Navigating the Rollercoaster of Selling & Buying a Home at the Same Time

Selling a house while trying to buy a new one? It’s like juggling flaming swords while blindfolded. Seriously. For anyone who's been through the madness of this process, you know it’s a mix of excitement, stress, and a LOT of "what on earth are we doing?!"

We’ve just hit a huge milestone—*finally* going sale agreed on both our current home and our next one—and I thought it was time to share what this journey has really been like. Spoiler: it's been wild. Between endless house viewings, getting outbid left, right, and center, and balancing all this while working through maternity leave to get my two years of self employed accounts, it’s been a year we won’t forget anytime soon.

Selling Our Home

At the end of August, our house went sale agreed. 🥂😭🥰🎉 And now, the daunting but exciting journey to find our next home officially begins. I’ve always imagined writing this post with nothing but pure excitement, but if I’m being honest, it’s been so emotional and overwhelming at times.

For those who have followed our journey, you’ll remember when we first bought our cosy little home. It was far from the dreamy nest we imagined at first—a shell, dark and damp, with black mould creeping across the walls. But we poured everything we had (including our modest budget) into transforming it into our little home. It’s where we brought our two babies home, where our eldest took her first step, where we got ready to get married in the registry office during covid, where countless memories were made. We always imagined extending when they were born, but the quotes we were getting didn’t make it seem worth it. Our current house is 56sq m so we need a bit more space.

So after a lot of thought and debate, we made the tough decision to sell. Even though we knew it was the right choice, letting go of the home we had poured so much love into wasn’t easy.

The Long Road to Sale Agreed

We first put our house on the market in September 2023, right before our second baby was due. To say it wasn’t the best timing is an understatement. One viewing came and went with no action, so we decided to pause. I was heavily pregnant, exhausted, and overwhelmed with preparing for our new arrival.

Our beautiful second daughter was born at the end of October, and with her came a whirlwind few months.

By January, we felt ready to jump back in. We listed the house again and hoped for the best. Things didn’t move quickly, and we even lost out on a home we had fallen in love with because we hadn’t progressed far enough in our own sale. Postnatal anxiety hit hard, and on top of that, we found out our little one had cows milk protein allergy, which meant a lot of sleepless nights and tears (hers and mine!) until she was finally diagnosed. Juggling all of that with viewings and RSV season thrown in? I wasn’t in a good place, so we hit pause again—this time on the advice of my doctor.

Fast forward to June. We were offered asking price on ours after the first viewing! We were *so* relieved—until the person went sale agreed elsewhere just before we could accept. Back to square one.

But here we are, months later, and the stars have finally aligned. We’re officially sale agreed, and while the process was more stressful and emotionally draining than I ever anticipated, I’m feeling ready to start the next chapter.

Finding Our New Home

After what felt like a ton of viewings, endless outbids, and a lot of “almosts,” we finally got a call that changed everything: our offer had been accepted on a house!

The relief, excitement, and sheer disbelief were hard to process. This house gave us that “feeling” as soon as we walked through the door—the one people always talk about but I thought was a bit of a myth. We didn’t want to get our hopes up because the market had been so tough, but somehow, it all seems to be working out.

It’s wild to think about the journey it’s taken to get here—selling, buying, trying to keep my self-employed hustle going to get my accounts in order while caring for our two young children. There were moments when I honestly thought, “Is this even possible?” But somehow, here we are, sale agreed on our next home, and feeling incredibly grateful for all the support we’ve had along the way.

What’s Next?

While I’m cautiously optimistic (anyone else afraid to jinx it?), things are looking good. Our survey is done (Get House Survey were amazing and so quick with the report), and our mortgage protection is ready to go thanks to the team at lion.ie—seriously, if anyone needs help navigating mortgage protection, they’ve made the process so much easier.

On the legal side, we’ve got Suzanne from Parker Law, and I’m already feeling relieved to have such a powerhouse managing that part of things.

As for securing the mortgage itself, we were holding our breath until the last moment, but thanks to Eoin at Finance Solutions, we managed to secure an exemption that we desperately needed. It was down to the wire, as we’re so close to the end of the year when exemptions start running low, but we got it!

Cian Carolan – The Unsung Hero of Our Journey

Now, I have to give a special mention to Cian Carolan, even though, sadly, we weren’t able to use him for our mortgage in the end. At the time we were getting things sorted, Cian had just started with DNG Financial Services and they were waiting for their license from the Central Bank. But here’s the thing: even though he couldn’t officially help us, he still went above and beyond to guide us.

You know when you meet someone and immediately feel like they genuinely care about what you’re going through? That was Cian. He answered every “silly” question I had with so much patience and gave advice that made the whole process feel less overwhelming. He was always available, quick to respond, and just made everything feel possible. His support was like having a calm, reassuring voice in the middle of the storm, which I needed more than I realised at the time.

I know quite a few of you in the Facebook group have since gone with Cian for your mortgages, and I’m honestly so happy to hear he’s been able to help. If you’re looking for someone who truly has your back and isn’t just about numbers, I can’t recommend him enough. Even though we didn’t get to work with him this time, I know he’ll be my first call if we ever do this again (although hopefully not anytime soon 😅).

Looking Forward

Now we’re just hoping for a smooth process from here so we can finally settle into our forever home with our two girls. There’s still a part of me that’s scared to believe it’s all happening, especially after the ups and downs of the past year. But we’re choosing to embrace the excitement while we can.

It’s been a tough journey, and while I’m beyond thankful for the position we’re in, I also want to acknowledge how emotional this process can be. Selling the home you love, the one you’ve built with your family, is *hard.* It’s not just about numbers or transactions; it’s about memories, experiences, and the life you’ve lived within those walls.

For anyone else going through this, I’d love to hear how you’re getting on. It’s a journey that’s full of highs and lows, but I promise there’s a light at the end of the tunnel—even if it takes a few twists and turns to get there. 🤍