How To Buy and Sell at the Same Time: A Step-by-step Guide for Homeowners who want to move, but also have a home to sell

If you’ve been thinking about buying your next home and are just not sure of the steps involved to buy and sell at the same time, or even where to start, then this weekly series How To Buy and Sell at the Same Time is a MUST read for you!

Each week, you’ll get great tips, how to’s, and my little secrets that will help you be successful in making sure you get the most out of your current home, so you can buy the best next home and time it all so you don’t end up with two homes or no homes. 

And, it’s all delivered to you in sequential order over five weeks so you know what to do when!

This series will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and calm any fears you may have about how to time things so you can go from one home to the next with as little stress as possible.

I understand that buying and selling at the same time can feel overwhelming at first, but you can make it happen and this series should help prepare you.

My goal is to arm you with knowledge so you go confidently every step of the way, one bite-sized chunk at a time.

Here’s a quick break down of everything you’ll learn in this weekly guide over the next five weeks:

Week 1: Should I Stay or Should I Go? — The Clash said it best in their hit song, ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go’ and that might be what you are feeling now that you’ve been in your home for a while, but how to know what the best decision is—should you stay or should you go? 

Your cozy home now feels cramped. Your hip neighborhood now feels noisy. Your job and commute have now changed. Your oldest kid starts school next year. Your youngest kid graduated from college.

Moving can be a hard decision, both financially and personally, so determine if and when you’re truly ready for it.   This week will tell you what to consider so you can be sure moving soon is the right choice. 

Week 2: What Move-Up Buyers Must Ask Themselves FIRST Before You Think About Going Anywhere — If you’ve decided that it’s time to move, the next most important step is to know what you need and want this time around and whether it’s possible for your budget. For this home purchase, you want to be even MORE methodical and purposeful than when you bought your current home, so you don’t have to move another time anytime soon. Before you even start looking, going to open houses, or anything else, you must answer TWO very important questions FIRST. 

Week 3: The Big Move-Up Buyer Question:  How Do You Buy and Sell at the Same Time? – It’s both a logistical and financial dilemma!  First, you’ve got to deal with keeping your current home clean for buyers; and second, you’ve got to deal with financing this new home purchase. All of this has to happen all at the same time.  If neither is done properly, then your move isn’t going to happen, or it will happen and be completely stressful and you might not end up where you want.  In this third article, I  explain how to make this all happen, step by step. And help your stress levels decrease at the same time.

Week 4: Successful Strategies For You To Sell First, Then Buy – This article is for those move-up buyers who need to sell their current home first before buying their next home.  Sometimes you can’t be approved to buy first, and you have only one option.  Don’t fret!  Because the specific strategies I outline in this article will have you jumping for joy and show you how you can get the most out of your current home FIRST so that you can be sure and find that perfect next home, right when your current home goes under contract.  It’s a balancing act for sure, but following these steps will make sure you do both seamlessly with your current home going under contract and to settlement technically first.

Week 5: Successful Strategies For You To Buy First, Then Sell— This article is for those move-up buyers who plan to buy their new home first, and then sell their current home. This means that your lender must approve you to buy first, and you’re not required to sell your current home in order to finance your next one. I’ll cover everything you need to know to make sure you don’t end up with two homes at the same time (at least for too long).  There is a lot of planning involved with this step, but with a little upfront work, it’s possible to buy your new home first, then sell and not have to hold on to two homes for long or at all! 

That’s a lot to figure out and most of it happens in the pre-planning stage— before you start looking for your next home.  Make sure you don’t miss a thing and stay tuned to your email inbox for one article per week starting now! 

Of course, I’d love to help you through any of this so you feel comfortable, knowledgeable, and are making good decisions well before it’s time to start packing.  Email me anytime along the way and I’d be happy to meet with you to learn more about your specific situation—what you want in your next home, what your current home is worth, and what’s possible given both of those factors. 

From there, we’ll put together a step-by-step plan and timing to make sure you get the most out of your current home and make sure you get the new home you really want. 

It all starts with an initial meeting between us to get the big picture more clear.  I like to hear from my clients who want to buy and sell at the same time about a year before they are ready to do anything, so if you want to do this within the next 12 months, be sure to reach out!  I can’t wait to hear from you.  In the meantime, enjoy this guide and get armed with information! 

Stephanie C. Bailey