Moving house

Best case - You find an empty (vacant possession) property and only have one person behind you in the chain.
Its the biggest PITA you can imagine. If it goes smoothly, you have to first go see an independent mortgage advisor and fill in lots of information; they will, if they're good, do this for you in most cases over the phone. They will find a list of deals and recommend one based on your circumstances (whichever one you go for, that company pays the mortgage advisor which is how they make the money), send in the application and hopefully get the mortgage offer. Woot.
Then you have to find the house you want AND sell yours within the timeframe set by the seller (negotiable if they're reasonable but they just want the money) of the house you want to buy.
After that you haggle and appoint a conveyancer. If it goes smoothly it will take 6 weeks unless there is an urgent need. Any person can pull out at any time up to exchange of contracts (after that and you pay megabucks for nowt) leaving you back near square one.

In my last move, on moving day I was left outside the new place and didn't get the keys as one person in the chain didn't get all their finances in to the bank on time, ie they didn't complete. I was in a hotel overnight so be prepared for this unlikely scenario. I was royally peeved, especially as they said afterward it wasn't their fault... a year later, after they had upset 3 sets of solicitors with their changing story, I got money from the court order. Character building I think they call it lol

In terms of your current mortgage in some instances it can be transferred but mostly it will be better (I think) to have a new one; this in essence pays off your old and starts a fresh. All handled by a good mortgage advisor

 

I should add that Jock is absolutely on the money, DON'T get a bridging loan!

Also, use a whip if you have to but make sure your conveyancers move their backsides promptly.

Also, when looking for new property, once you find one you like, spend time in the immediate area at different times of day and night as the seemingly peaceful can become a noisy hole etc

 

I've not done the mortgage bit, as sadly I am stuck in the rental loop, however we moved house last September for the second time in three years, and it wasn't all that bad to be honest.

A few tips for the actual move:

- try and arrange your move so that you can overlap by a few days or even a week (that way you are not trying to do it all in one day)

- buy a cheapo (Tesco Value or similar) kettle and leave it at the new house with tea, coffee, sugar and coffee mate, not forgetting cups and a bottle of diluting juice.

- buy an extra pack of loo roll, and leave it at the new house.

- pack your stuff by room, and don't mix 'rooms' even if you have a bit of spare space in a box; that way, you can move the stuff straight into the corresponding rooms in the new house, making it easier to unpack.

- buy yourself a few cheapo spare light bulbs, as you would be amazed at how rotten some people can be when moving out of a house, and leave you with no light bulbs - even if they only last a month, they will be a life saver on that first night.

- before the main moving day, find out the nearest good take-away that delivers, and make sure that you have cash on you on the moving day; banish any thought of cooking, even if it is only to heat up ready meals - a really good, tasty meal on the first night in your new home is exactly what you need to settle in.

- When moving in, sort your beds out first (even if everything else is in boxes and bags) and get curtains up in the bedrooms; if all else fails, you will be able to get a nights kip and crack on again the following day.

- Pack a bag that contains soap, shower gel, a couple of towels, paracetamol/ibuprofen, sticking plasters, some cleaning cloths/sponges and a bottle of multi-surface cleaner spray, and make sure that it is one of the very last things to come into the new house so that it is easy to find. Again, like the beds, at least you can have a wash to feel better after all the hard graft of moving, and you can clean bathroom and kitchen if they need it.

Last two:

- If you are offered help from reliable friends, take it!
- Enjoy your new home!