Photos By: Unsplash

In the wake of the disease, thousands have been forced to wait months for unemployment. Few people living from paycheck to paycheck have anything in savings that approaches what is actually needed to stay afloat.

Financial services like Malloy Lending are among the solutions to which people are turning in this time of financial crisis. One of the first and most obvious ways to reduce spending is to cut the mortgage or rent down to size. But as everyone knows, downsizing is expensive due to Leas termination fees, hefty deposits, and downpayment. If you pole your friends on social media, They will likely be a good source for advice on what to do and not do as you plan your next move. Here are some tips you might find helpful:

Consider Renting Rather Than Buying a New Home

Renting is not without up front investment. One typically has to pay a deposit plus the first month of rent. Sometimes it is first and last. In some places, it is common to pay as much as $4,000 to $5,000 in move-in fees. That is not money people typically have lying about.

62% of all Americans have less than $1,000 in savings. 44% of young adults 18 – 24 have nothing in their savings, and that is if they have a savings account at all, according to a GOBankingRates survey. That means to lower one’s rent might require increasing their debt in the form of a short-term loan. That is still a much better tradeoff than getting behind on mortgage and risking foreclosure or eviction.

The reason renting is better in a time of crisis is that it is a short-term solution that doesn’t lock you into a 30-year commitment. There is a good chance that things will be different at the end of a one-year lease. If not, you can always sign another year’s lease and wait it out. You can return to home-ownership when things stabilize. That is a sensible alternative to sticking with a monthly payment you can’t afford. Not only will you have to go into debt, you could do permanent damage to your credit score. So if you decide to move into something more affordable, consider renting temporarily.

Have a Garage Sale Before You Move

Entrepreneur says that garage and estate sales generates billions in sales annually drawing over 60 million shoppers. You don’t need 60 million people browsing your nicknacks to raise enough money to cover the cost of moving.

Even if you hire professional movers, you will benefit by doing a garage sale. First, you will likely raise enough money to cover most of the expenses. Second, you will have a smaller moving bill because you will have less to move. Getting rid of a few things that might be another person’s treasure is a win-win, especially for people about to make a move.

Do It Yourself

Assuming you are using a moving company, the average cost of a local move is over $1,100. An out of state move will be almost 5 times that amount. You can save a lot of money by doing as much of it yourself as possible.

There is always the possibility of property damage and loss when making a move. Check your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance to see if accidental damage while moving house is covered. You would be surprised at what is covered that you didn’t expect. So save as much money as you can by doing as much of the work as you can.

While cost is the main benefit, there are other good reasons for why you should go for a rental truck instead of calling a mover. Among those reasons are the fact that:

* You control the schedule.
* You know which items and boxes have to be handled with care.
* You reduce your coronavirus exposure by doing things yourself.

Moving is expensive and hard during the best of times. And these are far from the best of times. If moving is your best option, consider renting instead of buying, selling off what you don’t need, and doing as much of the job yourself as possible.

Photos By: Burge & Associates Architects

No longer satisfied with homes that look identical to others in a development, home buyers want a stylish home that meets their requirements, not the other way around. For too long, home buyers have had to adjust their lifestyles to homes which have already been built and now they are speaking out about wanting to help design the home they will be spending a great deal of their lives in. If this sounds like you, one thing you may not realise up front is that you will need the services of a structural engineer.

Don’t Architects and Structural Engineers Do the Same Thing?

This is a question so many people ask and so the simplest answer is yes, at times their jobs overlap. However, an architect will design the space, inside and exterior, whilst a structural engineer with take those plans and then go about seeing to the structural integrity of the building.

Once the plans are laid, the structural engineer, like Brisbane engineers such as Incode, will make sure that the design is compliant with building codes and that all structural materials are also up to those codes. This is the person who will specify exactly what is needed when installing HVAC systems, plumbing, electrical wiring and even ventilation. Those duties are beyond what an architect has been trained to do.

Why Is a Structural Engineer Important When Buying a New Home?

Here again, a structural engineer will conduct all the necessary testing to ensure the structural integrity of a building and that builders followed building codes. Not all builders are as ethical as they should be and cutting corners could lead to devasting losses of life and property for the homeowner. Consider, for a moment, the 1974 floods in Brisbane as the result of getting hit by Tropical Cyclone Wanda.

Rain fell for more than three weeks which resulted in the loss of many homes. Today, building codes are much stricter and so when buying a home, it is imperative to hire a structural engineer to assess whether that home is structurally sound and up to current building codes. If not, you have the right to insist on renovations prior to signing a contract or you can refuse to buy that home altogether.

Builders and Structural Engineers

Finally, bear in mind that most builders work with a structural engineer and that is something you might like to investigate. If you are not satisfied that the engineer has done enough to ensure the structural integrity of the home you are looking at, you can always hire your own structural engineer to give you an unbiased assessment.

Remember, it is always in your best interest to contract a structural engineer who will be that one person who lies between you and catastrophic losses. Without a professional, unbiased report, there is no way of knowing what will happen if flooding rains and high winds of another Wanda strikes the area.

Photo: Freymar Designs

If you love decorating, the prospect of moving into a new home can be bittersweet. On the one hand, you’re leaving behind much of the energy and money you’ve poured into your current living space. But on the other hand, you’ll soon have a whole new canvas to work with!

The right decorating can make a sad, lackluster house look straight out of a magazine — but when you’re touring homes for sale, it can be difficult to tell which problems can be easily fixed, and which are better to walk away from.

Here are a few tips to help you on your home buying journey, so that you end up in a soon-to-be beauty instead of unfixable mess.

Photo: LeBlanc Design

Do Your Research Ahead of Time

Every home search should begin with some time in your own home, flipping through house listings in the area you’d like to buy.

Even if you don’t find a home that you’d consider making an offer on, this will give you an idea of the type of homes in the area, including architectural features and price points. Since most of those homes will be staged, this initial step may also give you some decorating ideas.

If you’re looking in a niche market — such as condos for lease in Vail or villas for sale on Hilton Head Island — make sure to find a website or realty group that specializes in that niche, so that your initial search is more productive and informative.

Photo: LeBlanc Design

Check for Structural Integrity and General Layout

When you begin touring homes in person, the first thing you need to check for is the general structure and layout of the house.

To begin with, the house’s foundation, walls, and yard should all be in good condition, with no cracking and no evidence of mold or mildew. You can’t just decorate over core problems such as these, so you need to make sure the house is logistically sound and secure.

In addition to the structural integrity of the home, make sure that the general layout of the home is to your liking. Unless you want to take on massive renovations, you shouldn’t be talking about how much more open the home would be if the living room wall could just come down.

Instead, focus on buying a home that needs aesthetic repairs, but is structurally sound and already laid out in a way that fits with your style and lifestyle.

Photo: Leah Ward Interiors

Remember that a Can of Paint can Work Miracles

A lot of buyers get caught up in the way that the current home’s owners decorated the space. They’ll get wrapped up in how dark the room looks when it’s painted that color of brown, or they’ll obsess about how old-fashioned the dining room looked with that traditional table and oversized chairs.

Keep in mind that furniture, paint colors, and flooring choices can make a massive impact on a room. And then remember that, if you owned the home, all of those things could change.

A can of paint can make a dark, cramped room look suddenly airier and larger, but it will take some imagination on your part. If imagining the final product is something you struggle with, then read on to the final step.

Picture the Space Empty

Other people’s furniture and decor choices can make a space feel foreign and uncomfortable. If you’re having a hard time imagining how the space would look with your own choices, then try instead to simply imagine each room empty.

In your mental image of each room, remove every piece of furniture, all of the rugs, any wall hangings, and even light fixtures if those are bothering you.

Take a moment to think about this blank canvas that you’ve now created. Ask yourself if this is a space that you can decorate. This will help you parse out the features of the home from the choices of the current tenants.

If you follow through with each of these four steps, you’ll be well on your way to finding a home that truly works for you. Happy hunting and happy decorating!