Selling Your Property and Moving at the Same Time

Why selling and moving collide

The hard part is not either job on its own. It is that one depends on the other. You cannot book movers until you know when you have to be out, and you often do not know that until a buyer's financing, inspection, and appraisal all clear. If the closing date slips, the moving date slips with it, and so do the deposits and plans attached to it.

If your thought is "I need to sell my house and move by a certain date," start by asking which date is actually fixed. A job start, a school calendar, or the purchase of your next home usually is. The sale date usually is not, at least not until the last conditions in the contract are met. Planning goes better when you build around the date that cannot move and choose a way of selling that fits it.

Three ways to sell, and what each means for your move

A listing can bring a higher price. A cash offer may come in below a potential retail sale price; the trade-off is no repair bill, no agent commission, no financing delay, and a date you control. Which one is right depends on the property and on how much the certainty is worth to you.

We compare the two main routes in more detail in cash offer vs. listing with an agent. A real estate agent or attorney can tell you what applies to your property and your state.

How to line up your closing date and moving date

1. Work backward from where you need to be. A job start date, a school year, or a lease tells you when the move has to happen
2. Get your selling timeline in writing before you book anything that costs money to change
3. Leave a cushion. Aim to load the truck a day or two before closing, not the same morning
4. Have a plan if you sell before you have a new address. Short-term storage, a rental, or a closing date pushed back a few weeks all work
5. Tell your mover the whole picture. A good mover can hold a flexible date when they know a closing is involved

Timing your closing date and moving date also means knowing when the buyer takes possession. In many sales that is at closing, which means the property must be empty by then. Some contracts let the seller stay for a short period afterward, but that has to be negotiated and written into the agreement, and the rules vary by state. Ask your agent, attorney, or closing company what your contract says. Our guide to timing your closing date and moving date goes deeper.

How to sell a house fast and relocate on a deadline

When the move is driven by a job transfer, a family need, or a property you can no longer carry, speed and certainty can matter more than the last dollar of price. A direct cash sale is built for that situation. Here is how the pieces fit when you need to sell a house fast and relocate:

1. Request an offer. Riv Buys Properties provides a written cash offer within 24 hours, with no obligation
2. Pick the closing date. As little as 7 days out, or a later date that matches your move
3. Book the move the same day. With a firm closing date there is nothing to wait on. Allow 1 to 2 weeks of notice for a local move and 3 to 4 weeks for a long-distance one, more in summer and at month-end
4. Pack and sort. Use the time before closing to decide what is coming with you
5. Load before you close. The truck leaves a day or two ahead, and you arrive at closing with an empty property

If you have less notice than that, call anyway. Tell both teams your deadline and ask what is possible.

What to do with a houseful of belongings

Selling is the moment to move less. Go room by room and decide what is coming, what is being sold or donated, and what is staying with the property. Start with the attic, garage, and closets, where the decisions are easiest. Our moving checklist lays the work out week by week.

• Coming with you: what you use and what you would pay to replace
• Sell or donate: furniture that will not fit the next place, duplicates, and anything you have not used in a year
• Staying with the property: items attached to the building usually go with it, but the contract decides. Ask your agent or attorney before you remove a fixture or leave something behind
• Storage: a short-term option if you are between addresses

See what to do with furniture when you sell for more ideas.

Booking movers when you are selling a house and moving at the same time

Tell the moving company about the sale when you ask for a price. It changes how the job is planned.

• Staying in the area: local moves are typically billed hourly based on crew size and truck needs
• Leaving the state: long-distance moves are quoted as a flat rate based on distance, inventory, and added services
• Short on time: a packing crew can box up the property while you handle the paperwork
• Not sure of the date: say so. It is easier to plan around a possible change than to be surprised by one

Allpoints Moving Services is family-owned, licensed and insured, and has been in business since 1999. Quotes are free and carry no obligation. Request a quote or call (678) 886-0944.

Sell your property and get a complimentary move

Allpoints Moving Services partners with Riv Buys Properties, a family-owned cash buyer. Sell your property to them and your move with Allpoints is complimentary, packing aids included.

• A written cash offer within 24 hours, with no obligation
• Close in as little as 7 days, or on the date you choose
• No fees, no agent commissions, no repairs
• Houses, multi-family properties, apartment buildings, commercial property, and land
• Riv Buys Properties evaluates properties anywhere in the country
• Allpoints moves you anywhere in the country

Because you pick the closing date, the move can be scheduled the same day you accept the offer.