What Move-Up Buyers Need To Ask Themselves FIRST!

If you’ve decided that it’s time to move, before you start packing, you’ve got to focus on the next most important step what will your new home look like, where will it be and what will your budget be for this next home?

It’s crucially important before selling your current home, that you think about what you need and want this time around in your new home and whether it’s possible for your budget. For this next home purchase, you want to be even MORE methodical and purposeful than when you bought your current home, so you don’t have to move another time anytime soon.

Before you even start looking, going to open houses, or anything else, you must answer some very important questions FIRST. We’ll review what those are questions are and your answers and that will help us determine what your next home will look like and also confirm whether now is the right time to move or it makes sense to wait another year or two. Your answers to these very important questions will determine everything from here!

Let’s Dream Big About Your Next Home!

If you are going to invest the time and money to move, you want to make sure you are doing it for the best possible home you can get.

So, just for a moment, let’s DREAM BIG about what you want in your next home. Depending on your budget, you may or may not be able to get everything on your wishlist, but I can help you know what you may need to compromise on and what you can keep as “must-haves.”

But, in order to do that, we need to go through the exercise of knowing what you ideally want and why BEFORE you start making any compromises.

Here are some of the first questions to ask yourself (and the same ones I’ll be asking you too):

1. How long do I (we) want to live in this next home?

This is extremely important and has to be done FIRST—before you start looking online or spending your weekends house hopping! Your answer will help you figure out all of your “must haves” and what you’re “willing to compromise on.”

2. What is the #1 driver of my (our) decision to move?

In other words, why are you wanting to move? Not only can your answer to this question help determine what you need in your next home, it can also influence the timing of your move.

For example, if you are moving because you need more bedrooms for a new family member on the way or if you are moving to be in a certain school when your kids start in the fall, then we’ll have a deadline to meet. But, if you are moving just because you want more or less space, then the timing can be more flexible.

3. Picture your new home.

Describe what it looks like, where it is, what you are doing when you are hanging out at home. Describe it in as much detail as possible. What is most important to you as you picture living in your next home?

4. What don’t you like about your current home?

Maybe it’s lack of storage, maybe it’s not enough yard space. These are things that you aren’t moving FOR, but want to make sure you aren’t constantly being annoyed about in your next home.

5. What do you need now that you didn’t before? What about 5 or 10 years from now (or however long you’ve decided you will own this next home)?

Everyone (and every family) is at different stages of their lives with evolving needs and wants. This next move should address any new and upcoming stages. Maybe now you need more space for entertaining, a home office, outdoor space to garden, a playroom, more bedrooms and bathrooms, more storage, better schools, a bigger kitchen. Maybe you are downsizing and you need to make sure there are no stairs. Whatever YOU decide, make sure you’ve thought through everything that could possibly come up during the time period you plan on living in this next home. Also, don’t get caught up in what all your friends or any other family members say. Decide what’s right for you and only your immediate family and make your home-buying choices accordingly.

Answering these FIRST — before you ever spend a Saturday at open houses –will make the rest of this process much more effective and successful.

And, don’t feel like you have to have all the answers to these questions before we meet. My role is to help you work out your answers these questions. I’m just giving you a sneak peak at what’s to come so you can start thinking and dreaming before we discuss them together.