The logistics of moving house, and job!

[Deleted User]

I'm considering relocating to another part of the country, for various reasons which I won't go into. But the whole prospect of doing this scares the hell out of me.
With the differences in house prices compared to where we are, we could potentially get an equivalent house in the target location, at substantially lower price than the value of our current place. This means I could sell up and move, without going to a new job, and hope to gain employment before the money runs out.
It's a leap into the dark though.
The other option is to find a job first, and move to a rented place, but I'd be away from the family, and managing the house sale.
Seems difficult, but people do it all the time. Anyone been through this situation?

 

[no one]

The reasons you won't go into seem to be what would tip the scales in any given direction. Tally your pros and cons, that leap in the dark may just be to deep and dark at the moment.

Just asking, why do you have to manage the house sale? Why not a realtor? If you are selling up, their take may be worth your peace of mind.

 

[Deleted User]

The reasons you won't go into seem to be what would tip the scales in any given direction. Tally your pros and cons, that leap in the dark may just be to deep and dark at the moment.

Just asking, why do you have to manage the house sale? Why not a realtor? If you are selling up, their take may be worth your peace of mind.

I have a dim view of estate agents (realtors). They charge a fortune, and I don't believe you get value for money. Besides, online estate agents are now popping up who don't rip you off with commission, so I think the days of high street estate agents are numbered. Online advertising of houses is becoming more popular now.

 

[no one]

I understand where you are coming from. I've never been to England, so, I have honestly no idea how the system works there. In the good old US of A, realtors charge about 6%. While it's not an overwhelming amount, any amount could break a very fragile bank.

 

[lunatic59]

Logistics? Well, you just do it and deal with one thing at a time. There will be good spots and bad spots. The trick is avoiding the catastrophes.

I think the problem isn't so much doing it, but getting over the feeling that you aren't quite ready for it. As a kid, we moved a lot. My dad was a minister and we went where the Church sent him. It was like being an army brat, but in the army of God. It got to be pretty routine, but it was always an adventure. I think that's why I like to travel and love going new places and meeting new people.

As for the value of housing ... that sounds like a little rationalization there. It's all a trade off. I am a city kid but live out in the wilds of suburban PA. I have to drive most places (including to work 45min-1 hour each way). I have a plot of land that goes wild if not maintained and that's a job in and of itself above keeping the house in order. Sure it's cheaper to buy, but the taxes are killer.

My best advice ... for everybody ... if you don't like where you are and have the opportunity to go someplace else, which is scarier? Staying where you KNOW you're unhappy or heading for the unkown?

 

[Deleted User]

My best advice ... for everybody ... if you don't like where you are and have the opportunity to go someplace else, which is scarier? Staying where you KNOW you're unhappy or heading for the unkown?

Where you may be more unhappy? That's the risk isn't it - the devil you know, and all that. I've been burned badly in the past by poor career decisions, and don't have a great record when it comes to job moves. But then, experiences, even the bad ones, are a great teacher, and I think I'm a bit more savvy now.

Logistics? Well, you just do it and deal with one thing at a time.

Ah but the job is the tie. I can't quit my job because I provide the sole income for the family. And we can't move to a new area until I've secured a job there. Catch 22.

 

[lunatic59]

I understand where you are coming from. I've never been to England, so, I have honestly no idea how the system works there. In the good old US of A, realtors charge about 6%. While it's not an overwhelming amount, any amount could break a very fragile bank.

Our first house was an estate sale. ( The owner died and the kids didn't want it) I found it by chance while I was looking at a different house. The owner (estate executor) didn't have a realtor and I wasn't using one yet. He didn't want one involved because it would increase the cost and delay the process. They were hot to settle. It wasn't in great shape and the deal was supposed to be a cash/as-is sale. I wanted the place but had no clue how to buy a house privately and we certainly didn't have the cash. My boss at the time offered to refer me to his lawyer who walked me through the process, told me the risks and handled the transaction so that the bank would give us a mortgage. It cost me $375.00 for his fee. That's a heck of a lot less than a realtor's commission would have been, but I had to do the legwork. With a realtor handling things you pretty much just have to show up and sign (500 times ).

Anyway, it was a good experience and can have decent outcomes. FWIW, we did do a significant amount of work and sold it later for three times what we paid for it.

Spoiler: Before

Spoiler: After

From what realtors have told me, the total 6% commission is usually split between the buyer's agent and the seller's agent. If the buying and selling realtor works for the same agency, they get to keep the whole chunk, and sometimes there's a conflict of interest there if you ask me. I know they play games with closing costs as well, so even if you have your own agent, you have to count pennies and keep a close eye on them. And read EVERYTHING you sign.

If you can find an independent agent who's fairly honest and will represent both buyer and seller, often times they will work for as little as 3% for the whole deal (which would have been their 'cut' anyway). In that case you'd want to find someone in the areas you're going to be buying so they are more familiar with the market.

 

[lunatic59]

Ah but the job is the tie. I can't quit my job because I provide the sole income for the family. And we can't move to a new area until I've secured a job there. Catch 22.

If it's just the job, you could talk to a headhunter (do they call them that there?). You have marketable skills and they often times can find you those hard-to-find jobs with good pay. Many times the part of the job deal is to pick up the cost to relocate you.

Just like anything, though, it's one step at a time. Think of it as a development project. You're still in the planning stages. Then you program, test, troubleshoot the bugs and then release. Until then you don't drop your current application.

 

[Deleted User]

If it's just the job, you could talk to a headhunter (do they call them that there?). You have marketable skills and they often times can find you those hard-to-find jobs with good pay. Many times the part of the job deal is to pick up the cost to relocate you.

Just like anything, though, it's one step at a time. Think of it as a development project. You're still in the planning stages. Then you program, test, troubleshoot the bugs and then release. Until then you don't drop your current application.

Yup. There's a few options on the table. But for me, the house/job combo is difficult to separate. You're right, some roles come with relocation deals, but the house hunting still has to be done. A lot easier these days though isn't it, with resources like Rightmove (online property sales) and Google maps, where you can virtually walk around the place.

 

[lunatic59]

We got things like realtor.com and zillow, too. I don't know if they reach the UK, but it makes looking a lot more convenient. Make sure you check out the WHOLE neighborhood, though. You don't want to find out too late that there's a prison or Apple Genius bar right around the corner.

 

[dan330]

my 2 cents... because you have a family depending on you... and a 1 income that supports it.

i would lean towards a safer plan.... not just jump head first into the darkness .. pulling along dependents into the depths.

 

[Deleted User]

my 2 cents... because you have a family depending on you... and a 1 income that supports it.

i would lean towards a safer plan.... not just jump head first into the darkness .. pulling along dependents into the depths.

It's not really me driving the idea of a move. Rest of the family don't particularly like living in this area. People not so friendly etc. Could be a bit of 'grass is greener' syndrome. Anyway, I'm not in a hurry, I'll consider all the options. The region we're considering is not a total unknown, my Mrs was born in that area so she knows it well.

 

[touringhaggis]

Hi LV426,

I can highly recommend Scotland, great place and you can go haggis shooting on the weekends. There is certainly one space free now that I vacated the place for a wee while.

Seriously though, I have made a similar move in the past (admittedly with fewer dependents than now) and IMHO I would get a job in the area first and get through any trial period before purchasing a new house. I realise that you will be away from your family during the week, but this will give you time to get into your new position. Hopefully the wife and kids will be supportive given that they are driving the move. Then with your cash supply secure, buy the new house and sell your old one.

Just remember that houses in different areas are cheaper for a good reason and you could be moving into a buyers market. Not a problem so long as you never want to sell again. You may want to invest the difference in price though, just in case you want to move again. The gain (hopefully) in your investment will help offset whatever loss you incur in reselling.

When selling your house, just set up the viewing appointments for the weekends when you are home.

Kind of a pity though: you just went though all that trouble of painting the garage. Suspect timing sir!

Regards,
Eric.

 

[Deleted User]

Hi LV426,

I can highly recommend Scotland, great place and you can go haggis shooting on the weekends. There is certainly one space free now that I vacated the place for a wee while.

Seriously though, I have made a similar move in the past (admittedly with fewer dependents than now) and IMHO I would get a job in the area first and get through any trial period before purchasing a new house. I realise that you will be away from your family during the week, but this will give you time to get into your new position. Hopefully the wife and kids will be supportive given that they are driving the move. Then with your cash supply secure, buy the new house and sell your old one.

Just remember that houses in different areas are cheaper for a good reason and you could be moving into a buyers market. Not a problem so long as you never want to sell again. You may want to invest the difference in price though, just in case you want to move again. The gain (hopefully) in your investment will help offset whatever loss you incur in reselling.

When selling your house, just set up the viewing appointments for the weekends when you are home.

Kind of a pity though: you just went though all that trouble of painting the garage. Suspect timing sir!

Regards,
Eric.

Eric I would move to Scotland in a heartbeat. We had a holiday touring around the Trossachs and up to Nairn a couple of years ago. Even caught a bit of the Edinburgh festival. I can honestly say that it was beautiful, and the people we met were so friendly. We had a great time.
The only problem is it's such a long way, and we really wouldn't know where to settle.
But thanks for reminding me, it's definitely another option if we were to make a clean break.

Painting the garage is all part of my master plan. Although the faded doors haven't bothered me for years, it could be off-putting for potential buyers, so I figured it was £20 and a day painting well spent. The facade of the house now looks gorgeous. After painting over the interior cracks, it'll look good as new