{"id":25001,"date":"2025-09-22T02:00:04","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T09:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=25001"},"modified":"2025-12-11T08:45:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T16:45:01","slug":"buyer-contingent-upon-selling-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-contingent-upon-selling-house\/","title":{"rendered":"I Have to Make an Offer Contingent Upon Selling My House. How Do I Sweeten the Deal?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you closed on your first home, you probably weren\u2019t thinking that one day you\u2019d want to sell. But after a few years, it\u2019s easy to outgrow your space. Or, maybe you have to relocate for a new job<\/a> \u2014 or it\u2019s time to downsize<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Whatever your reason, if you currently own a home, it can actually make it harder to shop for a new one. Getting the timing right \u2014 selling your old house, closing on a new house, and then moving into your new house<\/a> \u2014 can be a challenge.<\/p>\n

This is why many buyers make offers on their new home that include a sales contingency. With a sales contingency<\/a> in your offer, you won\u2019t have to close on your new home unless you\u2019ve sold your old home. But a sales contingency could also make it harder to get an offer accepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

Find a Top Agent With Experience in Home Sale Contingency Offers<\/h3>\n

If you are considering a home sale contingency, you’ll want a top agent by your side when you make the offer. We analyze over 27 million transactions and thousands of reviews to determine which agent is best for you based on your needs.<\/p>\n \n

\n Find a Buyer's Agent<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Christina Roberto<\/a>, a top agent in Georgetown, Texas,<\/a> who works with 78% more single-family homes than the average agent in her area, has had offers with sales contingencies accepted even in a hot seller\u2019s market. \u201cYou can offer a bigger option amount, more earnest money<\/a>, don\u2019t ask for home warranties<\/a> \u2014 there are unconventional ways to win,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

If you have to make an offer contingent upon selling a house<\/a>, here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

What is a contingency?<\/h2>\n

When you make an offer on a house, it could be as simple as a letter or as complex as a several-page legal document. Regardless of its format, it will often include contingencies.<\/p>\n

A \u201ccontingency\u201d is another way to say \u201ca term or condition that must be met<\/a> before the sale can move forward as planned.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the contingency isn\u2019t met, it usually means that you can drop out of the purchase and get your earnest money back<\/a>. There are two common contingencies that your agent will probably talk to you about including in your offer if you\u2019re already a homeowner: a sales contingency or a settlement contingency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You want to move, but you already own a home. Any offer you make will have to be contingent upon selling house, so how do you make it happen?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":153,"featured_media":38786,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[192,771,700,646],"tags":[765,766],"class_list":["post-25001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-buyers","category-buying-a-house-while-selling","category-buyer-contracts","category-making-offers","tag-selling-and-buying-a-house-at-the-same-time","tag-what-does-contingent-mean-in-real-estate"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMaking an Offer Contingent Upon Selling a House: How to Do It<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You want to move, but you already own a home. 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