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Selling and Buying at the Same Time in Florida

The Florida move-up playbook: order the two transactions, protect the gap with contingencies and lease-backs, and move once.

By Nanci Gilbert, PA September 9, 2026
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The hardest move in Florida real estate is the same-time one: sell the current home and buy the next without getting stuck between two contracts. The absence of a plan creates the drama; the presence of a sequence removes it.

Order the sequence first

Selling first puts you in the strongest buying position but leaves a gap to plan. Buying first secures the next home but adds carrying costs. A third path coordinates both around one calendar, using a lease-back on the sale so the family stays put until the new home closes.

Protect the contract

A sale contingency on the purchase, a lease-back on the sale, and clear financing and appraisal language turn two risks into one managed timeline. Every protection is negotiable, and the earlier it is written, the smoother the double close.

Move once, not twice

The family goal is one move. When the sequence is set before either contract, most move-up families land both closings close together and walk into the new house without a double move. That is the whole point of selling, then buying, with a plan.

Nanci Gilbert, PA is a South Florida realtor who guides growing families, sellers, and buyers across Miami-Dade and Broward. Questions about this topic? She answers every message within one business day.