How do you plan your next move?

Most people do little or no planning. This isn’t something a lot of people even think about. It’s a pretty big project when you think about it. A lot of decisions to make, often a lot of moving parts and a fair few unknowns!

When I first sit down with a client we start with Plan A. What does perfect look like? Writing this down is a really good exercise. There’s a bit more to it than the below, but a great starting point is:

  • Timescale. When do we want to move? What would be the ideal time? (remember, this is Plan A).
  • Finances. How much would we sell for and how much would we buy for?
  • Stress/inconvenience. How much are we happy to accept in order to make this happen?
  • Team. Who do we want to ideally work with? Agent, solicitor, surveyor, mortgage broker, removals etc?

These 4 areas are a great place to start with planning. You’ll learn a lot with thinking about Plan A.

The reasons I see people feel most stress or become most disillusioned with moving is that there either isn’t a Plan A, so it’s a hope for the best process or Plan A was unrealistic or Plan A for whatever reason didn’t work out and there’s no Plan B.

Nobody really wants to think about Plan B or Plan C, but those that do early enough will generally have a far less stressful move as expectations are set and there are no shocks or under pressure last minute decision making. Making important decisions under big pressure is exactly what we want to avoid as it’s more difficult to make the right decision.

Simon.