Selling first can create a problem most homeowners do not think about until they are already in it. Once your next purchase depends on your current home closing, everyone involved knows what has to happen.

The seller of the home you want knows you may need their timing to work. The buyer of your current home knows you may need their transaction to close. Suddenly, you are not negotiating each deal independently. You are trying to keep multiple dominoes standing at the same time.

That can mean accepting less favorable terms on the home you are selling, becoming more aggressive on the home you are buying, or making concessions simply to keep both transactions together.

And if you are still living in the home while it is listed, you are giving up another advantage. All else being equal, an occupied home will typically sell for less than a vacant, properly prepared home. You are constantly keeping the house show-ready, leaving for showings, working around buyers’ schedules, and trying to present the property at its best while still living your everyday life.

The goal is to create options before your home ever hits the market, so you are not negotiating from a position where everyone else knows exactly what you need to happen.