How I Helped a Beaverdale Family Who Outgrew Their Starter Home Move-Up to Urbandale
If you're a growing family thinking about a move-up home in the Des Moines metro, you're probably asking the same question one Beaverdale family asked me: can we sell our starter home and buy a bigger one without it turning into a scramble? I'm Steven Bunting, a Des Moines area REALTOR® with RE/MAX Precision, and I help move-up buyers and sellers across West Des Moines, Waukee, Clive, Urbandale, and the rest of the Des Moines metro.
Here's How This families Move Up Went:
They bought their charming first home in Beaverdale. But a second baby was on the way. So they made the move a lot of growing families think about, but never actually make.
The Beaverdale Starter Home That Stopped Fitting
The family's first home had 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1,265 square feet, and a single-car garage. It was workable, until baby number two changed the math.
The problem wasn't the house. It was trying to fit a second baby into a home that wasn't able to grow with their family. Their lifestyle was changing. For many Des Moines area families, that's the moment a starter home stops being a starter home and becomes a reason to start planning a move.
The Real Concerns About Selling and Buying at the Same Time
Like most move-up buyers, this family had realities that made them pause: a bigger mortgage, a different rate than the one they already had, and the stress of selling one house while buying another without a gap or a scramble.
That's the part I know how to guide people through. It's not just finding the next house. It's building the real numbers and a timeline so the sale and the purchase work together instead of colliding.
What a Move-Up Plan Looks Like
When a family asks me whether a move up is possible, we start by looking at the full picture before touring a single house:
1. Your current home's value and your likely net proceeds. What you could realistically walk away with from the sale.
2. Your new monthly payment. What the bigger mortgage and the new rate would mean compared with what you pay today.
3. Your timeline. How the closing and move-in dates for the sale and the purchase can line up, so you're not left with a gap.
4. Your strategy. Whether it makes more sense to sell first, buy first, or coordinate both, based on your situation and your lender's guidance.
Where They Landed: A Bigger Home in the Western Suburbs
The family found a beautiful home in Urbandale with 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a 3-car garage, and 2,491 square feet. That's nearly double the space they started with.
The Best Part: A New Neighborhood and New Friends
A move up isn't only about square footage. This family moved into a new neighborhood filled with new friends. They have already hosted a neighborhood watch party out of their garage and invited my family. It was great seeing them thrive in their new spot!
Do You Need a Perfect Market to Move Up in Des Moines?
The market didn't have to be perfect for this to work. Rates weren't at their lowest. It wasn't some once-in-a-decade seller's market either. It just had to be the right plan for this family.
Move-up buyers haven't disappeared. They're just being more strategic instead of guessing, regardless of what rates or the market is doing.
Move-Up Buyer FAQs
Can I sell my house and buy a bigger one at the same time in Des Moines?
Families are still doing it. The key is a plan that lines up your numbers and your timeline so the sale and the purchase work together instead of colliding. The right approach depends on your home, your lender, and your goals, which is why I start with a conversation.
Do I need to wait for lower rates before I move up?
This family moved when rates weren't at their lowest, and it worked because the plan fit their situation. I can't predict where rates are headed, so the better question is whether the numbers work for your family today. We can look at that together.
How do I know if my starter home is too small?
Sometimes the house isn't the problem. It's that the home can't grow with your family. If a new baby, a growing household, or a changing lifestyle has you rethinking your space, it's worth a conversation about what's possible.
What should I look for beyond bedrooms and square footage?
Think about the neighborhood and how you want to live. For this family, the new neighborhood and new friends turned out to be one of the best parts of the move.
Thinking About Your Own Move Up in the Des Moines Area?
I promise it's still possible, and it's still possible to do it smartly and smoothly. DM me or call or text me at 515-708-4572 or email steven@sbreiowa.com, and let's look at what's actually possible for YOUR family.
Steven Bunting
REMAX Precision | Licensed to sell in Iowa
@sphererealestategroup
