Less house to manage.More room for your next chapter.

Know what you have to work with

Once your sale closes, the proceeds can give you a clearer budget for your next home. Depending on your mortgage payoff, selling costs and the price of the next property, you may be able to shop as a cash buyer. An accepted offer is not cash in hand; funds must be available after closing.

Make space for sorting and moving

Deciding what to keep, pass on or leave behind takes time. Tell us about the work still ahead and your preferred move-out date so any proposed arrangements can be discussed and agreed in writing.

Plan the gap between homes

Selling first may give you more certainty about your budget, but you may need somewhere to stay before your next purchase. Compare that with buying first and discuss financing or temporary accommodation with the appropriate advisers.

Compare the next home with the life you want

A smaller property may reduce some work while introducing other costs, such as association dues or moving expenses. Think about access, storage, visitors and the maintenance you want to stop doing. The sale plan should support those priorities.

• Estimate the proceeds after your mortgage and selling costs.
• Allow for moving, temporary accommodation and the next purchase’s expenses.
• Decide which belongings fit the next home before agreeing to leave items.
• Keep a reserve in mind rather than treating every dollar of proceeds as the purchase budget.

Use the sale proceeds when they are actually available

Selling first can put you in a position to shop with cash if the net proceeds cover the next purchase. That may make it easier to compare homes within a clear budget. It also creates a timing question: where will you live between the two closings?

Tell us whether you have found your next place and how much overlap you need. Any flexibility in possession must be agreed; it is not an automatic part of a cash sale.