Buy or sell first?  How to secure your dream home

When you know how to do things in the right order it can always make a lot of difference.

It's the same when it comes to moving home, so if you're sitting there wondering “do I find the property I want to buy first and then put my home on the market, or the other way round?” then we can definitely help!

Here we’ll explain what you should do if you really want to have the best chance of securing your dream home.

Serious buyers

Are you endlessly scrolling through property portals and estate agent websites looking at hundreds of homes and imagining what life would be like if you lived there? Well, that's okay because it can be a big, fun part of looking for a new home.

When you find somewhere you might want to call home it's a wonderful feeling, then when you go on a viewing and really fall in love with it that can be a life changing experience.

So why run the risk of missing out simply because your ducks are yet to be lined up in the right kind of row?

Just remember, if you’ve found your perfect property then the chances are that other potential buyers will have seen it too - and they might be on the market and ready to move.

It’s always vital to show sellers you are a serious buyer. Being on the market, having a sale agreed or even being chain free are all ways that you can make a good impression.

Be 'proceedable'

Before you even think about going on viewings just stop for a moment and put yourself in the seller's shoes. Ask yourself what would make you take a potential buyer seriously?

If you received two offers for your home, one from someone who had already found a buyer for theirs and one who hadn’t even had theirs valued by an estate agent yet, which would seem the better option on the face of it?

If you’re being honest with yourself you’ll know what the answer is.

Sometimes it seems like estate agents talk in their own language. 'Proceedable' is a great example. It's basically code for a potential buyer who is either chain-free or a homeowner with a sale of their own property already agreed (or at the very least already on the market).

It might also mean a first time buyer with a mortgage in place - but that’s something we talk about more in another blog. (add link here)

Obviously how much someone offers to pay for a home will always play a big role, but there are many other factors that come into play too - so be proceedable!

Timing is everything

'The chain' is a phrase that can chill the heart of many a seller, buyer and estate agent.

When there's a long chain, it means that a sale is relying on a lot of different transactions involving any number of people who all want to make a move as smoothly as possible.

This is where problems can often happen because the more properties there are in a chain the more people have to agree on dates and schedules.

So it's pretty obvious that if you can sell your current property and be 'chain free' you will be a much more attractive buyer than someone who is involved in a chain of any length at all!

Essentially you’ll become the same as a 'cash buyer' even if you're actually financing the move with a mortgage.

Know your worth

When a Sold sign appears in front of a neighbour’s home are you someone who thinks “I wonder how much it went for?”

If you're not, you really are in the minority, because almost everyone else wants to know how much their home might be worth if they sold it!

It’s worth bearing in mind that the property market is constantly changing and the only way you'll ever really get a good idea of the market value at any given time is by asking an estate agent.

It might seem like a bit of gamble to put your home up for sale before you’ve found somewhere that you want to buy. But if you’re serious about moving then it really is the right order to do things in.

Avoid problems

If you find your dream new home, put an offer in and then it's accepted you could really pile the pressure on yourself if you're not already on the market. For instance, you might find yourself needing to accept a lower asking price in order to get a quick sale. In a worst case scenario you could end up with the added unexpected costs of a bridging loan to try and keep everything on track.

Some sellers will even tell their estate agents to only book viewings for potential buyers who have already got their own property on the market or even agreed a sale.

How much?

Another big advantage of being the perfect buyer who has already sold their property is that you'll know exactly how much you've got to spend - and it might even be more than you had hoped for in the first place!

By booking in a valuation with us you’ll receive an accurate and up to date market appraisal of your home. You’ll also gain insight into how long it’s likely to be to agree a sale in the current market.

After that, we hope that you will choose us to sell your home, help you find a new one and be your property partner for life.