Going Upsize! Moving home to something bigger

One door closes, and another opens.

And while space has always been desirable and a popular reason for moving house and home, now there is a new urgency for extra space in the time of covid.

More rooms. Bigger gardens. Beyond the cityscape and into the country.

These are just some of the reasons people are upsizing to something bigger as an upward trend.

Often, the problem with packing up and moving house is how to fit everything into either a smaller space, or a differently configured space. Now, moving to something bigger means you have room to make all the fun decisions to grow and expand! New house! New stuff! Home office! All good.

Moving home in the time of Covid … and Upsizing

Rightmove, the UK’s leading property website, says that there is a price record for larger homes as buyers compete for space:

Second-stepper sector of three- or four-bedroom homes hits new record of £291,618, as more buyers seek larger homes
Northern regions strongest for price jumps, with Yorkshire & the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, North East, North West and Scotland all at new records
Sales agreed compared to this time last year stronger for larger homes – more than doubling in the largest ‘top of the ladder’ homes sector (+104%), and growing strongly in the second-stepper sector (+55%)

The demand for larger homes is reflected in the number of sales being agreed by agents compared to this time last year. The strongest sector is ’top of the ladder’, which includes four-bedroom detached homes and larger.

The trend of upsizing to a larger home has been fuelled by people looking for more space, including having extra space for their families, and for room to work from home.

UK Property Market snapshot

According to Which? the UK property market has enjoyed a mini boom since reopening after the lockdown, and the government’s stamp duty cut is resulting in more people moving home. With this in place, buyers could potentially save up to £15,000 if they move home before April 2021 when the stamp duty holiday comes to an end.

Provisional data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) shows that 70,710 property sales went through in July, up 14.5% on June’s figures but down 27% year-on-year. That’s still a lot of house moves in a short space directly after lockdown came to an end.

And the Land Registry indications show that there is a 2.9% year-on-year rise in prices.

Which? says that property market predictions are that there’s a great deal of optimism around the property market at the moment, with Rightmove hailing ‘the busiest month for 10 years’ in August and Zoopla saying activity is at its strongest level in five years. “This might not last, however. Experts believe the market (and house price growth) could slow down once the government’s coronavirus financial support schemes and the stamp duty cut come to an end” – Which?

Moving house is stressful at the best of times

… and we can’t say that this year has been stress-free! It has certainly presented us all with many unexpected challenges. But we are here to help you overcome the stress of moving. They say that moving home is one of the biggest causes of stress, but there are many ways in which it can be (mostly) hassle-free!

Give it an extra month…

Added to the normal moving anxieties, is the fact that the whole process of buying and selling – including lenders having to deal with a higher number of mortgage applications, solicitors over their capacity, delays in searches being conducted – transactions are taking a bit longer.

“We’d advise that buyers and sellers factor in at least an extra month to account for the current delays in the process,” says a property expert. “We’re seeing sales of properties take 40% longer to complete, and the number of cases they’re working on has doubled over the past three months. This means a sale that would usually take three months could take over four months to go through. There are challenges such as mortgage applications and local searches taking longer than usual”.

While some of these delays are out of your hands, there are still a number of things you can do to help speed up the process of moving house.

Speedy top tips

Ask the right questions when choosing a solicitor, even when they come recommended -including how they will be communicating with you; if there is a cover person in place; what you can expect from the process; is there a way of tracking each task?
Respond quickly: If possible, try and set aside time within a couple of days of receiving all your documents, to read through them and respond to your solicitor. When there is a lot to go through it can feel daunting, and the result is that you may land up putting it off.
And then be patient! Ask questions about estimated timing, and then try to stay patient while the process is underway! It’s hard when all you want to do is begin your new life! But this helps to not feel disappointed when it feels like it’s taking longer than you’d wish.
Also be flexible: You may need to compromise on some final dates to find the best time for both buyer and seller. The time between exchange and completion can always be a bit tricky. Especially when trying to arrange packing up and booking a removals firm.

Research Removals firms

Do your homework and find a moving company that suits your needs:

Do you need to have flexibility on your moving date?

Are you needing temporary storage?

Would you like a packing service?

Are you moving locally or abroad?

Do they cover all areas?

Is insurance part of their service?

Do they have the right vans for your move?

What do people say about their services?

Is storage an option – both temporary and long-term?

Most importantly, is that this part of buying a new house should turn out to be the least stressful – the actual move! Here at Shires Removals this is our core philosophy, and we love it when you let us know that you’ve had a smooth move!

“Excellent efficient company. Competitive quote, excellent information and communication, friendly helpful staff. Highly recommended.
Special thanks to Josh and Ross , they arrived promptly, kept calm, kept going, it was a really long day for them, lots to move. They were friendly, helpful, kept cheerful all day…brilliant. Made our move very smooth, thank you”. – Trustpilot

Start planning your packing: What to leave, what to take

As moving day draws closer, it’s easy to get caught up in the cleaning, packing, and throwing away (or recycling) the bits and bobs of your old life. It’s a good time to review what you really want to take forward with you into your new home, as well as saying goodbye to items that may have served you well. But it’s time to let go of some of these things. If you really can’t bear to part with something, photograph it and that way you keep the memory and the joy, but not the item!

Sort items into Keep, Discard, Recycle, and remember to use packing lists and label boxes to help your removal team quick place your belongings in the right rooms at your new house.

Packing, packing, packing…it can feel endless!

Or you could decide to use Shires Removals’ full packing service to make your move go even more smoothly. Are you just looking for removals packing materials? Just ask, we have the stock to cover what you need.

Perhaps you’d prefer the full-house treatment and opt for our full packing service, from start to finish. Imagine having this weight off your shoulders?!

Moving day is here!

Finally, moving day will arrive, and you’ll be glad to be in the assured and trusted hands of moving professionals who have been moving people for more than forty five years.

Our philosophy has always been to offer a top quality removals service using trained, friendly staff who care about getting the job done properly. Whether you are moving house or office, nationally or internationally, our friendly and helpful staff aim to make the move as easy and stress free as possible.

The finishing touch of wine and flowers

And, as a last gesture and a sweet parting touch, why not leave a bunch of flowers or a bottle of wine for your new inhabitants of your former home? And, as you close the door behind you when you leave, have a smile as you walk away and step gladly into your new life and home – for many new exciting memories and years to come.