Love It or List It is a much-loved programme that brings to fruition a very simple homeowner dilemma – is it worth loving (and renovating) the homes we have, or would it be better to move out and start from scratch. For those of us with fast-growing families, especially, this is by no means a new consideration and is something that can keep us all awake at night without even a sniff of Kirstie and Phil’s fun-loving advice to get us through.
The trouble is that, when you’re staring down the barrel of a significant lifestyle change, it can be impossible to make this choice. Luckily, you don’t need Kirstie or Phil to tell you precisely the right move to make. You simply need to take the following steps to ensure a tailored decision that keeps everybody happy.
# 1 – Speak with a professional.
With many of us having very limited experience in both the property and renovations market, it would be ill-advised to make a decision like this alone. Hence why the best possible step you can take, even when these ideas of change have barely solidified, is to speak with professionals in the know. After all, you’re never going to understand your buying prospects better than after you’ve sought proper mortgage advice, nor will you be able to compare renovation costs until you’ve gathered a few quotes. These typically obligation-free offerings for professional oversight are therefore essential to stop you from stressing out as soon as you realise the need for change.
# 2 – Consider the practicalities.
Considering the realistic practicalities of either loving or listing your property is also essential to keep disruption to a minimum, and is perhaps the one factor most open to personal variations. For instance, if you only need one more bedroom, renovation is most likely to be less disruptive in the long term than moving home with a family. However, if your entire house, including key areas like bathrooms and kitchen, would need renovation, then a move that gets it all out of the way in a day or two might be better. Simply ask yourself what would need doing, and what long-term ramifications that could cause.
# 3 – Know what everyone wants.
It’s also important to understand what everyone would prefer. After all, you all likely know which option you would prefer. As such, simply sitting down as a family (and also as adults alone) can help you to make a heart-based decision that will ultimately create longer-lasting happiness than simply ticking all of the boxes. After all, even if a renovation seems logical, it won’t keep you all happy if you truly desire a move. Given that gut feelings play such a huge role in the home buying process to begin with, you could even argue that this, more than the other pointers, should help you to make the best decision possible.
Whether you’re leaning towards loving your property or listing it, keep these pointers in mind to make a decision that the whole family can be happy with.