Selling a home can feel like a lot.

Buying a home can feel like a lot.

Doing both at the same time?

That can feel like you need two calendars, three phones, and an extra set of hands.

For many Augusta-area Move-Up Sellers, though, selling and buying are connected.

You may need the money from your current home to help buy the next one.

You also need somewhere for your family to live when your current home sells.

That is why the goal is not to treat these as two separate moves.

You need one plan that connects the sale of your current home with the purchase of your next one.

Here is how to start.

1. Begin With the Home You Already Own

Before you spend hours looking at bigger homes online, start with your current property.

You need to understand what you are working with.

Ask:

• What might my current home sell for?

• What do I still owe?

• How much equity might I have?

• What might be left after the sale?

• What repairs should I consider?

• How quickly could the home be ready to list?

These answers can affect your next-home budget and your timing.

For a Move-Up Seller, your current home is part of the buying plan.

2. Talk With a Lender Early

Do not wait until you find the next house to talk about financing.

Tell your lender that you plan to sell your current home and buy another.

Ask questions such as:

• Can I qualify for the next home before my current home sells?

• Do I need proceeds from my sale for the down payment?

• How does my current mortgage affect the next loan?

• What cash might I need for the purchase?

• What happens if my current closing date changes?

• What documents should I prepare now?

The answers may help determine which move-up strategy makes sense for you.

Financing should be part of the plan from the beginning.

3. Decide Which Transaction Needs to Happen First

There are several ways to approach a move-up purchase.

Sell First

You sell your current home before completing the next purchase.

This may give you a clearer idea of your available sale proceeds.

The challenge is deciding where you will live if the next home is not ready.

Buy First

You purchase the next home before selling your current one.

This may make the physical move easier, but you could own both homes for a period of time.

Coordinate the Two

You work toward selling your current home and buying the next one close together.

This may reduce the gap between the transactions, but it requires careful timing.

There is no single approach that fits every family.

Your finances, comfort level, next-home needs, and current-home sale all matter.

4. Prepare Your Current Home Before You Need to List

One of the easiest ways to create extra stress is to wait until you find the next house before preparing your current one.

Then everything becomes urgent.

You are trying to make an offer while also:

• Fixing things

• Painting

• Decluttering

• Cleaning

• Packing

• Taking photos

• Preparing for showings

Start earlier.

Walk through your current home and decide what needs attention.

You may be able to begin packing things your family does not use every day.

You can also handle basic repairs and decluttering before the buying side becomes busy.

The goal is to be ready to move when the right opportunity appears.

5. Know What You Need in the Next Home

Move-Up Sellers can get so focused on timing that they forget why they are moving.

Do not rush into another home simply because the dates work.

Create your next-home list before the search gets serious.

Separate it into two groups.

Needs

These are the things your family truly needs.

Maybe you need:

• Another bedroom

• More storage

• Another bathroom

• A home office

• A larger yard

• More garage space

• A different floor plan

• A location that works better for daily life

Wants

These are things you would enjoy but could live without.

Knowing the difference can make decisions easier when you are balancing two transactions.

6. Understand How Your Equity Fits Into the Plan

Your current home may hold equity that can help with the next purchase.

But equity is not the same as cash already sitting in your account.

If you need sale proceeds for the next down payment, timing matters.

You need to understand:

Possible selling price

↓

Mortgage payoff

↓

Selling expenses

↓

Possible net proceeds

↓

Money available for the next purchase

Talk with your Realtor and lender about how these pieces connect.

Do not build your next-home budget around money you have not yet received without understanding the plan.

7. Think Carefully About Your Offer on the Next Home

When you find the next home, the terms of your offer matter.

If your purchase depends on your current home's sale, that may need to be addressed in the offer.

A home sale contingency may be one option to discuss.

The exact terms and deadlines matter.

The seller of the home you want to buy also has their own plans and goals.

Your Realtor can help you understand the real estate terms being considered. For questions about legal rights or obligations under a contract, consult a qualified real estate attorney.

The key is making sure your offer matches your actual situation.

8. Pay Attention to Every Deadline

When you are selling and buying at the same time, there can be a lot of dates.

Your sale may have deadlines.

Your purchase may have deadlines.

Your lender may need documents.

Inspections may need to be completed.

Appraisals may need to happen.

Repairs may need to be addressed.

Closing professionals may need information.

Moving companies need dates too.

Use one calendar for the entire move.

Do not keep the selling dates in one place and the buying dates somewhere else.

You want to see how the two transactions connect.

9. Keep Communication Simple

A coordinated move involves several people.

Depending on the transactions, that may include:

• Your Realtor

• Your lender

• Closing professionals

• Inspectors

• Appraisers

• Contractors

• Movers

• The buyer of your current home

• The seller of your next home

You do not need to manage everyone yourself.

But you do need to know what is happening next.

Ask:

What is the next step?

Who is responsible for it?

When does it need to happen?

Could it affect the other transaction?

Clear communication can help you spot timing problems earlier.

10. Understand How the Two Closings Connect

Some Move-Up Sellers hope to close on the current home and the next home very close together.

That may be possible depending on the transactions.

But there is an important thing to understand:

If one closing depends on the other, a delay can affect both.

For example, if proceeds from your current sale are needed for your next purchase, the timing of those funds matters.

That is why everyone involved should understand the plan.

Ask early how the transactions are expected to work.

Do not wait until closing week to figure out how the pieces connect.

11. Have a Moving-Day Plan

Closing dates are only part of the story.

Your furniture still has to get from one house to the other.

Your family needs somewhere to sleep.

Your pets need a plan.

Your belongings may need storage.

Think about questions such as:

• When do we need to be out of the current home?

• When can we enter the next home?

• When should movers arrive?

• What if the dates do not line up?

• Do we need storage?

• Do we need somewhere to stay for a short time?

This is especially important if you are trying to coordinate two closings closely.

A small gap can become a big problem if you have not planned for it.

12. Pack With the Two-Transaction Move in Mind

Do not pack as if every box will go straight from one home into the next.

Create a separate group of things your family may need during the transition.

Think about:

• Clothing

• Medications

• Important documents

• Chargers

• Children's items

• Pet supplies

• Basic kitchen items

• Toiletries

• Work or school supplies

Keep these items easy to reach.

If there is a delay or you need temporary housing, you do not want your most important things buried in a moving truck or storage unit.

13. Create a Backup Plan Before You Need It

This may be the most important step.

Ask:

What happens if our current home closing is delayed?

What happens if the next-home closing moves?

What if the buyer of our home has a problem?

What if we need a place to stay for a few days?

What if our belongings need temporary storage?

What if we own both homes for a short period?

You may not need the backup plan.

But knowing what you would do can make a change feel much less overwhelming.

14. Keep Important Documents Together

Selling and buying can create a lot of paperwork.

Keep important documents in one safe place.

You may need quick access to:

• Identification

• Loan documents

• Insurance information

• Property information

• Repair receipts

• Moving information

• Contact information

• Other transaction documents

Digital copies may also be useful when appropriate.

The goal is to avoid searching through packed boxes when someone needs a document.

15. Give Your Family a Simple Timeline

Your family does not need to know every contract detail.

But they should understand the basic plan.

For example:

First: Get the current home ready.

Next: Put it on the market.

Then: Work through the sale and next-home purchase.

After that: Prepare for closing and moving.

Finally: Move into the next home.

For children, simple information can help make a big change feel easier to understand.

This is a family move, not just a real estate transaction.

16. Do Not Let a Perfect Timeline Become the Only Plan

You may picture it happening like this:

Sell the current house Friday morning.

Buy the next house Friday afternoon.

Move Friday evening.

Done.

It is good to have a target.

But your family also needs a plan for what happens if the schedule changes.

Real estate transactions have many moving parts.

Your goal should be a well-coordinated move with options, not a plan that only works if every event happens at one exact time.

Your Move-Up Coordination Checklist

Before you try to sell and buy at the same time, make sure you can answer these questions:

Current Home

What might it sell for?

What do we still owe?

What needs to be done before listing?

Financing

Do we need the sale to close before buying?

Do we need the sale proceeds for the next purchase?

Next Home

What does our family truly need?

What price range fits our plan?

Contracts

What deadlines do we need to understand?

Does one transaction depend on the other?

Closing

How are the two closing dates expected to work?

What happens if one moves?

Moving

When do we leave?

When can we move in?

Do we need storage or temporary housing?

Backup Plan

What will we do if the timing changes?

When you can answer these questions, the move may start to feel less like two separate transactions and more like one organized plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sell my house and buy another one at the same time?

Yes, homeowners may work toward selling one property while purchasing another. The exact strategy depends on financing, contracts, timing, and the needs of both transactions.

Do I need to sell my current home before buying another?

Not in every situation. Some homeowners sell first, some buy first, and others try to coordinate both transactions. Your lender and Realtor can help you understand which choices may apply to you.

Can I use money from my home sale for my next house?

Sale proceeds may be used toward the next purchase, depending on your situation. If you need those funds for the next closing, talk with your lender and real estate professionals about the timing.

Can I close on both homes on the same day?

Closings may sometimes be scheduled on the same day or close together. If the transactions depend on each other, careful coordination and a backup plan are important.

What happens if one closing gets delayed?

That depends on the contracts, financing, and reason for the delay. Discuss possible timing changes before closing so you understand how they could affect your move.

When should I start preparing my current home?

Starting before you find the next house can give you more flexibility. You can begin with basic repairs, decluttering, packing, cleaning, and learning what your current home may be worth.

Meet Sherry Sanders

For Sherry Sanders, selling and buying at the same time should not feel like managing two completely separate moves.

It is one family moving from a home that no longer fits into one that does.

As a former educator in both Richmond County and Columbia County, Sherry brings a teacher's approach to real estate.

She helps homeowners break a complicated process into smaller steps, understand what happens next, and keep the sale and purchase connected.

Her deep community roots and strong relationships with local businesses and service providers can also provide helpful resources when homeowners need inspectors, contractors, movers, or other local services.

Backed by more than two decades of local sales and leadership experience in real estate, Sherry specializes in helping Augusta-area Move-Up Buyers and Sellers coordinate the home they are selling with the home they are buying next.

You do not need two separate plans.

You need one plan that connects both sides of your move.

Thinking about selling your current home while buying your next one in Augusta or the CSRA?

📞 Call Sherry Sanders at 706-877-7005 / 888-959-9461

🌐 Visit Sherry Sanders Realtor: sherrysandersrealtor.com

#SoldOnSherry