Time to Upsize

Upsizing may be the best next step for you and your lifestyle for a number of reasons. Maybe you need more room to create Masterchef style meals, or your family is expanding – queue partners, kids and pets. Perhaps you don’t have enough yard to garden or rooms to decorate, or maybe you have more people moving in and are going to need more space to make it work.

Whatever the reason, the expert team at Raine & Horne are here to help you find the perfect place to call ‘home’.

Preparing to Upsize

Affordability

With the help of your agent and a home loans specialist, you should establish exactly what you can afford to purchase. What is your property is worth today? What equity have you accumulated? Equity is the difference between the value of your home and the amount remaining on your mortgage, excluding interest - it allows you to borrow more than you would otherwise be able to. Invite a Raine & Horne agent to appraise your property for a clear indication of how much your current home is worth.

You should also consider the additional expenses that come with the purchase of a larger home; initially, these will include stamp duty, refinancing costs, building and inspection reports, legal and conveyancing fees. In the longer term, you should be prepared for an increase in your bills, maintenance, insurances and furnishing costs as more space will mean more money to fill, warm and maintain it!

Location

Do you need more space? Or are you also after a change of scenery? Once you know what you can afford, you should establish where you would like to purchase your new home. Things to take into consideration when doing this could be proximity to public transport, school zones, distance from your workplace, along with what shopping centres and recreational facilities you want to be close too.

Timing and futureproofing

Consider the timing of your upsize with any deadlines or significant changes coming up in your life; some questions to ask yourself might be:

• Are there any other plans in your future which you need to take into account? This may be growing your family, having another person living with you like an elderly relative or purchasing an additional property as an investment.
• If you are making this move to bolster a child’s transition to a new school, you may want to consider a deadline to help you settle in before the school commences for the year or term.
• How financially stable are you at present? Can you foresee any notable changes to this such as a change in your employment?

Working backwards from any deadlines you have, including allowing plenty of time for things to fall into place is vital in making sure that your upsizing journey is as stress-free as possible.