Deciding how to move when you own a house and need to sell it can feel overwhelming. Life transitions are complicated enough without juggling multiple mortgages, interest rates, and closing dates.
No matter why you’re moving, timing your sale and move is critical to your success. Picking the right closing type, understanding the housing market, and knowing what to prioritize when prepping your home for sale can make a big difference.
In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of how to time your move when selling a home and how using professional support — including trusted moving services — simplifies the process of this major life event.
Key Takeaways
- Selling and buying a home at the same time is possible, but it takes careful planning.
- Setting a clear timeline for your move allows you to stay on track and plan for potential issues.
- If possible, list your home for sale in spring and summer. These tend to be the best times to sell a house.
- Different types of closings make sense, depending on your schedule. Speak with your realtor and lender to understand the differences.
- Moving services can help reduce the stress of selling your home and moving to a new one, but the timeline is critical.
How Do You Sell a Home and Buy at the Same Time?
Balancing the sale of your current home while buying a new one can feel like walking a very expensive tightrope. Careful planning can make it manageable. The key is to align the two processes. Depending on your housing market, it’s easier said than done.
Many people opt to put in a contingent offer when buying their new home. A contingent offer ties the purchase of the new home with the sale of the old one. Others may sell their home first and use short-term rentals or a rent-back agreement to bridge the gap until their new home is ready.
Another option, although less recommended, is to use a bridge loan to secure money for a down payment and then pay that loan back with the proceeds from the sale of your home.
Each approach has pros and cons and depends on your financial situation and timeline. Ask your real estate agent and mortgage lender about which one makes the most sense for your needs.
Understand the Current Housing Market
Understanding your area’s real estate market is a critical first step before selling your home or searching for a new one. Market conditions, like whether it’s a buyer’s or seller’s market, can significantly affect your timeline and strategy.
In a seller’s market, you might sell quickly but face challenges finding a new home because of limited inventory. On the other hand, a buyer’s market could mean more purchasing options but a slower sales process.
Keep an eye on local demand, average time on the market, and pricing trends to make wise decisions and set realistic expectations for your move.
Set a Timeline for Your Move
Let’s assume you will sell your home before or during your house hunt, as most people do when planning how to move when you own a house. That means setting a timeline for your move.
This timeline needs to account for key milestones:
- Hiring a real estate agent
- Preparing your home for sale
- Scheduling showings
- Coordinating your home purchase
Start by figuring out your ideal moving date and work backward from there. Establish deadlines for decluttering, packing, and securing movers (if necessary).
Keep flexibility in mind. Unexpected delays can and often will pop up during the selling or buying process. A well-structured timeline allows for these hiccups while ensuring smooth coordination between selling your current home and transitioning to your new one.
Best Time of Year to List Your Home for Sale
The housing market is highly seasonal. Selling your old home strategically can make a big difference in planning your move. Spring and early summer are often the best times to sell, with high buyer demand and competitive offers. Moving during slower seasons like winter often means longer selling times or fewer offers.
Planning your move around these trends helps avoid delays or the need for temporary housing between homes. That said, no matter what time of year you move, consider working with a residential moving services provider to handle the logistics.
Basic Home Sale Timeline
Selling and buying a new home involves several key steps. The following timeline outlines these basic steps.
1-3 Months Before Listing: Hire a trusted realtor who knows your local market. Declutter and stage your home to make it appealing to buyers. You can also use this time to address necessary repairs or updates, like fresh paint or fixing minor issues. Research neighborhoods and homes in your desired area to better understand pricing and availability.
Three Months Before Move: List your home for sale. If possible, move items from the house into a storage unit or ask friends to use their space. Once your home looks its best, partner with your realtor to take photos or create a video walkthrough. Be prepared for showings, which require flexibility and constant cleanliness.
House hunt and put in an offer: While showing your current home, find a new house and do what you can to put an offer in. The closing process typically takes 30-60 days but can vary based on your situation.
Four Weeks to Moving Day: Once you accept an offer on your home, the buyer will conduct inspections and appraisals. Use this time to pack and finalize arrangements for your next home (more on that in a second).
Determine the Right Type of Closing for Your Home Sale
Choosing the right type of home closing is crucial, especially for long-distance moves. Options like simultaneous closing, concurrent closing, and double closing provide varying flexibility and convenience. Understanding their differences — and when they make the most sense — can help you time your sale and purchase to ensure a smooth transition.
Simultaneous Closing
A simultaneous closing occurs when the sale of your current home and the purchase of your new one happen on the same day. Having these stars align is ideal for avoiding temporary housing or multiple moves.
Assume a couple relocating for work sells their old home in the morning and closes on a new one in the afternoon. This arrangement is convenient but requires tight coordination between buyers, sellers, and lenders. It’s best suited for those with aligned timelines and pre-approved financing.
Concurrent Closing
A concurrent closing refers to finalizing your home’s sale and purchasing a new one within a short time frame, such as a day or two apart. You might close on selling your home on Monday and visit the title company to complete the paperwork for your home purchase on Wednesday.
This option gives you more breathing room than simultaneous closing, but it still requires careful planning. Concurrent closings are useful if unexpected delays arise because they can give you a buffer to adjust logistics.
Double Closing
Double closing is a more complex arrangement, usually in real estate investing, but it can work for personal transactions. In this scenario, you buy a new property and sell your current one in two separate transactions involving different buyers and sellers. For example, you might relocate long-distance by closing on your new home first and selling your old home days or weeks later. It’s a beneficial approach when timelines don’t align perfectly but requires carrying the financial burden of two homes.
How Long Does Closing on a House Take?
Closing on a home typically takes between 30 and 45 days from the time an offer is accepted, but timelines can vary. Inspections, appraisals, and lender processing time can influence the schedule. Any necessary repairs can add to the timeline, too. Staying organized and working with experienced professionals is necessary to streamline the process. With simultaneous closings, careful coordination is essential.
Why Should You Care About Proper Box Labeling?
Labeling boxes properly during your move offers several benefits that make moving less stressful. It helps you stay organized and sane as you pack. It reduces the risk of damage to easily broken items. It makes loading and unloading a moving truck easier for you or your movers and makes unpacking much faster.
Box labels are also critical if your stuff is going into storage at any point during the move. Storage units can get pretty small and are sometimes dimly lit. Seeing what’s inside a box without removing everything from a storage unit saves time and energy.
How Long After Closing Can You Move In?
You can often move in immediately after closing if your new home is vacant and all paperwork has been finalized. Some situations may delay your move. If the seller requested a rent-back agreement, they may temporarily stay in the existing home after the closing date. Similarly, if your new home requires cleaning, repairs, or utilities setup, you might need to wait a few days.
To avoid surprises, discuss move-in timelines with your realtor and include specific dates in the contract. Clear communication with all parties ensures a smoother transition to your new home.
Caught in the Middle: Where to Live Between Selling and Buying
Of course, sometimes life happens, and you find yourself in moving limbo. Sometimes people must make quick pivots or decide where to live between selling and buying a home, such as an extended-stay hotel suite or a short-term apartment rental. In these situations, seeking temporary storage options can help bridge the gap between homes.
The Difference Between a Smooth and Chaotic Move
Ultimately, no matter how much you try, there’s no way to perfectly plan a move when buying a new house. You might encounter unforeseen obstacles or make quick pivots based on lender requirements, inspection results, or packing difficulties.
The biggest way to reduce stress when moving after selling one home and buying another is to carefully plan as much as possible. Build contingencies into your move and start the process as early as you can. When in doubt, ask your realtor and moving broker for helpful tips to minimize distractions and issues that might pop up during the move.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you sell a house and buy another at the same time?
Selling one home and buying another at the same time requires coordinating the timelines for both transactions. Use contingent offers or simultaneous closings to align the sale and purchase. Work with a realtor and lender to minimize financial or housing gaps during your transaction.
How do I move house without selling it first?
To move without selling first, consider options like renting out your current home or securing a bridge loan. This approach requires financial stability to handle two payments temporarily. Consult with your financial advisor and explore short-term financing to make this process more manageable.
Is it better to sell your house before buying another?
Selling one home before buying a house can reduce financial strain and eliminate the risk of owning two homes. However, you may need to find temporary housing. It’s an ideal approach for those needing sale proceeds for their next purchase. Your choice depends on your financial situation and housing market conditions.
