Image by Mohammad Hassan via Pixabay
Moving to a new city is an exciting time, but it can be a time that’s full of anxiety. Packing up your home and selling your house is a huge change, and it can be a huge burden. When you need to resell to relocate to Florida, you want to get the most for your money.
This comprehensive guide to selling your home to relocate will help you figure out how to attract potential buyers, sell stuff you don’t need, and get your feet under you in a new location.
Deal with the stress
Image by Jeshoots-com via Pixabay
Immediately when someone thinks about a long-distance move, they think about stress. The real estate market has its ups and downs, which make it all the more challenging.
First of all, there’s the stress of the move itself. The sentimental value of not only the home, but also the community that you’re leaving can be a lot to deal with. While a new town can be exciting, especially in sunny Florida, a new place is also daunting.
Realize that it’s going to take a few months to get your stuff together. Also, you should prepare for the cost that’s associated with a move. If you underestimate these things, you’ll be in a rough condition, even if you do get the right place for your home.
Once you’ve made the final decision to move, give your time to process the information. This might include some self-care as you transition to your new home.
Sentimental value
If you’re starting a new job in Orlando or Tampa, you’ll want to allow for the adjustment there too. Moving is one of the top life stressors, not only because of money but also because your old home was home!
There’s a lot of emotional energy that goes into a move like this. A multi-state move means a huge adjustment, both mentally and physically. There is both the attachment that you have to your old home and your old life, but there’s also the excitement about your new home and your new life.
This can feel like a bit of a tightrope to walk, and you should expect a lot of ups and downs along the way. The adjustment period here is huge, so give yourself time and space to feel all of those feelings. Don’t try to force it.
If you’ve committed to a new job, then the wheels are going to keep turning. You’ll have to let go of a lot of things, but that’s growth and it’s good for you. Try to be as pragmatic as possible, but also give yourself grace with the stress of a major move to Florida.
Planning the details
Image by Pexels via Pixabay
If you’re a detail oriented person, then you’ll probably hit enter on that planning spreadsheet about a hundred times as you get through the packing and moving.
Moving to Florida can be challenging thanks to the isolated nature of the state. More than likely, you’ve got a long drive and a lot of heavy lifting to do to get your stuff from your home in North Carolina or New York all the way down to the Sunshine State.
Free quotes
When you’re planning, make sure you get a free quote from as many companies as you can. Moving quotes don’t cost anything, but knowing the price beforehand can save you a lot of cash. Unfortunately, the costs associated with a multi-state move add up to a lot of money.
All kinds of services will offer you a no-cost quote, from cash home buyers to home stagers. The market for companies who can help with your upcoming move is pretty endless. Everything from bubble wrap to packing materials for your kitchen gadgets is out there.
It’s worth it to scour items online to get the right price for packing materials.
Use a spreadsheet
A simple spreadsheet that you create in Google docs or Excel can really help you plan all of the incredible number of details that you have to work with on a move.
Oen real suggestion here is to put it in the cloud. This will allow you to access your to-do list from anywhere, be it your phone or your computer. When you’re in the thick of a move to Florida, that kind of access can make the process much easier.
With this method, you can write everything down so it doesn’t stay in your brain. A major move to a state like Florida can be overwhelming if you try to keep it all in your head, so don’t! Instead, write it all down so that you can keep track without burdening yourself.
Lower your packing burden
Lots of moving services will help you start packing. Don’t feel like you have to do it all yourself. it’s enough of a burden to move to a new home. The price of packers is usually worth the expense, because it lets you put your time and mental energy into other things.
You have a few options to save money and save time while packing. You can start with setting up garage sales and organizing your items. Moving expenses can be significant, so rather than putting your items out for donation, you can instead sell for a fair price with a simple yard sale.
Old furniture might go to a consignment shop to sell. Old stuff that you can’t use anymore can be put towards the purchase price of a new home if you sell it for market value.
Sell broken items
Even broken appliances can sometimes net a bit of profit if you put them up to sell locally on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. When you sell online, you end up with cash in your pocket.
If you decide to sell broken and used items, definitely be upfront with sellers. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable enough to sell something to a friend, it’s better not to sell it at all.
Remember, anything you get rid of is something you don’t have to deal with in your new home. Family heirlooms are of course not something you want to sell, but other valuable items should be let go as soon as you can part with them. Less stuff means more cash in your pocket!
Relocation assistance
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images via Pixabay
If you’re moving for a new job, check to see if your new company offers relocation assistance. Many places will pay for professional movers to get you into your new home.
As soon as you hit enter on the agreement to take a job in a new place in a new town, find out what your employer offers. They might also have other tips on your Florida move. Whether you need to sell extra items or just pack up what you’ve already got, you should be able to get some help along the way.
There’s always the possibility of getting help from family and friends. This can really bring everyone closer together, but be wary of leaning too hard. Yes, your family and friends are likely happy to help you with your move, but they also have lives of their own.
As much as possible, hire professionals to help you get your move done rather than relying on family and friends to do it all. After all, the move to Florida is stressful on them, too! A move like this will naturally change the dynamic between you and the people in your life. It’s important to preserve it as much as possible.
Sell fast on the real estate market
It’s exciting to put your house on the market and sell your house fast. Especially if you have a job offer in a new place, you can sell your home and get excited about your new employer.
Working with a real estate agent who knows how to prep a home for market and get your home to sell fast is the easiest way to go. Home sellers are professionals who can help get your home sold faster than you can imagine.
A real estate agent can help you with house hunting as well as helping you sell your home. Starting a new life in a new city can be daunting, and working with someone will make it easier.
Once you get your home sold, you’ll be able to think more clearly about your new job and about your new house.
Understand the timeline with a new job
Image by USA Reiseblogger via Pixabay
In fact, in today’s real estate market, a real estate agent will know how to get your home ready to go. You might not sell your house quickly this way, but if you have a job relocation in the works then you might not need to.
Some questions to ask yourself regarding a new job and your timeline are –
- How long do you have to sell your home?
- Are there any home improvement projects you need to do?
- What local organizations can help with your move?
- What is the market in your current area?
- What is the current market in Florida?
- Do you need extra cash to help with the move?
- Is your job relocation timeline flexible?
It’s a good idea to sit down and write down your answers to these questions. You’ll save money and have an easier time making sense of selling your home, selling your extra stuff, and figuring out your job relocation parameters if you do.
Financial planning in a move
Image by AbsolutVision via Pixabay
Most people move either because of financial needs or because they want to improve their lifestyle. It doesn’t matter which one is the motivator for you – in both cases you’ll have to do a lot of financial planning.
The down payment on your new residence in Florida might be something you already have in your savings account. It could also come from the signing bonus on your new job. The other option is to pay it out of the sale of your current house.
If you’re unsure of how to get all of the financial pieces to move the way you want them to, consider working with a professional financial planner. This is a smart move for anyone making a move, because there are so many considerations.
If you have a new job in Florida, consider reaching out to a financial planner who is based in Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, or wherever it is that you’re moving to. Someone who is located in the state will be able to best understand what the needs are there that are specific to Florida.
Working with a real estate investor
Real estate experts who know how to get a home on and off the market fast recommend a game plan (which we’ll lay out here) to sell your home for a job relocation tailored to your timeline with efficiencies built into every step of the way.
A real estate investor will understand the market and how to get the sale done quickly. The price you’ll get in this instance might not be quite as high as a sale to a traditional buyer. However, you’ll be able to sell your home fast and even sell your house as-is with a real estate investor.
Closing costs when you sell your house
Image by Shutterbug75 via Pixabay
There are always going to be some closing costs associated when you sell your house. The federal government has rules that govern how it all works.
All costs should be covered by the buyer. You should never, ever have to pay any money out of pocket to sell your house. Think about it – would you pay to get a new job? Of course not. By that same token, you shouldn’t pay to sell your house.
Even if you sell quickly or sell your home as is, all of the costs should be covered when you’re selling. Money should only exchange hands in the selling process at the closing table. Never before that. No matter what the market is like for selling.
Beware of scams
A move is one of the most expensive transitions you can do in your life. Unfortunately, there are always scammers there ready to take advantage of people who are in transition.
Always look up the people you’re working with on a move like this, before you pay them. Moving does involve a high level of expense, and it’s all too easy to think that you’ll save money by going cheap. Remember, if a deal is too good to be true, it probably is.
If you can’t find anything online about a moving service or a cash home buyer, then you should look elsewhere. Scammers can either have a bad online footprint, or they can have no online footprint at all. The latter is just as concerning as the former.
Never work with someone on a move to Florida that you haven’t vetted yet. That goes for professional movers, for real estate investors, for real estate agents, and for everyone else that might be involved in your move. It’s well worth the time and effort to Google the people you’ll be working with. This is the best way to avoid getting scammed.
Preparing your home for sale
It’s completely reasonable in today’s real estate market to expect to sell your home as is. There is so much demand that you’ll have an easier time than you think selling your house quickly.
However, most people feel better when they do some preparation for selling their property. It feels like a necessary part of the process. If that’s you, that’s ok!
You should consider hiring professionals to get some of the harder jobs done. For example, you might work with a professional stager or a cleaning company. Both of these services are well worth the cost to get your house ready for sale.
Costs to consider when moving to Florida
When you buy a home in Florida, you’ll also have to cover carrying costs and property taxes.
If a job relocation is taking you to Florida, you should have some resources to understand how you can pay taxes. Property taxes in Florida are among the most competitive in the country. This is one reason the market for a house is so tight in the state.
Your new home will likely cost more than your current house if you’re moving from a state that’s got a cooler market. The price of your old home might not cover the down payment on a house for sale that’s comparable.
Just as with anything, you’ll have to make decisions about the sale of your old house, as well as how much money you want to put into the down payment on your new house.
Hopefully, your new job will cover the additional cost and you can sell quickly to get the move going. If not, consider downgrading when you sell your home. It’s not ideal, but it might be necessary when you move to Florida.
Selling to a cash buyer
Sometimes, people moving to Florida don’t want to go the traditional real estate route. You might need to sell quickly for your job relocation. You might also need to get money out of your home to fund the move itself.
When selling to a cash buyer, you’ll get an influx of cash quickly. That money from the sale can defray the cost of moving to Florida. Keep in mind that the sale of your home to a cash buyer can happen incredibly quickly – completing the sale in less than seven days.
The cost here is in the price of your home. An as-is home can go through the selling process quickly, but the sale will come at a slightly lower price.
Keep in mind that this kind of sale will also have lower closing costs and fewer financial drains along the way. For a lot of people selling, a cash buyer ends up netting a higher return.
Choosing your timeline
When selling to a cash buyer, you have more autonomy in choosing your timeline. You can close quickly, selling in as little as seven days.
Though your previous home might have sentimental value, selling it within a time that works for you should be a top priority. Once the sale is complete, you can think about job relocation and selling personal items for your move.You can’t have complete control over your timeline with a move to Florida, but you deserve to have as much control as possible. There are so many moving pieces to this process, but with the right amount of thought and planning, you can feel in control as you move to Florida!
