Tempted to move to a totally new area? Well, there’s lots to consider when thinking about moving home, but even more so if you’re looking to take the plunge and discover a new area.
So, if moving to a totally new location is an option for your circumstances, to help you decide if this is the right decision for you, we share some key considerations before deciding to relocate…
Do your research
Whether you’re thinking about trading in your current location for a new town, city or region, it’s important to do your research before committing and making your final decision.
Look at the prices of homes in different areas and think about where you might be able to get the most for your money depending on your budget. If you can, rather than only looking at the prices of properties currently on the market, it’s worth looking at how much comparable properties to the type you’re interested in have been sold for recently so you can get an idea of local market activity, this is something an experienced agent can help you with.
If you’re not a first-time-buyer and have a property to sell, speak to a local agent and get a valuation of your current home to see what your property might be worth. This won’t only help you understand what you may be able to afford when it comes to your onward purchase, but it’ll also help you compare homes in your price range in different areas to discover where you might be able to get more for your money.
Does the new location work for your career?
Whether you work from home or need to travel into work, it’s important to think about whether a move to an entirely new area would work with your career. Some may say that a job that allows you to work from home makes it easier to totally relocate, but things aren’t always as simple as setting up your computer in a new home office space. Find out what broadband connectivity is like in the area you’re considering and look at the price of the best internet provider in that location.
If you’ll need to commute to work, work out out how long it’ll take you to travel each day. To make this easier, you can use your MyPlace dashboard, through your OnTheMarket account, to enter the addresses of your Very Important Places (VIPs), such as your place of work, to see how far away each listing you look at is from your workplace to make your property search easier and much more personal. If you’ll be commuting for a lot longer depending on the new location you’re looking to move to, it’s also worth calculating the monthly cost this might come with when weighing up your options.
Can you imagine yourself in the new area?
When viewing a property, it’s important to imagine yourself in the space and think about whether you can picture yourself hosting a dinner party in the kitchen, lounging in the living room or unwinding in the bath. It’s also important to consider whether the location might fit with your lifestyle.
If you’re into your fitness, are there good local gyms with impressive facilities you’d like to join? Do you have any hobbies such as hiking or running and could you continue them in the new area you’re considering? Whether you already have a hobby, or may consider picking one up, it’s worth researching local sports teams or hobby groups you may be able to join which will also help you expand your social circles once you’ve moved.
Think about the kinds of things you enjoy doing in your free time beyond traditional hobbies. For example, do you like trying new restaurants, watching the latest film releases, or spending the weekend browsing the shops and does the new area you’re looking at have the infrastructure to support this?
What are the schools and transport links like?
If you’re moving with children, the quality of local schools will likely play a big part in where you decide to relocate to. Take a look at the latest Ofsted reports and get in touch with the schools you’re most interested in if you can in order to help you narrow down the catchment areas you might want to prioritise when searching for your property.
Transport links are also another important factor to consider. Think about how you tend to get around. Do you have a car, or do you prefer to use public transport, ride a bike or be within walking distance of certain amenities? As well as finding out how accessible different transport links are, it’s worth thinking about how easy it would be for you to travel back to your previous area and for friends and family to come and visit you too once you’ve moved.
Try before you buy
Travel to the new areas you’re interested in before committing to one if possible. Of course, you won’t know if a place is right for you until you get there, but you can certainly get an idea of whether the location might work for you and your needs after a couple of visits.
Rather than just exploring the new area for a day, try and spend a couple of days there. A couple of visits over a weekend and across weekdays are a great way for you to get a feel for the place at different times so you can get a better picture of what’s on offer as well as little things like what traffic is like at different times.
While you’re there, remember to live like a local. Try different restaurants, spend an afternoon in the park and peruse the shops on the high street. Speak to as many people as you can to get an idea of what the area is like and perhaps most importantly, talk to an experienced local agent from the area who’ll be able to give you invaluable insights and guidance to support your move.
