Are there some life plan changes in the pipeline? Is your family expanding or are the children leaving the nest? Or maybe you’re craving a change of scene/lifestyle?

Perhaps you’ve been eyeing off a few properties and imagining yourself living in them…

While we all dream of living elsewhere from time to time, if your home is no longer meeting your needs, you may well be wondering whether it’s time to move.

If you’re having some doubts, and not sure if it’s the right time, keep reading for four signs that it’s time to sell and move on to making a new home.

1. In a good financial position

Unfortunately finances do have a significant part to play in the decision to move!

If you’ve built up a tidy sum of positive equity in your current home, (ie when the remaining balance on your mortgage is subtracted from the current market value of your home is a sizeable amount), this could be the time to look at other homes.

The ideal financial situation is when the profit of your home sale covers the deposit on a new property, the associated costs of moving, and settling of both the sale of your old home and the purchase of your new home.

We always advice to speak to a professional who can tell you exactly what your finances can do for your situation, what you need to consider and fully explain any associated risks.

2. Remodelling won’t pay off

An extension, new bathroom or a kitchen remodel can add value to your home, but will you get back what you put in? Major renovations and significant remodelling don’t just cost in terms of money, there’s the planning and the time taken to do it too.

If there is some significant remodelling needed to be done, and you’re not going to benefit financially, now might be the time to look at a house more suited to your needs.

3. Upkeep is a chore

There’s always a list of things to be done when you own a home, but lifestyle changes and priorities may lead you to wanting to do other things than maintaining a large garden or doing the regular chores around the home.

If your ‘to-do’ list around your home seems to be getting longer and the enjoyment has gone from upkeeping the property, it might be time to look for a house that requires a little less work to keep it looking presentable.

4. The neighbour’s house has just sold for a great price

Sometimes people don’t quite realise what they are sitting on until their neighbour puts their house on the market.

We are very much in a sellers’ market at the moment, and it doesn’t hurt to make some general enquiries about what you can realistically expect to get from your house.

If you’re wondering how much your house could potentially get, or would just like a bit of guidance of what to think about, get in touch with us and we’ll come round and give you a free, independent and non-obligatory quote.

We can also suggest low-cost ways to improve your property; having been in the business for nearly 50 years, we’ve helped thousands of people add value to their properties and are constantly achieving great results for our clients.

With the right help, selling a house needn’t be a nightmare, and our aim is to make your property experience as smooth and hassle-free as possible.

Call in and see us in the Cardiff office or give us a call on 02 4954 8833. Or send us an email to: mail@apnewcastle.com.au.

We regularly update our Facebook page with handy tips on selling your property and what to look for when buying a property.