Ann Arbor · Trading Up
Trading up to a bigger home in Ann Arbor
Moving out of a starter home, with the order of your sale and your purchase worked out first.
Moving up without leaving Ann Arbor
Trading up to a bigger home in Ann Arbor often means staying close to everything you already like about the city while getting the space you need now. You might want another bedroom, a real home office, a garage, or a bigger lot.
It also means two sales at once, and the worry I hear most is "What if we're stuck between two houses?" We answer that with a plan before your current home goes on the market.
Where more space is in Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor Hills has larger homes on somewhat bigger lots, many of them mid-century modern, close to campus and the hospital. Orchard Hills, in north Ann Arbor, has two-story colonials built in the 1960s and 1970s.
If you love the older neighborhoods near downtown, more space can also mean a home that has already been added onto. On the Old West Side, homes tend to be smaller unless a past owner expanded them, so an addition can be exactly what you're looking for.
I'll show you recent sales in each place, so you know what more space costs before you commit to a plan.
Selling the Ann Arbor home you have
Your current home is the starting point. Its value comes from the homes that sold on nearby streets, and we price it together. With that number, your lender can show you what your next home can cost.
When it goes on the market, it gets professional photos, video, drone footage, a property website, and a paid social media campaign. Read more about selling your home in Ann Arbor.
Timing both moves
We work out the order with your lender first. Buying first lets you move once, if you can carry both homes for a while. Selling first protects you if you need the money from the sale. Some buyers try to line up both closings as close together as possible.
Once the order is set, I run a checklist on both sides, and you hear the next step from me on each home before you have to ask. Read more in how I help buyers learn the market.
Talk through your move
If you're ready to trade up in Ann Arbor, call me or send a note. If you'd like more land, compare trading up in Dexter, or read my page on trading up across the area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the bigger homes in Ann Arbor?
Ann Arbor Hills has larger homes on somewhat bigger lots, and Orchard Hills has two-story colonials from the 1960s and 1970s. Some older homes near downtown have also been added onto.
Should I sell my Ann Arbor home before I buy?
It depends on your finances. We decide the order with your lender before your home goes on the market.
How do I know what my current home is worth?
Start with a home value based on recent sales on nearby streets. With that number, your lender can show you what your next home can cost.
Ann Arbor
What trading up looks like in Ann Arbor
A university city on the Huron River, with century-old homes near downtown, 1950s ranch neighborhoods, mid-century modern homes in Ann Arbor Hills, and culture all year.
- The homes
- Older homes within walking reach of downtown, plus neighborhoods of 1950s ranches that are also close in.
- Why people choose it
- A city built around the University of Michigan, where town and campus flow into each other. Ann Arbor is known as Tree Town, and it's a very environmentally conscious place.
- Getting around
- A very bike-friendly city, with many dedicated bike lanes. On University of Michigan football Saturdays, plan to avoid driving near Michigan Stadium from about two hours before kickoff until about two hours after the game ends.
- Nearby
- Downtown theaters and music venues, including the State Theatre, the Michigan Theater, The Ark, the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, and Hill Auditorium, plus the University of Michigan Museum of Art. The original Zingerman's Deli on Detroit Street, the Huron River, and the trails and peony garden at Nichols Arboretum.
- The trade-off
- Downtown can be busy, especially near campus on State Street, and football Saturdays take over the city.
Trading Up: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Nancy Arnold?