Waiting for the right home? Why it can pay to make the first move

Should you find a property before putting yours on the market?

It’s a conversation we have regularly with homeowners.

‘I’d like to move, but I don’t want to put my house on the market until I find somewhere I want to buy.’

It sounds sensible. After all, why start selling if you don’t yet know where you’re going?

But waiting can sometimes make moving more difficult. Owen, Manager of our Llandaff branch, regularly advises homeowners that being ready to sell puts them in a much stronger position when the right property comes along.

A recent move involving two homeowners in Llandaff is a particularly good example.

Why waiting can mean missing out

The owner of a property on Butleigh Avenue had lived there for around 20 years and was thinking about downsizing.

She had seen one or two properties she liked, but they had sold before she was in a position to proceed. Her thinking was understandable: she didn’t want to put her own home on the market until she had found somewhere she genuinely wanted to buy.

Owen’s advice was to approach things differently.

By waiting, she risked the same thing happening again. The right property could come along, but another buyer who was already under offer would be in a much stronger position to secure it.

There was another consideration. If everyone waited until they had found somewhere before putting their own property on the market, far fewer homes would become available in the first place.

Sometimes, somebody has to make the first move.

 

Taking the first step

Putting a long-term home on the market without knowing exactly where you are going next requires a degree of confidence.

For the owner of Butleigh Avenue, that confidence came from a conversation with Owen.

‘I’ll take your advice. I trust you.’

Owen reassured her that the team would help with the search for her next home. More importantly, bringing Butleigh Avenue to market would put her in a position to act when the right one appeared.

She took that advice and put the property up for sale.

That decision set something else in motion.

One move opened the door to another

Around 12 months earlier, the owners of a property on Aubrey Avenue had spoken to Hern & Crabtree about a valuation.

They weren’t in any particular hurry to move. Like the owner of Butleigh Avenue, they were quite specific about what would persuade them to do so. The valuation had simply helped them understand their position should the right opportunity arise.

Then they saw Butleigh Avenue coming to market.

It was the house they had been waiting for.

Because Owen already understood the circumstances of both homeowners, he could see that there might be another piece to the puzzle.

The Aubrey Avenue owners wanted Butleigh Avenue. And their home could potentially offer exactly the kind of move the Butleigh Avenue owner had been waiting for.

Owen arranged for her to see it.

She loved it.

The two homeowners ultimately bought one another’s properties.

 

Sometimes you have to put yourself in a position to act

There is a simple lesson in what happened.

Had the owner of Butleigh Avenue continued waiting for her ideal next property before putting her own home on the market, the owners of Aubrey Avenue may never have seen Butleigh and decided it was time for them to move.
And without that decision, Aubrey Avenue would not have become an option for her.

One move created the possibility of the other.

It’s why Owen encourages homeowners to think not only about finding the right property, but about putting themselves in a position to act when it appears.

Having your property on the market, and ideally having a buyer in place, can make a real difference when you find somewhere you want to buy.

It doesn’t mean you have to accept the wrong offer or move somewhere that isn’t right for you. Nor does it mean every homeowner should rush to market before they are ready.

It simply means that waiting and watching isn’t always the safest strategy it can appear to be.

 

A good estate agent should understand more than what’s for sale

There’s another part of this story that matters.

This move was possible because Owen understood both homeowners and what each of them wanted.

The owners of Aubrey Avenue had first spoken to Hern & Crabtree around a year earlier. They weren’t actively trying to sell at that point, but the conversation meant Owen understood what might prompt them to move.
He also knew how particular the Butleigh Avenue owner was about her next property.

That local knowledge allowed him to recognise that two seemingly separate sets of circumstances might fit together.

House swaps like this aren’t commonplace, but they do happen. They are a reminder that the property market is about more than the homes currently listed online.

There are people considering selling, homeowners waiting for something particular and others who would move if the right opportunity presented itself.

Understanding those circumstances is an important part of an estate agent’s job.

Thinking about moving? Start with a conversation

You don’t need to have every part of your move worked out before speaking to an estate agent.

Perhaps you would move for the right property but haven’t seen it yet. You might be considering downsizing but want to remain within a particular part of Cardiff. Or you may simply want to understand what your current home is worth before deciding what comes next.

Having that conversation doesn’t commit you to moving.

It can, however, help you understand your options and put you in a better position when the right opportunity comes along.

For these two homeowners, one decision to make the first move eventually allowed both of them to find exactly what they were looking for.

If you’re considering buying or selling and would like to understand your options, our team would be happy to talk them through with you.