Q. I have been relocated with work to the other side of London and am finding the commute a nightmare so need to reluctantly sell my much loved riverside apartment. Trouble is I’ve looked around for something similar closer to work but nothing compares, what am I to do? I definitely can’t do this journey any longer that’s for sure.
A. Hmmm this is a tough one especially since it sounds like you have been living in your ‘dream home’. However, for practical reasons we obviously have to get you moved! First of all and if you love your apartment as much as you say you do, are you in a position to swap the mortgage over to a buy to let product and rent it out? Why not speak to an independent financial Advisor to see if this would be financially viable, that way it would buy you some time to think carefully about what you are doing, and at least give you the opportunity to come back at some stage if you can’t settle in the new location. If that’s not an option, then why not put the property on the market for sales and rather than rushing to buy something else right away, why not remove the pressure and consider renting in the new location? Once you have relocated to the new area you will have more time to explore the local surroundings and maybe look a bit further afield to see what’s available? Having already sold your previous property this would put you in a much stronger position as an unencumbered buyer being ‘chain free’ and able to move quickly if the right opportunity were to present itself. I think the best advice is to take your time and think things through properly before making the move, that way you’ll have no regrets.