# From their first apartment to the home they truly wanted! > Igor and Jelena needed to sell their first apartment while buying a new one. Once they found the right home, the buyers, sellers and deadlines all had to be aligned. - Web page: https://urbaniagent.rs/en/blog/from-their-first-apartment-to-the-home-they-truly-wanted - Language: English - Other language: https://urbaniagent.rs/blog/od-prvog-zajednickog-stana-do-doma-koji-su-zaista-zeleli.md - Updated: 2026-08-13 - Published on: 2026-08-11 - Author: Urbani Agent - Categories: Buying Property, City and Neighborhoods, Selling and Renting, Our Story - Tags: client experience, selling and buying property, Igor and Jelena’s first apartment together was located near Vukov Spomenik. It was small, but at that point in their lives, it was exactly what they needed. It was where they began living together, gradually created their own home and formed a strong attachment to a space that represented an important period of their lives. After several years, however, it became clear that they needed more room. They did not simply want a larger apartment. They wanted a place where they could imagine themselves living for years to come. This is their story of selling one home, finding another and reaching the moment when everything had to be completed within a very limited timeframe. ## Their first home together **Jelena:** “Our first apartment together was near Vukov Spomenik. It was small, but at that point it was exactly right for us. It was where we started living together, gradually furnished the space and genuinely grew to love it. After several years, we realised that we needed more room and that it was time to look for something larger.” The decision to move did not happen overnight. The apartment had suited them during one stage of their lives, but their needs gradually changed. More space was no longer simply a preference; it was the logical next step. ## Returning to a familiar neighbourhood Igor grew up in Braće Jerković and had always wanted to return to that part of Belgrade. When they began seriously discussing a move, the neighbourhood naturally became the starting point of their search. **Igor:** “I grew up in Braće Jerković and had always wanted to return to the area. When we began seriously discussing moving, I suggested that we start looking there. Jelena agreed, and that was how the search began.” However, they did not want to buy the first apartment that was larger than their existing home. It was important that the new property had a functional layout, enough space and a location in which they could imagine their everyday lives. **Jelena:** “We did not want to buy a larger apartment simply because it was larger. We wanted to find a place where we could imagine ourselves several years from now. That is why we did not rush or make a compromise simply for the sake of moving.” ## One purchase depended on another sale Their situation came with an important condition: they could purchase the new apartment only after selling their existing one. That meant the sale and purchase could not be managed as two entirely separate processes. **Igor:** “We knew that we could buy a new apartment only after selling ours. It was therefore important for us to have someone manage both processes together, because one could not be completed without the other.” At the same time, both of them had demanding work schedules. They could not realistically respond to every call, organise every viewing, speak with buyers and simultaneously inspect properties they might purchase. They wanted to remain involved in the decisions, but they did not want the entire process to depend on how much free time they happened to have on a particular day. **Jelena:** “It was not realistic for us to organise every call, viewing and agreement ourselves while also searching for an apartment. We wanted to be part of the process, but we did not want the entire process to depend on how much time we had that day.” ## Searching without making the wrong compromise Their apartment entered the market while they continued viewing properties in Braće Jerković. Several apartments were good. They had some of the characteristics Igor and Jelena wanted, but none of them created the feeling that the search was over. **Igor:** “Several of them were good, but none was the apartment that made us say: ‘This is it.’” Then they visited the property that stood out from the others. During the first viewing, they both recognised what they had been looking for: more space, a layout that suited them and the neighbourhood in which they wanted to live. **Jelena:** “During the viewing, we could both see that it had what we were looking for — more space, a layout that suited us and the neighbourhood where we wanted to live.” The asking price was also realistic. They did not feel that they needed to convince themselves it was the right choice or accept a compromise they might later regret. **Igor:** “The price was good as well. It did not feel like an apartment we would have to persuade ourselves to buy or make an excessive compromise for. For the first time, we genuinely felt we had found what had motivated us to begin the entire process.” ## Suddenly, there was a deadline Only after the viewing did they discover that the owners of the new apartment could not wait through a lengthy sales process. The transaction needed to be completed quickly. Until that moment, Igor and Jelena had been searching without significant pressure. Now they had found a property they did not want to lose, but they still needed to complete the sale of their own apartment before they could purchase it. **Jelena:** “That was when we discovered that the owners needed to sell quickly. They could not wait for long, and suddenly it was no longer enough for our apartment simply to sell — it had to sell on time.” **Igor:** “That changed everything. Until then, we had been looking without much pressure. Now we had found an apartment we did not want to lose and had a very specific timeframe in which everything needed to be aligned.” ## Coordinating two sides and several deadlines In a situation like this, finding a buyer for the existing apartment is not enough. It is necessary to coordinate: - when the buyer of their apartment can complete the payment; - how much time Igor and Jelena need to purchase and move; - how long the owners of the new apartment are prepared to wait; - when the contracts will be signed; - when the keys will be handed over; - how to ensure that every party remains protected. The sale of their apartment was accelerated, discussions with prospective buyers were handled seriously and, at the same time, the terms for purchasing the new apartment were negotiated. **Jelena:** “What meant the most to us was that we did not have to work out what needed to happen first and what came next. The sale of our apartment was accelerated, the conversations with buyers were handled seriously and the terms for this apartment were arranged at the same time.” **Igor:** “That was where the agency made the greatest difference. The agent managed to align both sides so that we had exactly the amount of time we needed — from the buyer of our apartment and from the owners of this one. If he had not stepped into those negotiations and connected all the deadlines, I am not sure we would have completed everything successfully.” Instead of Igor and Jelena separately explaining their circumstances to buyers and sellers, the entire process was managed as one connected transaction. **Jelena:** “What helped us most was not having to chase both sides ourselves and repeatedly explain how much time we needed. Looking back, the entire situation could have been far more stressful.” ## The home they genuinely wanted The sale of their first apartment and the purchase of their new home were completed within timeframes that suited everyone involved. Today, Igor and Jelena live in the apartment they wanted, in the neighbourhood to which Igor had long hoped to return. **Igor:** “Today, we are living in the apartment we genuinely wanted, in the neighbourhood I had always wanted to return to. What means the most is that throughout the entire transition, we had someone keeping everything under control and helping all the pieces fall into place.” Their story shows that selling one apartment and purchasing another are not always two separate transactions. When one transaction depends on the other, the most important factor is having someone who understands the complete process, coordinates all parties and aligns the deadlines so that changing homes does not become a series of unnecessary problems. **Sometimes, an agent’s greatest value is not simply finding a buyer or a property. It is ensuring that everything happens in the right order.** ## Similar stories - [New build or older property - which is the right choice for you?](https://urbaniagent.rs/en/blog/new-build-or-older-property-which-is-the-right-choice-for-you.md) - [They found their family home before it was listed](https://urbaniagent.rs/en/blog/they-found-their-family-home-before-it-was-listed.md) --- Contact: Urbani Agent · +381642420492 · info@urbaniagent.rs · Omladinskih brigada 90v, Novi Beograd