sort out the logistics of your move finally. This is where the real fun begins, as moving home can come with plenty of excitement and anticipation. Even so, moving can be a stressful process – especially if you’ve got kids and pets in tow.
When it comes to negotiating your move, there are two important steps we’ve identified to ensure the stressful relocation is as pain-free as possible. Packing to move can be one of the hardest parts of moving, but with our helpful tips, you may make it through and keep your sanity.
Declutter Before You Pack
Now, downsizing your possessions may counterintuitive. But even if you are moving to a larger space, it’s important to take stock of your items and consider what you truly need. When driving, the last thing you want is a box dedicated to random bits and bobs you can’t seem to throw away (speaking from experience).
Apply the Marie Kondo technique to streamline the moving process. If it does not spark joy or have practical use, it’s time for it to make like a tree and leave! Or make like you are and find a new home – whichever simile you prefer.
Decluttering is also worth considering what can be recycled rather than just sending everything to the landfill. Consider selling or donating items that are not broken or damaged. When you’re finally ready to box up your items, have a marker pen available to label each box and its contents.
Hire Professional Movers
It’s important to consult professionals regarding certain aspects of settling into your new abode, and hiring removalists is something we would strongly advise. Not only will this ensure your possessions travel safely, you also won’t be left trying to put back together a bed frame at 2AM after a full day of moving.
When booking removalists, remember to plan ahead, booking in advance and ensuring that the amenities in your new home will be switched on when you do make the move. The last thing you need is to be travelling back to your old place just to take a shower and charge your phone.
Settle Into Your New Home
With your new contract of sale signed, your home loan, insurance, and utilities set up, and your move all done and dusted, now all that’s left to do is settle into your new, family-sized home! Organising and arranging your home can be one of the most exciting and fulfilling parts of being a homeowner. Your upsized space offers plenty of exciting opportunities to explore creative storage solutions or design ideas. We hope these tips have helped you prepare your unique upsizing journey. Happy house hunting!
