Trading up to your next Ann Arbor home, in the right order
Moving out of a starter home, with the order of your sale and your purchase worked out first.
What trading up in Ann Arbor involves
Trading up in Ann Arbor usually starts with a home that used to fit and now doesn't. You need another bedroom, a real office, a bigger yard, or more space for the life you have now. The home you're in did its job, and it's time for the next one.
Trading up also means two sales at once. You're selling one home and buying another, and each one depends on the other. The worry I hear most is, "What if we're stuck between two houses?" A plan worked out before anything goes on the market answers that question.
My job is to run both sides as one plan: getting a strong price for the home you have, and finding the right next home without paying for two longer than you need to.
Working out the order first
Every move-up plan starts with your numbers. The first one is what your current home is worth, based on the homes that sold near it. You can start with a home value from the sales near you. With that number, your lender can show you what your next home can cost.
Then we decide the order. If you can carry both homes for a while, buying first lets you move once and sell an empty house. If you need the money from your sale, selling first protects you, and we plan where you'll stay in between. Some buyers try to line up both closings as close together as possible. There's no single right answer, only the one that fits your finances.
We settle all of this with your lender before your home goes on the market, so you aren't making the decision under pressure later.
Selling the home you have
Your current home gets the same full marketing plan as every home I list: a price based on recent nearby sales, professional photos, video and drone footage, and a paid social media campaign that runs for its first two weeks on the market. You can see the whole plan in how I sell a home in the Ann Arbor area.
When you're trading up, the timing matters as much as the price. We set your listing date around your next purchase, and the checklist from listing to closing keeps both sides moving in step. You hear what's next from me on both homes before you need to ask. For more on the sale itself, see selling your home with me.
Finding the bigger home
More space looks different in different parts of the Ann Arbor area, and each choice comes with a trade-off.
Ann Arbor Hills has larger homes on bigger lots, many of them mid-century modern, close to campus and the University of Michigan hospital. Orchard Hills, in north Ann Arbor, has ranch homes and two-story colonials built in the 1960s and 1970s.
If you want more land, Dexter, Chelsea, and Saline offer more spread-out neighborhoods and rural property, with a longer drive into Ann Arbor. In Brighton, 15 to 20 minutes north up US-23, homes near downtown and on a couple of popular lakes sit at the higher end. South Lyon often gives you more property for the money.
I'll show you what each option costs and what it asks of you, and you decide what fits.
Trading up across the Ann Arbor area
- Trading up in Ann Arbor Hills, with larger homes on bigger lots.
- Trading up in Orchard Hills, with ranch homes and colonials in north Ann Arbor.
- Trading up in Dexter, with more spread-out neighborhoods west of Ann Arbor.
- Trading up in Chelsea, with rural land and small neighborhoods.
- Trading up in Brighton, with homes near downtown and on the lakes.
- Trading up in Plymouth, from homes walkable to downtown to traditional neighborhoods.
If you're ready to trade up, call me or send a note. We'll start with your numbers and the order of your move, and you decide from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make an offer before my current home sells?
Sometimes. It depends on your finances and on what the seller will accept. We look at your options with your lender before we start, so you know where you stand.
How do I know how much I'll have from my current home?
Start with a home value based on the recent sales near you. With that number, your lender can show you what your next home can cost.
Should I fix up my current home before selling?
Usually only the small things. We walk through it together, and I tell you what is worth doing and what isn't worth your money.
Trading Up by neighborhood
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Ready to make your move with Nancy Arnold?