Most people selling their home know where their heading next. It’s common for many to simply move into their next property, right after they sell.
While most people sell with a plan in mind for where they’ll be moving to next, others find themselves scrambling to transition while they wait to settle down again.
There are a variety of reasons why transitioning after selling your home is less than straightforward. Maybe you haven’t yet decided on your next property, or perhaps you have circumstances that are placing you in limbo.
There are solutions to planning out a transition that works for you, if you find yourself not sure of what your final destination will be after selling.
If this sounds familiar, take a breath and read on. We’re sharing our strategies to help you develop a backup plan to get through your move.
First things first
When you move from your home, it’s required to give the next owner a clean start on their new property—literally.
The expectation is that prior to closing, the home will be “broom clean,” meaning that it’s free of all personal belongings and has been cleaned, swept, and vacuumed.
If this sounds overwhelming, hire a cleaning service, or build a cleaning routine around your closing timeline to make sure you stick to it.
Location, location, location
If you’re not yet decided on where you’re moving to next, you’ll need to figure out temporary accommodations.
Even though you won’t be living there forever, plan in a way that minimizes the disruption to your daily life.
If you’re staying somewhere temporarily, ask yourself the following questions about the location:
- Am I close to my job?
- How about my children’s school?
- Do I have medical needs that need to be taken into account?
- Am I near a highway and shopping centers?
You should also think about your belongings—namely, how to get to them.
If you’re primarily relying on a storage facility:
- Use a facility that’s close to where you’ll be staying.
- Arrange and label your belongings in a way that makes it easy to access
If you’re keeping most of your items in a moving truck:
- Plan to have accessible parking.
- Load must-have items last, so you can grab them easily.
These may not seem like top concerns now, but they can become big headaches, if not planned adequately.
Rent, book, or crash?
Depending on the time of year that you’re selling your home, you may have a variety of options available to you for where to stay.
After you sign your contract, consider these options:
- Rent a hotel, motel, or extended stay
- Rent or sublet an apartment
- Staying with family or friends
- Sign a temporary lease for a vacant home or condo
If exploring a hotel, motel, or extended stay, budget reasonably, inquire into the parking arrangement.
If you choose to rent, consider when in the yearly rental cycle your search is taking place. For example, if you live near a large urban center or college town, rental availability will vary by season, namely fall and spring.
Most importantly, is the place you are staying at close to your next home? This is important, as you want your upcoming move to be as easy as possible.
Sweat the details
A roof over your head is important, but so is keeping your day-to-day life running smoothly.
In the digital age, we tend to forget about “snail mail,” but this shouldn’t be overlooked, after you’ve sold your home.
You can set up a P.O. Box that is close to where you’re staying. Do this before you close on your current home sale.
The quicker you do this before moving, the easier it will be for the seller to move out after closing.
Of course, once you’ve found your next home, it will be important to set up utilities to coincide with your move in date. After you’ve been living in limbo, it’ll feel great to turn on the lights and faucet without thinking twice.
You’re Almost There!
There can be a number of reasons why transitioning after you sell your home is not straightforward.
But you can minimize the disruption to your life by taking these steps and working with an expert Realtor® who can guide you on how to sell your home in a way that’s best for you.
If you’re looking to make a move, reach out to one of our expert Realtors®, who can help you every step of the way.