SEVEN GREAT REASONS TO MOVE

Just move already. Face it. Your house sucks.

Maybe you've been there so long you've lost sight of how cluttered and unwelcoming and old and ugly it is. Or the sheer volume of stuff that needs to be done is so overwhelming you just ignore it altogether.

Updating is long overdue and the projects that have been started were never finished. And, you have zero DIY skills(clearly). And maybe you even have a bad neighbor that's making it unpleasant to live there.

Pack it up. It's time to move on. Really. Sometimes we just need a little push to make the hard choice. Want to know if it's time for you to git along? Here are seven reasons you should just move already.

You should move if:

1. You have the money
It's not cheap to buy a new home, nor is it cheap to move. But neither are the overhauls you probably have to do to your kitchen and your bathrooms and your flooring and don't forget about patching those holes in the walls and re-sodding your backyard. Plus, if you've been paying your mortgage and are in an area that has appreciated, you may have more than enough equity to make it happen - without dipping into savings. And if you're willing to get your savings involved, well, your ultimate dream home just might be on the table.

2. You can qualify
Qualifying for a mortgage isn't as easy as it was when banks were seemingly handing out zero-down, five-year, interest-only loans to pretty much anyone who applied. If you've got the credit score and the down payment, it might be a good idea to take advantage of still-low interest rates and get into something newer, bigger, and better before rates (inevitably) go up and you run the risk of being priced out of your move-up home.

3. You can rent it
In many markets, it costs more to rent than it does to own. That can play to your advantage if you want to hold on to your house and move up or out. If your house payment is currently $1500 and rent for a comparable home in your area is $1800, you just found a way to bank $300 a month. Even if you hire a management company to take care of the property, you'll still make a profit, Yay for passive income!

4. Your house is just plain old
Older homes are more prone to issues, and those issues can get expensive. It might make sense to trade up to something newer and avoid having the expense and headache of repairs when the air conditioning goes out or the hot water heater stops making hot water or the roof starts leaking. Get out before you have to.

5. Your projects exceed your budget - and your skill level
DIY is not for everyone, but hiring out can get expensive. A home that has key updates (kitchens, baths are tops) will command a higher sales price, but a) They will delay your move; b) You might not recoup everything you spend; and c) Oh goodness, that's not the way you hold that saw (DIY is REALLY not for you). Depending on just how outdated home is, it might be smarter to just cut your losses and let someone else deal with making it pretty.

6. You hate your neighbors
If driving into your neighborhood raises your blood pressure because of the grumpy old man down the street with whom you have had a running list of issues (your dog walking down the street, your kids playing catch in the street, your car being parked in front of your own house, your gardener cutting the grass before noon on a Saturday), just go. Nothing is worth being unhappy in your own neighborhood.

7. Your house makes you sad
Yes, nothing is worth being unhappy in your own neighborhood. Unless it's being unhappy in your own house. If your house gives you the sads because it's not big enough, not new enough, not pretty enough, you can do something about it. Go where the happy is. A new house will do it every time.