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Selling Your Home 

The first step you are going to take in the moving process is to list your home. One of the most cost effective and least stressful ways to do this is by signing up with a multiple listing service or MLS. You may be familiar with the standard methods of selling through a realtor or selling by owner, but these MLS services are a great streamlined alternative. These services will publish your listing on sites like Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Redfin, Remax, Homes.com and more. You are also able to set up showings through the app or text message. Live virtual tours are also a great tool included with these services that are especially helpful if you don’t want strangers in and out of your home constantly. You can choose different packages at different price points that include things like professional photography, paperwork management, custom flyers, offer reviews and counteroffer negotiation and staging consolations. You also have the option to communicate with buyers directly if you want to be more hands on. Professionals will be available to consult with you throughout this process. Once you are closing, you and your buyer can sign all the documents digitally. Then on to the best part, the savings! The typical homeowner saves an average of $21,000 in closing and realtor costs when using an home listing site, so definitely take advantage of this resource. 

Buying a Home 

If you are selling your home, and you are not planning to rent, then you are also going to be in the process of purchasing a new home. The very first step to take in this process is to get pre-approved by a lender. This can come in handy when you go to submit an offer. When shopping around for homes, like selling, most people use online resources nowadays in their home purchasing journey. Looking for homes online is great as you can adjust your search based on a variety of criteria such as square footage, locations, and price points. Online home searches have expanded the number of options you are able to look at exponentially, so don’t make the mistake of overlooking online listings. Once you make an offer you will want to schedule an inspection. Eighty-six percent of buyers will conduct an inspection, but we encourage every buyer to do this as it adds an extra layer of security and allows you to reopen negotiations if something of concern is found. 

Getting Ready for The Move 

Once you have taken ownership of your new home, you’re going to have a lot to do. From packing to moving trucks, the logistics of a move can feel like a nightmare especially if you have pets or small children. Here’s some tips on how to prepare for the big day. 

• Have your moving trucks and crew lined up well in advance. This is not as big of a concern if you are moving less than an hour away from your previous home, however big moves often have to be completed in a specific time frame. Don’t delay scheduling trucks and movers if you have a tight window.
• Start packing well in advance. You need to pack up your house with a certain degree of tact if you want this process to go as smoothly as possible. We recommend acquiring a combination of boxes and plastic bins to start packing with. Begin packing rooms that you don’t use as often in advance and save things like bedrooms and the kitchen for last. It is also smart to pack a survival box of your essentials. This will be the last thing to go on your moving truck (or in your car if you are driving to your destination). Inside this box should be anything you need for the first night in your home. This will be things like kitchen utensils, towels and shower curtains, sheets, or pillowcases. Personal items, clothing and toiletries should also be packed separately for each person. When overseeing your movers, remember that anything that goes on the truck first will be the last thing you gain access to. Whatever you would like to come off the truck first, needs to go on last.
• Another packing tip we have is to make sure that you have proper packing tools for anything delicate and valuable. Having bubble wrap and labeling can be helpful when packing breakables. Keep these items in hard plastic bins rather than cardboard boxes to avoid anything getting smashed. Also consider anything particular you may need such as vinyl crates designed specifically for moving delicate and finicky vinyl records.  
• Whether you are driving or shipping your cars to your final destination, it can be a great relief to take your vehicles to a car cleaner before the move. Having everything as fresh and clean as possible when embarking on this next stage of life can help you settle in a bit easier knowing you don’t have extra chores to complete.
• The absolute last thing you are going to want to do post move is cook. A great thing to do while you are adjusting, and unpacking is trying out a meal delivery service. No matter where you are you can find a healthy way to feed your family, such as this Portland sustainable meal delivery service. Don’t try to overwhelm yourself with getting back into cooking right away, give yourself some grace and try out one of these services for the early days of your move.
• Once you’ve unpacked, chances are you may need to purchase some things for your home that will fit into your new space. Ikeas and thrift stores are a staple in most cities if you are shopping on a budget, and Amazon is always a go to for online options. If you like to show your patriotism you can find a flag store near me to help adorn your home and let you new neighbors know you’ve arrived.

As stressful as a move can be, it will all be worth it when you are all cozy and settled in your fabulous new home. With these pointers you are better equipped than ever to take on this move so take a deep breath and get to work!