Buying & selling in the same market.
Most people only do this once. Understanding your options before you start gives you a significant advantage in both transactions.
Buying and selling simultaneously is one of the most complex decisions in property. Get the sequence right and you're in a position of strength: clear on your budget, free of conditions, and able to move decisively. Get it wrong and you're either homeless between settlements, or you've bought a new home at full price while your old one sits on the market.
There's no universal answer. But there is a right framework, and it starts with understanding each option honestly.
Sell first. Buy with certainty.
Selling before you buy is the cleanest, most powerful position you can be in as a buyer. Once your sale is unconditional, you know exactly what you have: your net proceeds, your borrowing capacity, your deposit. There is no guesswork.
That certainty changes how you buy. You can make unconditional offers. You can move quickly. In a competitive market, an unconditional buyer is the most attractive buyer in the room. Vendors will often accept a lower price for the security of no conditions, no delays, no risk of a deal falling through.
You become, in effect, a cash-equivalent buyer. And that buys you leverage that most people in the market simply don't have.
One of the first things we do on your sale is push for a long settlement, typically 60 to 90 days, which gives you genuine time to find the right next property before you need to vacate. In the vast majority of cases, our clients find their next home within that window without any gap at all. In the rare situation where you do need a short-term rental, it's a brief inconvenience that is well worth the financial and negotiating advantages you've gained. That scenario is the exception, not the rule.
Subject to sale. The conditional approach.
A "subject to sale" clause means your purchase of a new property is conditional on your existing home selling within an agreed timeframe, typically 30 to 90 days. If it doesn't sell, the contract can unwind.
On paper this sounds low-risk. In practice, it's the weakest position you can be in as a buyer. Sellers will discount the value of your offer because it carries uncertainty. You may lose properties to unconditional buyers. And if the sale drags, you face significant time pressure to accept whatever offer comes in on your existing home.
That said, in some markets or circumstances, subject to sale may be your only realistic path. If you're going this route, the strategy around your sale becomes everything. This is where our List Now Launch Later approach is critical (see below).
List Now, Launch Later.
If you're buying subject to sale, time is your enemy. The moment you go unconditional on a purchase, the clock starts. Most vendors lose 1 to 3 weeks simply getting their property ready: styling, photography, compliance, marketing. Those are weeks you can't afford.
List Now Launch Later eliminates that delay entirely. We get everything prepared in advance, while you're still searching for your next home, so that the day you go unconditional on a purchase, your property is ready to launch immediately. Not in a month. That week.
- 01
Appraisal & strategy session
We assess your property, agree on pricing strategy and determine exactly what preparation will maximise your result.
- 02
Preparation completed upfront
Staging, styling, any cosmetic work, and compliance requirements (smoke alarms, Form 2, pool certificate) are all sorted before you need them.
- 03
Photography & marketing assets ready
Professional photography, floor plan, copywriting and REA listing are produced and held, ready to go live at a moment's notice.
- 04
Database pre-matched to your property
We identify and pre-warm buyers in our database who match your home before launch, so the first week on market has immediate qualified interest.
- 05
You secure a home and we launch immediately
The moment you're locked in on your purchase, we go live. No preparation delay. Your campaign starts from a position of readiness, not urgency.
Not sure which option suits you?
Every situation is different. Book a free appraisal and we'll map out the right strategy for yours.