Moving States, Changing Jobs, Starting Fresh: How to Handle a Home You Can’t

Big life shifts don't wait for the perfect selling window. You get a new job offer, a family situation changes, or you need to move asap. These are all times that could result in your property becoming a deadweight and a problem you need to resolve.

When life changes and dictates that you need to sell up and move on, what actually helps?

Work Through The Numbers

Before you start panicking over selling, get honest about the numbers.

Can you handle a couple of months' overlap with a new mortgage? Can you cover the mortgage while you relocate? Or do you need the house to move fast so you can pay off debts, bills, or divorce settlements and draw a line under everything?

You don't need a spreadsheet; you just have an idea of what keeping the home will cost you in the immediate future to help you decide on the right path forward.

Rent It Out

If you're not quite ready to sell but you need to, renting can bridge the gap until you decide what you want to do. This will only work if you don't need a fast sale and the property is in a livable condition and meets rental standards, but it can take the pressure off, give you help covering the mortgage, so you can move on to what you need to do next without any added stress of selling up.

Stage for a Quick Sale

If you want the house sold quickly, then making it look clean, tidy, and presentable can make all the difference. You don't need to spend huge sums, but you do need to show it off well so it's enticing to buyers.

Give it a deep clean, a fresh coat of paint, remove clutter and mess, and get some minor repairs done.

A lot of buyers will overlook small imperfections if they can see that the home is ready to move into. You want momentum here, not perfection.

Sell Fast

Sometimes the above option isn't fast enough, and this is where you need cash buyers. If you're relocating or changing jobs, for example, waiting on a buyer's mortgage can be exhausting and infuriating.

A faster route is to use a company that focuses on “we buy houses for cash". Direct buyers can also be an option here too.

But cash buyers will arrange a viewing, offer you a price, and get the ball rolling, and you're closing in a much shorter time frame than a standard sale. If you just need the home off your plate, this is the best option.

Use an Agent Specializing in Relocation Sales

Not your standard real estate agent, but one who understands what you're facing if you're relocating. They will already know the buyers who can move fast, the lenders who will close on time, the logistics behind relocation sales, and how to price a home for speed.

They can also coordinate with cleaners, movers, locksmiths, photographers, and anyone else needed to get things moving, so you're not worrying about any of it, simply getting on with your new life.