Selling Your Western New York Home Before You Move Out of State
Selling your Western New York home on a schedule set by your move date, with a trusted agent waiting wherever you land.
What selling before a move involves
You are selling a home you will not be living in by the time it closes, often on a date set by a job, a family reason or a new home in another state. The sale has to be ready when you are, and you may not be in town to see it through.
The people who call me about this say some version of "I don't want to move twice" or "I don't want to be paying for two houses." Both worries are about the calendar. A plan built backward from your move date answers most of them before the house is listed.
Map out your next move before you need to make it.
How I plan the sale around your move date
Contract to closing often runs about 60 days in Western New York, and the full path from listing to closing can take 90 days or more. Preparation comes before that. If your move date is fixed, I work backward from it: when the home has to be listed, when it has to be ready for photographs, and when you need an accepted offer.
How I prepare the home and how I market it are laid out on my selling process page.
If your move date shifts, the plan shifts with it. A job start moves or a closing date changes, and I update the schedule and tell you what it changes.
Price follows the same calendar, and My pricing steps show how I set it and what it means for your timeline. What your home is worth explains the number.
Selling when you are not in town
I coordinate preparation, showings and paperwork so most of the process can happen without you being here. I connect you with local professionals for the preparation your home needs, and I keep you updated on showings and offers by phone, text or email, whichever you prefer.
Your attorney tells you what you need to sign and how you can sign it. My job is the timing, so nothing waits on you longer than it has to.
Merritt was extremely helpful and thoughtful throughout the sale of our home and moving cross-country. She is very professional and knowledgeable.
What a home costs to carry while you wait
The longer a home sits, the longer you pay the mortgage, taxes, utilities and upkeep on a house you no longer live in. Price and time pull against each other, and I show you both sides of that trade with your own numbers. A price set to chase the highest possible result can cost you months, and a month matters when you are paying for two places.
Showings and presentation when you are already gone
A vacant or half-packed home shows differently than a lived-in one. I decide with you what stays, what goes and how the home is presented, whether you have moved yet or not. If you leave before it sells, I coordinate the basics with you, such as access for showings and keeping the home ready for the next buyer.
What I settle with you first
In the first conversation, I work through four questions with you:
- The date you need to be gone, and how firm it is.
- Whether you are buying in your new location, and on what schedule.
- Who in town can hold a key or meet a vendor if you cannot.
- What stays with the home and what moves with you.
Protecting the sale from a weak offer
When you have already moved, an accepted offer that falls apart costs you far more than it would if you lived down the street. How I vet offers, including the call to the buyer's loan officer, is in Campaign Strategy.
Your next home, wherever it is
Even if your move involves another market, you do not have to figure it out alone. If you are buying outside Western New York, I connect you with an agent I know and trust where you are headed, so you have someone local on both ends of the move. How the introduction works explains the network behind it. If you are still deciding between selling and renting, my approach to selling shows how I compare the options with your numbers.
I live in Lancaster and work across Western New York: the city of Buffalo, the Northtowns (Clarence, Amherst and Williamsville), the Southtowns (Orchard Park, East Aurora, West Seneca, Hamburg and Elma), and east of the city (Depew and Alden). My Lancaster page goes into this in more detail.
I stay in contact with the agent you choose, so the dates on both ends of your move match and neither side is waiting on the other.
If you are asking what to do first, start with your move date. Tell me when you are leaving, and I will tell you when the home needs to be on the market.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start if my move date is fixed?
As early as you can. Contract to closing often runs about 60 days in Western New York, and the full path from listing to closing can take 90 days or more, with preparation before that. I work backward from your date and tell you when the home needs to be listed.
Do I need to be in town while my home sells?
Not for most of it. I coordinate preparation, showings and paperwork, and your attorney tells you what you need to sign and how. I keep you updated on offers and showings the way you prefer.
What if the buyer cannot get their loan?
Before you accept an offer, I call the buyer's loan officer and confirm a verified pre-approval. If it is not verified, I recommend making verification a condition of accepting the offer and keep working other offers, so one weak offer does not stall your sale.
Can you help me find an agent where I am moving?
Yes. I connect you with a trusted, vetted agent in your new area through my referral network, so you have local help on both ends of the move.
Should I sell before I move or after?
It depends on your move date, what the home needs and what it costs you to carry it. I compare both with your actual numbers and recommend one.
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Ready to make your move with Merritt Kreutzer Real Estate?