Buy & Sell a Home at the Same Time in Minnesota (Without the Stress)

Buying and selling a home at the same time doesn’t have to be terrifying

Trying to buy a new home while selling your current one can feel like walking a tightrope with no net.

You’re worrying about timing, financing, showings, packing, and the big one:
“What if I sell too fast and have nowhere to go… or buy too slow and get stuck with two homes?”

The good news? You’re not the first Minnesota homeowner to face this, and there is a plan that makes it manageable.

At First Choice Realty Solutions, we use a simple 5-Step No-Stress System that helps Twin Cities homeowners move from “What if everything goes wrong?” to “Wow, that was smoother than I expected.”

Prefer video? Watch the quick overview here:


In this post, we’ll walk you through each step so you can see how this works in real life—and decide if it’s the right approach for your move.

Key Takeaways: How to buy and sell at the same time (without losing sleep)

• You don’t have to choose between selling fast or buying right—you can do both with a clear plan.
  
  
• A custom timeline and strategy prevents rushed decisions and last-minute panic.
  
  
• Prep work done early means your home is ready to list the moment the timing is right.
  
  
• Access to off-market and “hidden” listings gives you more options than what’s on Zillow.
  
  
• Smart contingency clauses and negotiation protect you from being homeless or stuck with two mortgages.
  
  
• When it’s time to close, a same-day move lets you go from old house to new home in one smooth step.
  
  

Can you really buy and sell a home at the same time in Minnesota?

Yes—you absolutely can. Many Minnesota move-up buyers do this every year.

The key is to stop thinking of it as two separate transactions and instead treat it as one coordinated plan:

• Your timeline
  
  
• Your financing
  
  
• Your risk tolerance (how comfortable you are with overlap)
  
  
• The current local market (how fast homes are selling in your price range)
  
  

Our job is to line these up so you’re not guessing, hoping, or reacting—you’re moving through a plan.

That’s where the 5-step system comes in.

Step 1: Custom planning that eliminates surprises

Search-style question:
“What’s the best order to buy and sell a home in Minnesota?”

The honest answer: it depends on your situation.

Some clients are better off listing first. Others are safer writing contingent offers before their home even hits the market.

So we start with a strategy session where we:

• Review your current home (likely sale price, condition, and timeline)
  
  
• Discuss your next home wish list (location, budget, non-negotiables)
  
  
• Talk honestly about your comfort level with risk, temporary housing, and timing
  
  
• Map out a month-by-month plan that fits your life (work, school, travel, etc.)
  
  

From there, we build a written timeline so you know:

• When prep and staging will happen
  
  
• When photos and marketing will be ready
  
  
• When showings and open houses are likely
  
  
• When to expect offers, negotiation, and closing
  
  

No guessing. No “we’ll see what happens.” Just a clear roadmap from Point A to Point B.

Step 2: Prep your current home—without the pressure

Search-style question:
“When should I start getting my home ready to sell if I also need to buy?”

Short answer: earlier than you think—but you don’t have to list right away.

Here’s how we take the pressure off:

• We walk through your home and make a simple improvement plan:
  
  
  • What truly needs to be fixed
    
    
  • What’s optional
    
    
  • What’s not worth the time or money
    
    
• We line up staging, professional photos, and marketing materials before you’re ready to go live.
  
  
• We get your listing 100% ready, but we hold off on hitting the market until it fits the bigger plan.
  
  

This way, when the right next home appears, we can move fast:

• Your home is already prepped.
  
  
• Photos and marketing are ready to launch.
  
  
• We can go live in days, not weeks.
  
  

You get all the benefits of a well-prepared listing—without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.

Step 3: Access off-market and “hidden” listings

Search-style question:
“How do I find a new home before selling mine?”

Online sites only show part of the picture. In the Twin Cities area, there are often:

• Homes that will be listed soon but aren’t online yet
  
  
• Private “coming soon” options shared only with agents
  
  
• Sellers who are open to moving but aren’t ready for public showings
  
  

Through our network of 10,000+ buyers and sellers and strong relationships with other local agents, we can often:

• Match you with off-market opportunities that fit your wish list
  
  
• Find homes other buyers don’t even know exist yet
  
  
• Learn about upcoming listings before they hit the MLS
  
  

When you’re trying to buy and sell at the same time, more options = less stress. You’re not just fighting over the same three homes everyone else saw on their phone last night.

Step 4: Contingency offers that protect your timeline

Search-style question:
“How do I write an offer if my current home isn’t sold yet?”

This is where strategy and negotiation matter.

We use contingency clauses—special terms in your purchase agreement—to protect you, such as:

• Home sale contingencies
  You only move forward on the new home if your current home sells within an agreed timeframe.
  
  
• Financing and appraisal protections
  Your purchase is also tied to your loan approval and appraisal, giving you more safety.
  
  
• Flexible closing dates and rent-backs (when possible)
  In some cases, we can negotiate time in your old home after closing to give you breathing room.
  
  

Our goal is to structure your offer so that:

• Sellers still see you as a serious, competitive buyer, and
  
  
• You’re not forced into a corner—homeless or double mortgage.
  
  

In a competitive Twin Cities market, it helps to have an experienced local team framing your offer in a way that sellers can say “yes” to, without putting you at risk.

Step 5: Seamless, same-day closings so you move once

Search-style question:
“Is it possible to close on both homes the same day?”

Yes—and it’s more common than you might think.

We coordinate with:

• Both title companies
  
  
• Both sets of agents
  
  
• Your lender
  
  
• You and your schedule
  
  

So that:

• You close on the sale of your current home first
  
  
• Those proceeds are used, when needed, toward the purchase of your new home
  
  
• You move once—from the home you’re selling into the home you’re buying
  
  

That means:

• No temporary apartment or short-term rental
  
  
• No double move into storage and back out
  
  
• No paying for both places longer than necessary
  
  

It’s a lot of moving parts behind the scenes—but for you, it feels like one continuous move with fewer headaches.

The Minnesota/Twin Cities twist: why local strategy matters

Buying and selling at the same time in Minnesota has a few unique wrinkles:

• Weather matters. Winter moves can be trickier with snow and ice; spring and early summer often see more listings and buyers.
  
  
• School schedules. Many families aim to move between school years, which can increase competition for certain price ranges and neighborhoods.
  
  
• Older housing stock. In many Twin Cities suburbs, homes are older, so inspection timelines, repairs, and appraisal negotiations are common factors in the timeline.
  
  
• Market pockets. Some areas see homes selling in days, while others move more slowly—even within the same price range.
  
  

A successful “buy and sell at the same time” plan in Minnesota isn’t one-size-fits-all. It has to reflect:

• Your city/suburb
  
  
• Your price range
  
  
• Your timeline
  
  
• The current local market conditions
  
  

That’s why we treat this as a custom plan, not a cookie-cutter checklist.

Ready for your 5-Step No-Stress Plan?

You deserve a move that feels exciting, not overwhelming.

If you’re thinking about buying and selling at the same time anywhere in the Twin Cities or surrounding Minnesota suburbs, we’d be happy to walk through your options—no pressure, no obligation.

We’ll help you:

• Understand your numbers and timing
  
  
• See what’s realistic for your price range and area
  
  
• Build a personalized 5-step transition plan that fits your life
  
  

📞 Call or text Ann & Scott Breuer at 612-685-8811
to talk through your situation and see if this approach is a good fit for your move.

You don’t have to choose between selling fast and buying right. With the right plan, you can do both—without the stress.