Sometimes it’s hard to relate to the idea that your home is your castle, especially if you’re living in cramped quarters. No matter how much you love your current home or apartment, it might be time to take an honest look around and seriously consider whether it’s time to move on to bigger and better accommodations.
Moving into a bigger house can be about more than extra space. It can also be a sign of financial success and stability and can give you a sense of pride in being able to purchase the home of your dreams. But if you’re still not sure, consider these 10 signs that moving on up makes sense.
1. You Need More Space
The most obvious reason to consider moving to a bigger place is if your current home is just too small. If there’s barely enough room for those of you who live there, let alone the occasional guest, then you just might need more space. Consider how much storage you have – is there a place for everything or are coats, suitcases, and sporting equipment spilling out into your living spaces? If you’re not ready to downsize your belongings, then it might be time to upsize your home.
2. Your Family Is Growing
Living in a place that’s 1,000 square feet or smaller can be ideal for a single person or a couple. But if your family starts growing, it makes sense to consider a larger home. Whether you’re adding babies or puppies, you want your growing family to have the space it needs to happily co-exist both inside and outside your home. Make sure there are enough bedrooms and bathrooms to meet your needs and that you have all the yard you need to let Fido and the kids run around in.
3. You’ve Got More To Spend
Maybe your current house or apartment isn’t cramped, but you can finally afford the type of place you always imagined yourself in. If your income has increased, or you’ve built up enough equity in your current place, it could be tempting to start looking to upgrade. Just make sure you understand all the costs of moving and living bigger. If the numbers make sense, go ahead and start looking at those dream homes.
4. Your Work Has Changed
Today, people switch jobs about every four years. If your work situation has changed since you moved into your current place, it might be time to start looking at a move. Maybe your current company is on the other side of town and you now spend 10 hours a week commuting. Or perhaps you’ve made the move to working from home and need the space for a home office. Whatever changes your career has taken, you want to make sure your current home makes sense.
5. The Market Is Right
With low-interest rates and housing finally starting to move again, your need for a bigger place might become more pressing because now is a great time to buy. But nothing lasts forever; it’s predicted that interest rates will start rising soon. Even if you feel like you could hold out another year or two in your current situation, pay close attention to changes in market conditions. It might be worth taking the plunge into a bigger house now to take advantage of current rates and home prices.
6. Home Is Where the Heart Is – And Everything Else
When you first moved into your place, you loved how close it was to neighborhood amenities. But as life demands have increased, you no longer want to trek to the neighborhood gym or swimming pool. If you’re ready to have your favorite amenities right in your own home (or yard), then moving into a larger home makes a lot of sense.
7. It’s Time to Get Out of Your Current Home
If the cost of maintaining your current home is no longer reasonable, it might be time to get out. You’re already investing more capital, so why not invest in a place that requires less maintenance? If you’re in a good place with equity but are tired of fighting the battles of your aging home, moving into a newer, bigger place could be the silver lining you’ve been waiting for.
8. You Have Different Needs
You may have been thinking about the best bars instead of good schools when you moved into your current place. A growing family means growing concerns, and if you’d like to be in a different school district or closer to more kid-friendly amenities, it’s probably time to start scheduling the movers.
9. It’s All About the Garage
Whether you’ve started collecting motorcycles, or simply have a well-stocked tool bench, a roomy garage may be a more urgent need now than when you got into your current home. If you live in an area with inclement winter weather and you don’t want to scrape snow off the windshield in the morning, looking for a larger home with a nice garage is the perfect solution.
10. Your Green Thumb is Itching
Maybe what you really crave is a bigger yard, with space to grow flowers, herbs, and vegetables. When your patio garden just isn’t enough anymore, it’s time to look for other options. Become the gardener you’ve always envisioned by seeking out a new home with plenty of space to plant, grow, and nurture that green thumb.
It’s never easy to know if this is the right time to move, but if you relate to a few of the signs listed above, you might want to seriously consider the benefits of a bigger home. If you’re feeling cramped or restless right now, chances are that’s only going to get worse – and it’s better to start looking before your judgment gets crowded by desperation.