There is no universally better sequence. The useful question is which sequence your finances, family and timeline can support if events do not go as planned.
When selling first deserves consideration
Selling first can make the sale outcome and available funds clearer before you commit to the next property. It can also create a temporary-housing problem. Consider where everyone will live, how many moves are acceptable, what rent and storage might cost and how urgently a suitable replacement must be found.
When buying first deserves consideration
Buying first can help secure a home that suits the family. The tradeoff is exposure to the existing home taking longer to sell, selling for less than expected, or overlapping financial commitments. Financing, taxes and any remission conditions require verification for the actual ownership and buyer profile.
Build a dependency map
Write down the dates for option payments, exercise, financing, sale completion, purchase completion, renovation and moving. For each payment, record the source of funds and when they are accessible. Ask your lawyer and lender to confirm the contractual and financing assumptions before you rely on them.
Then test three disruptions: the sale takes longer; the price is lower; the replacement needs more work. Identify which obligation becomes difficult first. This reveals the weakest dependency in the plan.
Choose the sequence you can sustain
A family that cannot tolerate temporary accommodation may prioritise housing continuity. A household that needs sale funds for the next purchase may prioritise funding certainty. Neither priority should be assumed from the property price alone.
The Transition Review brings those priorities into one conversation. The output should be a sequence with a fallback, rather than a confident prediction that both transactions will align perfectly.