A new home would be great, but how do you get there?

Curious what your home is worth? If you’ve been thinking about the huge decision of making a move right now, you’re not alone, and I can relate to the challenges you and so many others are facing. You’re wondering how you can coordinate the timing between buying and selling, how you will find your new home, how you will be able to get your house ready for the market. And what about the shifting market trends and interest rates? Should you be waiting for a housing market crash?

It’s completely understandable to have concerns

Most people who decided to make a move had many of these worries when they started too. I went though a challenging home purchase myself before I was a Realtor. Believe me, I’ve been there! If you’re curious, you can see the story of my first home purchase as shared with the Fairfield Coastal Neighbors Magazine. The truth is that uncertainty is always going to be a reality, and we need to embrace that in order to move forward. It is impossible to time the market, but you can control your plans and goals. Here are four tips on how to get to your new home.

1: Focus on your why

If you’re thinking about selling your current home and buying a new one, you undoubtably have significant reasons that go far deeper just having a new house. Do you need more space and privacy to give yourself peace, focus, and privacy? Do you still work from home, or need to accommodate an extended family? Have your “little ones” gone off to college and now you want to scale down and invest your proceeds into other assets, or invest in the lifestyle your dreams? Maybe you’ve been dreaming about exciting travel plans! Do you need to be closer to your family? Closer to your job?

2. Commit to your quality of life

Once you are clear on your important reasons for making a change and that this is the ideal time for you to make this change, it is time to commit. It’s time to pursue this lifestyle that you yearn for and deserve. Once you commit in your heart and your mind that you want these changes for yourself and you want them now, everything else will fall into place!

3. Trust the process

When you talk through your dreams with your agent and explain your important why’s, they will have the resources and experience to guide you toward your destination. As I had mentioned during my interview with the Fairfield HamletHub, William Raveis has developed new tools to eliminate many of the roadblocks to being able to sell and move quickly in the current market. Here are some of my client’s stories. Kelly and Steve made the move from their childhood home after dreaming about it for years. Dave and Suzanne sold their home, then found their dream home, obtaining temporary housing and storage in the interim. Wolf and Marianna did some soul searching and then made the commitment to themselves to pursue their new lifestyle. They listed their house and got a contract on it while they shopped for their new one. They were able to coordinate their closings and step right into their new home and new beginning!

4. There’s no such thing as perfect, here’s how you don’t miss out!

People who have made a successful move have found the home that meets their top priority needs and wants. Once you’ve decided to move forward, the key is to find the new home that provides about eight out of 10 of your key wishlist items. These wishlist items should be tied to your most important reasons for moving, the ones that impact your quality of life. Be careful not to rule out homes due to things that can easily be changed over time, especially in a low-inventory market. Remember the real reasons you are pursuing this huge transition. If price is one of the items that extends beyond your wishlist, this would be the time to consult with your lender to see if extending your budget is realistic for you. Remember that home appreciation is forecast to continue for another five years at least, so you can gain equity right away. There is no such thing as a 100% perfect home. Believe it or not, even people who pay for a custom designed and built home find a list of things they would have done differently in retrospect. So use the 80% rule to zoom in on your key impact priorities so that you don’t miss out for the wrong reasons.

The rest is history

In my case, my husband and I had lost a few before landing what was ultimately our first choice. And, yep, we bought at the height of the market in 2004. But we never labored about the decision because it was a lifestyle choice, not a stock market trade or casino move. We have absolutely loved life here over the past 18 years! And as it turns out, our home has continued to grow in value. Our interest rate was higher, but we since refinanced. I then became a Realtor, and the rest is history…until we decide to move again to our next new home!