Sell first, or buy first? Price both risks.

Every move-up family asks this, and the honest answer is that both orders carry a cost — they are just different costs. Buying first risks carrying two homes and negotiating from a weak position. Selling first risks a rushed purchase or an interim move. This prices each risk with your numbers, then makes a recommendation you can argue with.

The home you are leaving

What it should sell for $ Mortgage still owing $ Monthly cost to carry it $ Mortgage, property tax, utilities and insurance on the current home. Selling costs % Commission, HST on it, legal fees and preparation. Deducted from the sale proceeds below.

The home you are buying

Purchase price $ Monthly cost to carry it $ Estimate this with the carrying cost calculator if you have a specific property in mind. Where are you buying?

Timing and tolerance

Overlap if you buy first mo How long you would realistically own both. In a slower market, double whatever number feels comfortable. Bridge or interim rate % Bridge financing is priced well above a mortgage — often prime plus two to four points, with a setup fee. Gap if you sell first mo Months between closing your sale and closing your purchase, if the dates do not line up. Rent and storage during that gap $ Short-term rental plus storage for a family-sized household. Plus a second move — counted separately below.

Could you carry both if the sale stalled? Answer this honestly. It matters more than any figure on this page.

How specific is what you want? If the right house appears twice a year, waiting to sell first can cost you the house.

The third option

Line the closings up
and pay for neither.

Most move-up transactions are solved not by choosing an order but by controlling the dates — listing and buying inside the same window, then negotiating closing dates that meet. It takes coordination and a willingness to be flexible on both sides, and it is the outcome the team aims for. The costs on this page are what you pay when the dates cannot be made to meet.

How bridge financing actually works

A bridge loan advances the equity from your sale so you can close your purchase before your sale completes. Lenders generally require a firm, unconditional sale agreement — a conditional offer is usually not enough, and no offer at all almost never is. It is priced well above a mortgage and carries a setup fee. It is a short-term tool for a dates problem, not a solution to an unsold house.

The negotiating cost nobody prices

A buyer who must sell negotiates differently from one who does not, and it shows. If you have bought first and your old home is sitting, every week of carrying cost is pressure the other side can feel. That pressure typically costs more than the carrying cost itself. It is the strongest argument for selling first in a market that is not moving quickly.

The condition on sale of buyer’s property

You can offer conditional on selling your own home, usually with an escape clause that lets the seller keep marketing. In a competitive situation that condition weakens the offer considerably and is often refused outright. In a slower market it becomes genuinely usable. Whether it is available to you is a market question, not a preference.

Why the answer changes with the market

In a fast market, homes sell in days and inventory is thin — buying first is less risky and finding the next home is the hard part. In a slow market, the sale is the hard part and buying first is where families get into trouble. The same family gets a different answer in March than in November. That is not indecision; it is the correct response to different conditions.

Estimates for planning only, and not financial advice. Bridge financing availability, rates and lender requirements vary, and no lender is obliged to advance one. Selling costs, rents and timelines are assumptions you should replace with real quotes. Speak with your mortgage professional and lawyer before committing to either order.

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01 —Monthly carrying costMortgage, tax, condo & POTL fees → 02 —Land transfer taxWith the bracket-by-bracket working → 03 —Pre-construction vs resaleFive scenarios, and the break-even → 04 —HST rebate on a new buildWhat it is worth, and who pays it back → 05 —Pre-construction depositsEvery cheque, on a date → 06 —First-time buyer roadmapThe real cash you need, and when → 07 —Sell first or buy firstA reasoned recommendation → 08 —What’s my home worth?A written opinion from a real agent →

Sell first, or buy first? Price both risks.

The home you are leaving

The home you are buying

Timing and tolerance

Line the closings upand pay for neither.

Other calculators worthten minutes of your time.

Let's make your next move make sense.

Line the closings up
and pay for neither.

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ten minutes of your time.