How to Sell Your House Without Moving Twice in Bucks & Montgomery County, PA
One of the biggest fears I hear from homeowners in Bucks and Montgomery County is:
“I don’t want to sell my house, have nowhere to go, and end up moving twice.”
If you’re in Warrington, Blue Bell, New Hope, Newtown, Richboro, Doylestown, Chalfont, Horsham, Warminster, Ambler, Jamison, Furlong, Southampton, Dresher, Jenkintown, Washington Crossing, Churchville, Oreland, Huntingdon Valley, North Wales, Lansdale, Colmar, or Telford, you might love the idea of selling… but you hate the idea of packing everything up twice.
The good news: there are several ways to minimize or completely avoid a double move. In this post, I’ll walk you through the most common strategies I talk about with my clients as a local listing agent with Keller Williams Real Estate in Montgomeryville.
Why “Moving Twice” Is Such a Big Concern for Sellers
Moving once is stressful enough. Moving twice usually means:
Packing and unpacking everything two times
Paying for short-term storage
Finding a month-to-month rental or staying with family
Feeling “in limbo” between homes
For downsizers, families with kids, or anyone juggling work, school, and life, that can sound like a nightmare.
So instead of saying “I guess we’ll just suffer,” let’s walk through the main ways to line up your sale and purchase so you can ideally move once.
Option 1: Negotiate a Post-Settlement Occupancy (Rent-Back)
One of the cleanest ways to avoid moving twice is to sell your home, but stay in it for a short period after closing.
This is often called:
“Post-settlement occupancy”
“Rent-back”
“Seller stays in place after closing”
Here’s the basic idea:
1. You close on the sale of your Bucks or Montco home as usual.
2. Instead of handing over the keys that same day, you stay in the home for an agreed-upon period (for example, 30–60 days).
3. You pay the buyers a daily or monthly rate (similar to rent) and agree on responsibility for utilities and repairs during that time.
This can give you the time you need to:
Find your next home
Close on your purchase
Move once, on your timeline
A rent-back is always something to discuss with your real estate agent and the buyer’s side so it’s structured properly in your contract. It’s not a fit for every situation, but for many of my sellers it has been the difference between chaos and a smooth, single move.
Option 2: Negotiate a Longer Closing Timeline
You don’t always need a rent-back. Sometimes it’s enough to push the actual closing date out a bit further.
Instead of the standard 30–45 days:
You might aim for 60 days (or another time frame everyone agrees on).
This gives you time to get your home under contract, then shop for your next place with a lot more confidence because you already know your home is sold (or very close to it).
This can be especially helpful if you’re:
Buying another home in Bucks or Montgomery County
Building new construction and need extra time for it to be finished
Coordinating a move to a different state and need a little more breathing room
Again, it all comes down to what you negotiate upfront with the buyer. A good listing agent will talk about your timing needs before you ever go on the market and help structure your plan around that.
Option 3: Buy First, Then Sell (With a Plan and a Lender’s Help)
In some situations, it makes more sense to buy your next home first, then sell your current one.
This depends heavily on:
Your finances
Your comfort with carrying two properties temporarily
What your lender says you qualify for
Some people explore options like:
Using savings or equity
Talking with a lender about potential loan products that can bridge the gap
Making an offer on a new home that’s contingent on the sale of your current home
Every financial situation is different, and nothing in this post is financial advice. The big takeaway is: before you assume you can’t buy first, talk to a lender and your agent. You may have more options than you think.
Option 4: Make Your Sale Contingent on Finding Your Next Home
Another strategy some sellers use is to make their sale contingent on them finding suitable housing.
In plain English, that means:
“We’re happy to sell our house, but this sale only goes through if we successfully go under contract on our next home within a certain timeframe.”
Buyers won’t always agree to this, and it tends to work best when:
Your home is very desirable
There’s strong buyer demand in your price range
The buyer is flexible about timing
That said, in the right situation it can protect you from being forced into a move you’re not ready to make.
Option 5: Get Clear on Your “Plan B” (So You Can Be Braver With Plan A)
Sometimes, just having a clear Plan B makes you feel a lot better about moving forward with Plan A.
A few examples:
Trusted family you could stay with for a short window if absolutely necessary
A specific short-term rental you’ve already identified
A storage plan and rough budget in case you needed it
Do we want to use Plan B? No.
Do we want to know it’s there so you’re not paralyzed by fear? Absolutely.
When I meet with sellers in Bucks and Montgomery County, we usually talk through:
Best-case scenario (sell, buy, and move once)
Backup plans you’d be okay with if we had to get creative
That conversation alone often lowers stress a lot.
Option 6: Start Planning Early (Even If You’re 6–12 Months Out)
If you’re even thinking of selling in the next 6–12 months, you’re not “too early” to start talking.
Starting early lets you:
Map out timelines and strategies to reduce the chance of a double move
Talk to a lender ahead of time
Get your home prep done at a calm pace
Watch the market with someone who lives in it every day
Selling feels much more manageable when it’s a plan, not a panic.
How I Help Sellers in Bucks & Montgomery County Avoid Moving Twice
Every situation is different, but when I sit down with sellers in places like:
Bucks County: New Hope, Newtown, Richboro, Doylestown, Chalfont, Warrington, Warminster, Jamison, Furlong, Southampton, Washington Crossing, Churchville
Montgomery County: Montgomeryville, Blue Bell, Ambler, Horsham, Dresher, Oreland, Jenkintown, Huntingdon Valley, North Wales, Lansdale, Colmar, Telford
…we usually walk through:
1. Your ideal timing (if everything went perfectly)
2. Your “must-haves” vs “nice-to-haves” for the next home
3. Your comfort level with different options (sell first, buy first, rent-back, etc.)
4. A practical plan that aims for one move, with a backup plan we both understand
My job is to help you protect your sanity, not just stick a sign in the yard.
Thinking About Selling but Worried About Moving Twice?
If you’re in Bucks or Montgomery County and the “double move” is the #1 thing holding you back, we can talk it through before you commit to anything.
We can:
Look at your rough timeline
Talk through realistic options
Sketch out what a smooth, one-move transition might look like for you
No pressure, no obligation — just clarity.
Call/Text: 267-934-5674
Email: joshwernick@kw.com
“If you’re just starting to think about selling, you might also like my Bucks County home seller guide and Montgomery County home seller guide.”
To learn more about how I work with home sellers, check out why Bucks & Montgomery County home sellers hire me.
