What to ask before deciding to move home

You may be eager to move for a number of reasons. However, it’s good to outline whether this is a financially viable decision before you get started.

How much can I borrow?

Our affordability calculator is a great place to start. It will evaluate your income and key outgoings to give you an estimated value of how much you can borrow. 

How much does it cost to move?

Do you have savings that can help with moving costs? If not, it may be useful to start saving before committing to moving.  If you want an idea of the costs you could face when moving, we’ve got a handy guide on the average cost of moving home you can read.

What is the value of my current home?

Knowing this will help you to understand how affordable that new home is. You may have more / less equity in your home than you think. The only way to know for sure is by getting your property valued, allowing you to work out how much you’ll have left over once you pay off the remainder of your current mortgage (if you still have one).

You may also want to try an online home valuation tool such as this one at https://www.zoopla.co.uk/home-values/.

Get acquainted with your budget early. How much can you afford to spend on a new house? It’s not necessarily about spending as much as you can afford. It’s important to take into account how much your monthly repayments will be, and what you’re comfortable paying each month.

We have a simple repayment calculator that will do the work for you.

Deciding you want to move is one thing, but knowing why is another. Ask yourself questions like:

• Does your current home lack a garden and you want somewhere for your kids to play?
• Is the daily commute becoming a hassle and you want to live somewhere closer to work?
• Is there a preferred school in another catchment area?
• Is your family growing and you need to upsize?
• Have your kids moved out and you want somewhere smaller?

These will help you filter down your list of suitable and unsuitable properties and ensure the house you want is the house you get.

Making a list of all the things you would perhaps change about your current home will help you identify any deal breakers for a new house.

Some good places to start can be:

• Are your neighbours too noisy? While it can be difficult to find out exactly who your potential new neighbours will be, it can’t hurt to ask the estate agent. You may also want to ask other people who live on the street their opinion on your potential new neighbourhood.
• Does your current house only have one toilet? This can be a point of frustration for many households.
• Do you find it an issue living on a busy road or bus route?
• Where do you park your car?