In my job, I get to work with lots of people who are considering moving.

Some people make the process simple, and glide through from the sale of one property to comfortably living in their new home in a matter of months. Others can take years to complete their move, often feeling frustrated about the process.

For most consumers, the decision process in moving has five clear stages:

1. Should we move? This is really a question about your destination. Where will we be moving to? What will it achieve? What will it look like? What lifestyle benefits are there? Often, this involves overcoming the emotional attachment to their existing home.

2. Can we move? This is the process of working out if it is actually possible to move. Key decisions here relate to the financial costs of making a move, combined with timing issues such as the ending of the school year and commencement of new jobs.

3. How do we do it? Many buyers have a property that they need to sell before they can pay for their new home. This is an age-old problem in the property industry, as many people maybe reluctant to sell before they have found something to move into.

On the other hand, when you find something to move into, not having your finances in order may cause you to miss out on that perfect property. It’s at this stage that many people call on the expertise of a qualified estate agent, to assist them in the buying and selling process.

Generally, selling first enables you to have the cash in the bank, which puts you in a better position when negotiating.

4. Springing into action. Here, the frantic search is on, reviewing property listings on the internet and in newspaper property liftouts. Then there will be the need to have agents view your own home for a market price. We get hundreds of requests for market “appraisals” every year.

Many of our clients ask us to help them work out the changeover costs, to buy and sell, allowing them to make the final decisions before they engage an agent and then secure their new dream property.

5. The actual purchase. Here, diligence is required to make sure you have all the components that you need, such as your deposit. Many purchases also request a particular settlement date (move-in date) and may place conditions on their offer such as the sale being subject to a satisfactory building and pest report.

No matter what stage in the process you are at, spend a few minutes thinking about what it is that you want from the move. Develop a list of must-haves and speak to your agent about the changeover costs to see what is possible.

For a free copy of our changeover costs calculator, email amber.werchon@raywhite.com