How To Reduce The Stress of Buying and Selling a House

Both buying and selling a house can be a stressful experience.

Fortunately, there are a few simple steps that both sellers and buyers can take to cut the stress.

Sellers: find a reliable estate agent

Probably the best way to cut the stress of selling a house is to find the right estate agent. They recommend that you do your research, draw up a shortlist and, above all, remember the agent works for you.

De-clutter your home

Another smart move is to have a major cleanout. If you remove the clutter, prospective buyers can see your property’s full potential as their future home. We discuss this in our article on avoidable things that can reduce the value of your house.

Good communication is also important. After all, your solicitor and estate agent are there to help you take the stress out of selling a house, so always respond to any questions they have quickly to avoid any delays.

Preparation is key

But no matter how well you plan, something will consistently go wrong. If you let it get to you, your stress levels will go through the roof.

Psychologist Dr Sandi Mann says it helps to remind yourself of the positive reasons behind your move and to give yourself a bit of TLC.

So make it clear to your estate agent when you are available for viewings and when you are not. Laying down those ground rules early on will take a lot of the stress out of selling a house.

And last but not least, aim to put your house on the market to coincide with the peak selling season. The property website rightmove.co.uk states spring is the best time to nail that sale.

Buyer beware

But just because selling a house can push up stress levels, it doesn’t mean you can forget about house-buying stress.

A recent survey by Aldermore Bank of first-time buyers found that almost half (47%) felt they had to “rebuild their lives” after the experience.

Blast the buyer blues

Fortunately, you can take a few common, easy steps that can slash house-buying stress.

First-time buyers especially might want to read up on the house-buying process so that you know what to expect from it and, more importantly, what can go wrong.

Because nothing pushes up the stress levels more than not knowing what to expect next.

Another great way to bust house-buying stress is to set up a viewing calendar to organise your time.

This simple step will not only ensure that you don’t double-book an appointment, but it will also allow you to plan some quality time away from the stress of buying a new house.

Call in the professionals

When you are buying your new home, your conveyancing solicitor is one of your most important allies, so take time to find the right one.

Personal recommendations are a great place to start, or you could try an online search tool.

Just enter a few simple details about the purchase, and it will instantly return a range of quotes from which to choose.

Making an offer

Once you have, the next step is to put in an offer.

It’s important to be tactical, so research the local market and find out the local asking prices for similar homes.

The key is to be realistic. If you put in an offer that is too low, you could find yourself gazumped—a major cause of house-buying stress. On the other hand, if the property has been on the market for a while, you could strike it lucky.

Last but not least, you will need enough cash set aside for all the extras that are easy to overlook, such as new furniture, repairs, and any commitment fees that your broker might charge to get your mortgage application pre-approved.

Although no-one can promise to eliminate the stress of selling or buying a house, following these simple hints and tips should help to keep it under control.