Thinking About Moving? Here’s What to Do First
Thinking about buying or selling a home in the Philadelphia suburbs, but not sure where to start? You don’t need to have everything figured out before contacting a Realtor. In fact, reaching out early can help you understand your options, create a realistic timeline and make a plan long before you’re ready to move.
Maybe moving is something you want to do in the next few months.
Maybe you know your current home isn’t going to work forever, but you’re not sure what comes next.
Or maybe moving is still a year or two away and you’re wondering if it’s way too early to talk to a real estate agent.
It’s not.
One of the biggest misconceptions about contacting a Realtor is that you need to be ready to buy or sell right now.
You don’t.
Here’s what actually happens when you reach out to us.
1. Start with a text, call or email
Seriously. That’s it.
You don’t need a pre-approval. You don’t need to know exactly where you want to live. You don’t need to have your house perfectly ready to sell.
Reach out to Sam or Olivia and tell us what you’re thinking.
Sometimes that’s as simple as:
“We’ve been talking about moving and have no idea where to start.”
Perfect. We can start there.
2. Schedule a time to connect
We’ll find a time and place that feels comfortable for you.
We can meet over Zoom, at our office, at your home or even grab coffee.
The goal of that first conversation isn’t to convince you to move. It’s to understand why you're considering it in the first place and what you need to know to make the right decision.
3. Tell us a little about your move
Before we meet, we’ll ask you to fill out a short form so we can learn more about you.
Things like:
Your ideal timeline
Where you live now
Where you might want to go
Whether you need to sell before buying
What’s motivating the move
What matters most to you
Any questions or concerns already on your mind
This allows us to prepare for your specific situation instead of giving you a generic real estate presentation.
Because a family buying their first home in Montgomery County needs a very different conversation than someone downsizing from a longtime home or someone trying to coordinate a sale and purchase at the same time.
4. Talk to a lender if buying is part of the plan
If your move involves purchasing another home, we’ll usually recommend having a quick conversation with a lender before we meet.
We can introduce you to a trusted local lender, or you’re always welcome to use someone you already know.
And no, talking to a lender doesn’t mean you’re committing to buying a house.
It simply gives us useful information.
What could your purchasing power look like? What monthly payment feels comfortable? If you already own a home, how might the equity in that property factor into your next purchase?
Having some of those numbers available allows us to have a much more productive conversation about your options.
5. Meet with us and talk through the whole picture
Then we sit down together.
We’ll talk about your goals, your timeline, current market conditions in the Philadelphia suburbs and what the process could realistically look like for you.
If you're selling, we can discuss your home's value, preparation, timing and how we would position and market the property.
If you're buying, we'll talk about neighborhoods, budget, inventory, competition and what to expect once you're ready to start looking.
And if you're doing both?
We’ll map out how the two pieces can work together.
There is no pressure and no obligation to work with us after this meeting.
We want you to get the information you need, ask your questions and decide whether we're the right fit for you.
6. When you’re ready, we get started
If you decide you'd like The Pitkow Team to represent you, we'll take care of the paperwork and start putting your plan into action.
But here's the important part:
Starting doesn't necessarily mean moving immediately.
Once we understand where you want to go, we can work backward and create a timeline that makes sense.
For some clients, that's fast.
For others, it's intentionally slow.
How early should you contact a Realtor before moving?
There really isn't such a thing as reaching out too early.
If you're planning to buy or sell within the next 6 to 12 months, talking to a Realtor now can give you valuable time to prepare.
But even if you're one or two years away, an early conversation can still be incredibly helpful.
For a future seller, that might mean identifying which home improvements are actually worth making before listing — and which ones you can skip.
For a future buyer, it could mean learning different Philadelphia suburbs, understanding your budget or watching the market before you're ready to make a move.
For someone who needs to sell and buy, starting early gives us time to think strategically about timing both transactions.
You don't need to spend the next two years actively house hunting.
You just have a plan.
What if I’m not even sure I want to move?
Then that can be the conversation too.
Sometimes the answer is, yes, moving makes sense.
Sometimes the answer is, not yet.
Understanding your home's potential value, what you could buy next and what the process would involve can help turn a vague idea into an informed decision.
We would much rather meet you before you're ready than have you feel like you need to figure everything out on your own first.
Thinking about moving in the Philadelphia suburbs?
Whether you're buying your first home, selling your current home, downsizing, relocating or trying to figure out how to sell and buy at the same time, you don't need to know exactly what comes next.
That's what we're here to help you figure out.
Your first step can simply be a conversation.
Sam + Olivia Pitkow
The Pitkow Team at Compass
Philadelphia Suburbs Realtors
Serving Montgomery County and the surrounding Philadelphia suburbs
