Greater Austin Realty's Cheat Sheet for Buying & Selling Your Home with Less Stress

Whether you are moving to a large home, shifting locations due to a job transition, or just ready for a change of scenery, congratulations on the decision to sell your home and buy a new one! Buying and selling a house simultaneously can feel overwhelming, but with this cheat sheet for buying and selling with less stress, you'll learn the tips to make moving homes go smoothly.

When buying and selling a home simultaneously, the best thing you can do is start planning as early as possible. Ideally, you should start the planning process up to a year ahead of when you plan to move to give yourself plenty of time to make repairs and renovations on your current home, figure out what you want in your new home, pack your things, and handle the actual sale and house hunt. The earlier you start the planning process, the more time you have to get your current home ready to earn top dollar, obtain pre-approval for your new loan, and find the perfect new home.

The second best thing you can do when buying and selling Round Rock real estate simultaneously is to pack well ahead of when you plan to list. If you need to, consider renting a storage unit to hold furniture, clothes, and other decor you don't need while preparing your home for listing. Not only does packing early help you avoid the stress of a scramble to pack last minute if your home sells quickly, but it also helps you create a clutter-free space that prospective buyers can visualize as their own home.

Another crucial thing to remember when buying and selling a home at the same time is that you may have timing issues during the sale. For example, your current home may sell before you find a new place to live, or you may find a new one while you are still getting your existing property ready to list. With potential timing issues, you'll want to budget for renting a temporary home while you continue your house hunt.

You could also include a rent-back contingency in any counteroffers you make after listing your home, allowing you to rent back your current home while you continue to house hunt. Consider budgeting for double payments if your home has yet to sell when you've settled in your new property. You'll want to plan to pay both mortgages, utilities, and taxes as necessary.

The next step is to write down everything that makes your current property a great place to live. The list you create will help your realtor craft the listing description and marketing materials. While making a list of all the good things about your current home and its location, make a second list of all the things you dislike and don't want, so you can cross off homes that contain those "hard no" features during your house hunt. You should also jot down items your current home doesn't have that you want to have in your new home.

Once you've laid the groundwork for your listing, it is time to bring in the experts to help you finish the final preparations. Consider hiring a home cleaning service, a home inspector, repair contractors, a stager, a professional photographer, and an excellent realtor.

To limit the stress of moving, hire a cleaning company offering a moving special to ensure your property is spotless on the day of listing. Have a home inspector come and ensure no significant issues need to be repaired — the buyers' inspector will most likely request for any problems to be fixed during their inspection. Hire a reputable contractor to help you with repairs so the fixes can be done quickly and correctly. You may also want to consider more extensive upgrades like major appliance replacements or remodels of the kitchen or bathrooms.

Once all repairs are complete, hire a staging service to arrange furniture and decor to showcase your space. You'll want a professional service since they know what buyers seek based on their recent successfully staged sales. They also bring an unbiased eye to your space, so they can see things you might overlook as someone who has lived there for years.

You'll want to hire a professional photographer to capture the best images of your property. Look for a photographer with experience in real estate photography and a history of successful sales. You may also want to hire a videographer to capture a virtual tour of your home, too.

Finally, you'll want to search for a great real estate agent representing your interests as a buyer and seller. Whether it is the same person or two separate agents, make sure they are familiar with Round Rock real estate and have experience helping clients buy and sell simultaneously. A great real estate agent can communicate effectively, strategize the best offers, and act as your advocate throughout the process. Be sure to consider Greater Austin Realty's experienced agents, who are well-versed in helping clients buy and sell at the same time.

Considering these steps before embarking on a search for a new home and listing your current one, you can help eliminate the stress of buying and selling a house simultaneously. For additional help navigating the process of buying and selling, reach out to one of the agents at Greater Austin Realty.

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