Tips for When It’s Time to Move to a New Home in Atlanta, GA

Becoming a homeowner in Atlanta is a big decision. Rather than throwing away money on rent every month, each payment slowly builds up equity so that houses are considered an investment. Whether you are thinking of buying your first home or you have moved multiple times, the process of selling your previous home and buying a new one can be incredibly complex and overwhelming.

This is why you need to go into the process with as much knowledge as possible. Since there are a hundred things to consider about the move and a lengthy timeline to get to move-in day, you need a way to cut through some of the clutter.

Selling your current home and buying the next one is not easy. Fortunately, there are a lot of strategies that can help smooth out the process and ensure that you end up with a simpler transition to your next home. Here are some tips to know about when it’s time to move to a new home in Atlanta, GA.

List Out Your Needs

Before you even start casually browsing the listings on Zillow or realtor.com, you should take an honest look at your lifestyle and what your goals are for the future. Maybe you have been renting an apartment for a while and are ready to make the transition to a house. Perhaps your young family is getting bigger and you have outgrown your current home. Whatever the reason is for the move, you need to come up with a list of needs for the next location. Should there be a good school system nearby for your children? How many bedrooms will provide the needed space? How many bathrooms? Are you looking for a large yard to take care of? Is access to nearby public transportation important? Come up with a list of your needs for the next home and try to think about how those needs could change in the next five years. Use those parameters to guide your initial search.

Saving for a Down Payment

Purchasing a home is a massive investment, especially in the Atlanta area where the market is lively. Acquiring a mortgage loan is one of the biggest obstacles to homeownership since it will likely end up being at least a 15-year payback period if not 30. The key to getting lower monthly payments and/or a shorter loan term is to put down a significant amount upfront. Saving for a down payment can be difficult for those who are currently renting, but there are a few ways to be strategic with your money. You could elect to move in with family for a time, sublet your rental unit with the landlord’s permission, or even find a live-in work situation temporarily. If you already own a home, then selling that home after building significant equity could be enough to supply you with a decent down payment for the next home. The more you can pay upfront, the less of a burden the mortgage loan will be.

Attracting Sellers to Your Current Home

Many individuals and families who plan to purchase new homes have to sell their current houses first. In a competitive market, you need to make your home an enticing product for potential buyers in order to receive good offers. A combination of proper staging and investing in home improvement can go a long way toward raising the property value and generating more buyer interest. Make sure that your house is very clean when taking pictures, or let your realtor handle this process. If there are any outstanding maintenance issues, deal with them now so buyers cannot use them during the negotiation period. If selling in the spring or summer, make sure your landscaping is neat and has a positive effect on curb appeal. Maybe you aren’t selling now, but will want to in a few years. In that case, consider what types of home improvement projects could increase the home’s value for selling in the future.

Hire Professional Movers

The older you get, the harder it becomes to find young and able-bodied friends who have the energy to help you move. Let’s be honest, pizza and a beer are not enough of an incentive for those in their thirties or forties to be excited about lifting heavy furniture and loading it into a truck all day, then reversing that process in the same day. Rather than trying to convince friends and family to help, consider hiring professional movers in Atlanta to do the job. They will have better equipment, plenty of experience, and you don’t have the awkward factor of them being friends or family who may feel obligated to help even if it is inconvenient. Let the professionals help you transition to your new home on move-in day.

Planning and Preparation

The more research you do ahead of time, the more equipped you will be with the knowledge necessary to have a smooth selling and buying process. Start planning long before you want to move so that there is a lot of time to work up to it and move through the process efficiently. Know what your needs are for the next home and start saving for a down payment. Learn how to attract sellers to your current home and then hire professional movers once the deal is done. These tips will help you have a much more positive experience when moving to a new home in Atlanta, GA.