Selling your home in Coquitlam, Port Moody, or Port Coquitlam involves more than accepting an offer and handing over the keys. Pricing strategy, preparation, marketing, and BC tax rules all affect your final outcome. This guide walks you through the full process so you’re not caught off guard at any stage.
The first number that matters is not your list price — it’s what comparable homes have actually sold for in your neighbourhood in the last 60 to 90 days. A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) pulls recent sales data for homes similar to yours in size, condition, age, and location.
In the Tri-Cities, market conditions vary significantly between detached homes, townhomes, and condos — and between neighbourhoods. Burke Mountain detached homes and Suter Brook condos are not the same market, even though they’re in the same region. A hyperlocal CMA is the only accurate starting point.
Pricing too high costs you. Listings that sit attract low offers. Buyers in today’s market are tracking days on market closely — a home that’s been listed for 30 days gets treated differently than one that just came to market. Getting the number right from day one is the single most important factor in your final sale price.
How your home presents in photos and at showings determines how many buyers walk through the door — and how serious they are when they do. A few targeted improvements consistently deliver a strong return:
Buyers will request the Form B information certificate, current budget, depreciation report, meeting minutes, and bylaws. These take time to compile — missing documents can delay or kill a deal. Budget $35–$200 for strata document preparation and request them as soon as you decide to list.
Getting on MLS is the baseline, not the strategy. A complete marketing plan for a Tri-Cities home includes:
When offers come in, price is only part of what you’re evaluating. A strong offer looks like:
In a multiple-offer scenario, the highest price on paper is not always the best net outcome. Conditions, buyer strength, and timing all factor into which offer actually closes.
Under BC law, buyers of residential property have a 3-business-day rescission period after an accepted offer. During this window, a buyer can walk away by paying a rescission fee of 0.25% of the purchase price to the seller. This means a signed contract is not immediately firm — it becomes binding after the rescission period expires (unless the buyer exercises their right to rescind). Budget for this timeline when making plans that depend on the sale being confirmed.
This is where many sellers are caught off guard. Before you list, understand where you stand on three fronts.
If the property is your principal residence for all the years you’ve owned it, you pay no capital gains tax on the sale. Most homeowners selling their primary home in the Tri-Cities will qualify. For secondary properties — rentals, investment properties, or vacation homes — 50% of your capital gain is added to your taxable income for the year. Talk to your accountant before listing if this applies to your situation.
If you sell a residential property and you owned it for less than 730 days, the profit is subject to the BC Home Flipping Tax:
| Ownership Duration | Tax Rate on Profit |
|---|---|
| 0 – 365 days | 20% |
| 366 – 729 days | Declining from 20% to 0% |
| 730+ days | 0% — tax does not apply |
A primary residence deduction of up to $20,000 may be available if you owned the property for at least 365 consecutive days and lived in it as your principal residence. Exemptions for life circumstances (job relocation, marriage breakdown, serious illness, death) exist but most require filing a separate BC Home Flipping Tax return within 90 days of the sale.
As the seller, your primary costs at closing are:
Once subjects are removed, the deal is firm and binding. Here’s what the final stretch looks like:
Questions about what your home is worth or what the process looks like in today’s market? Reach out directly — this is what I do.
Download the free Tri-Cities Home Seller’s Guide — the same workbook plus the cost breakdown, as a plain-English PDF you can keep or print. No sign-up required.
Free · 11 pages · includes the full tick-box workbook
Selling is mostly decided before the sign goes up. Work down this list in order — the money is made in the preparation, not the negotiation. Your ticks are saved in this browser, so you can close the page and come back. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Two questions decide almost everything: what you’ll walk away with, and where you’re going next. Answer them before you fall in love with a list price.
Sale price is not what you keep. Work down to the real number now, so nothing at the lawyer’s office is a surprise.
The highest suggested price is not the best listing presentation. Ask for the reasoning behind the number, and what happens when it doesn’t go to plan.
The first two weeks bring the most motivated buyers you will ever see. Price wrong and you spend that attention teaching the market what your home isn’t worth.
Almost all of this is cheap. The expensive renovation is usually the one that doesn’t pay you back.
Missing documents don’t usually kill a sale outright — they slow it down at the exact moment a buyer is deciding whether to trust you.
You get one launch. Check everything before it goes live, because the first weekend is the one that matters.
Feedback is data, not criticism. When the same comment comes back three times, it’s the market talking.
An accepted offer feels like the end. It isn’t — in BC it’s usually the start of the buyer’s subject period, and until those conditions come off, they can still walk away and you can’t. Here is the rest of it, in order.
You are now committed. The buyer, for a few days, is not. Understanding that asymmetry is the difference between a calm sale and a panicked one.
Your job here is to remove friction. Every day of delay is a day the buyer has to change their mind.
Most deals have one of these moments. Answer it with numbers rather than feelings and it usually passes.
This is the moment the sale becomes real. Not before.
The seller’s side of closing is mostly paperwork and payout arithmetic. Get it moving early.
Your obligation is a clean, empty home handed over on time, with everything you agreed to leave still there.
Fewer people than a purchase, and most of the cost comes out of the proceeds at completion rather than your pocket up front.
| Who | When | What they do | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your listing REALTOR® | Before you list | Pricing from sold data, preparation advice, marketing, negotiation, and managing every deadline below. | Commission — negotiated, paid at completion |
| Your lender | Before you list, again at accepted offer | Your payout figure and prepayment penalty. Ask before listing, not after. | Discharge admin $200–$400 Penalty $0–$15,000+ |
| Lawyer or notary | Right after subjects are removed | Reviews the contract, clears title, pays out your mortgage, prepares the Statement of Adjustments, sends you the proceeds. | $1,200–$1,800 |
| Stager | Before photos | Furniture, styling and flow so the home photographs and shows larger. | $500–$5,000+ |
| Photographer / floor plan | Before launch | The listing photos and measured floor plan buyers judge you on. | Usually included in commission |
| Trades | Pre-list, or if the inspection flags something | Pre-list repairs, and written quotes you use to answer a buyer’s request with a number. | Quote it — usually free to quote |
| Strata management | Before listing, and again at completion | Form B and documents for the buyer; Form F so title can transfer. | $100–$300 |
| Movers | Book 2–3 weeks out | Move day, plus the elevator booking if you’re leaving a strata. | $1,000–$5,000+ |
| Accountant | Tax time | Only if it wasn’t your principal residence, or you owned it under 730 days. | Varies |
Scroll the table sideways on a phone. Costs are typical Tri-Cities ranges as of 2026 and vary with the property — always get your own quote. Full detail: closing costs when selling in BC.
Accepting an offer starts the buyer’s subject period — usually five to seven business days. In that window the buyer finalises financing, has the home inspected, and reviews the strata documents if it’s a strata, while their lender may order an appraisal. If the inspection raises something they may come back asking for a price reduction or a repair credit. Once they remove subjects in writing and the deposit lands in the brokerage trust account, the sale is firm. Your lawyer or notary then clears title, pays out your mortgage and prepares the Statement of Adjustments through to completion day; you hand over the keys on possession day. The full sequence is in Section 2 of the workbook above.
Generally no. Once you’ve signed an accepted offer you’re contractually bound, and backing out can expose you to a claim for damages or a suit for specific performance. And the rights aren’t symmetrical: BC’s Home Buyer Rescission Period lets the buyer cancel within three clear business days of acceptance for any reason at all, for a fee of 0.25% of the price — and they can also walk if one of their subjects isn’t met. There is no equivalent right for the seller. That’s exactly why you shouldn’t commit to your next purchase, or start spending the proceeds, until the buyer has removed their subjects.
Your proceeds are the sale price less: your remaining mortgage balance; commission plus GST on it; your lawyer or notary (about $1,200–$1,800); a mortgage discharge admin fee ($200–$400); any prepayment penalty for breaking a fixed term early ($0 to $15,000+); a strata document fee if applicable ($100–$300); and a property tax adjustment that can be a credit or a debit depending on when taxes were paid. Sellers in BC do not pay Property Transfer Tax, GST on a resale home, or the buyer’s inspection and title insurance. Get the exact prepayment penalty from your lender in writing before you list — it’s the figure that surprises people most. Full breakdown: closing costs when selling in BC.
The main costs are real estate commission, legal or notary fees ($1,200–$1,800), and a mortgage discharge admin fee ($200–$400) if breaking your mortgage. Sellers do not pay Property Transfer Tax — that is the buyer's cost. See the full seller's closing costs breakdown for detailed numbers. For a dedicated breakdown of commission structures, see REALTOR® commission in Coquitlam.
The most accurate starting point is a free CMA from a local REALTOR® — it compares your home to properties that have actually sold in the last 60 to 90 days. You can also get a free instant estimate at sebastianrealestate.ca/how-much-is-my-home-worth-coquitlam/, which shows sold comps, BC Assessment comparison, and active competition.
In a balanced Tri-Cities market, well-priced detached homes typically sell in 10 to 21 days; condos and townhomes can move faster. After an accepted offer, the subject removal period takes 5 to 7 business days, and completion follows 4 to 8 weeks later. Total time from listing to closing is typically 6 to 12 weeks. See the Coquitlam Real Estate Market 2026 report for current absorption rate and days-on-market data by property type.
No — Property Transfer Tax is paid by the buyer, not the seller. Your closing costs as a seller are commission, legal or notary fees, mortgage discharge fees (if applicable), and property tax adjustments. You are not responsible for PTT, GST on the buyer side, or land title fees.
The BC Home Flipping Tax applies if you sell a residential property within 730 days of purchasing it. The tax is 20% on profit from sales within the first 365 days, declining gradually to 0% at 730 days. Exemptions exist for job relocation, marriage breakdown, and serious illness — but most require filing a separate return within 90 days of the sale. If you've owned your home for more than 730 days, it does not apply.
Focus on the highest-ROI items: fix deferred maintenance (buyers' inspectors will find everything), declutter and depersonalize so buyers can picture themselves in the space, and apply fresh neutral paint if needed. Professional photography is non-negotiable — listings with poor photos get filtered out before they are ever toured. For condos and townhomes, order your strata documents early.
Sebastian Czarkowski is a Tri-Cities REALTOR® who has helped dozens of sellers achieve above-asking results. Get in touch for an honest conversation about your home and today's market — no pressure, no obligation.
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