BC Move-Up Calculator
Three steps: (1) net proceeds from selling your current home, (2) whether the bigger mortgage clears the OSFI stress test, (3) the cost of buying before you sell. Net proceeds from step 1 carry forward as the down payment in step 2.
Your current sale frees $554,725 in net proceeds as a down payment toward the next home. Bridge financing cost (buy-first): $4,603.
Step 1 — Your current home
What the sale of the home you own today actually puts in your pocket.
- Net proceeds (becomes your down payment)
- $554,725
- Current home sale price
- $1,200,000
- Less: mortgage payout (balance + penalty)
- −$606,750
- Less: realtor commission
- −$34,500
- Less: GST on commission (5%)
- −$1,725
- Less: legal / notary
- −$800
- Less: tax / strata / utility adjustments
- −$1,500
Show the math8 steps
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Current home sale price | $1,200,000.00 |
| Less: current mortgage balance payout | -$600,000.00 |
| Less: prepayment penalty (3-month interest OR IRD; ask lender) | -$6,750.00 |
| Less: realtor commission (Bronson’s structure; negotiable) | -$34,500.00 |
| Less: GST on commission (5%) | -$1,725.00 |
| Less: legal / notary discharge fee | -$800.00 |
| Less: property-tax / utility / strata adjustments to buyer | -$1,500.00 |
| Net proceeds — becomes the down payment on the next home | $554,725.00 |
| Total | $554,725.00 |
Computed from the BC Real Estate Codex · CC BY 4.0
Step 2 — Your next home
Your net proceeds from Step 1 become the down payment here. The question is whether the bigger mortgage qualifies under the federal mortgage stress test.
- Monthly principal & interest (at 5.5%)
- $6,991
- Mortgage you need ($1,700,000 − down payment)
- $1,145,275
- Stress-test qualifying rate (contract + 2 pp, floor 5.25%)
- 7.50%
- Maximum mortgage you qualify for
- $857,306
- Shortfall
- −$287,969
Qualifying uses the standard GDS 39% / TDS 44% ratios that most lenders apply, and the OSFI B-20 stress test (qualify at the contract rate + 2 percentage points, or the 5.25% regulatory floor, whichever is higher). Lender policy, credit, and down-payment source can shift the result. A pre-approval is the binding figure.
Step 3 — Buy first, or sell first?
If your next home completes before your current one, a bridge loan covers the down payment for the gap days. Here is roughly what that costs.
- Estimated bridge financing cost
- $4,603
- Amount bridged (your pending net proceeds)
- $554,725
- Bridge interest (30 days at 9%)
- $4,103
- Bridge admin / setup fee
- $500
Buy first. You secure the next home before listing, then sell without time pressure. The trade-off is that you carry two properties briefly and need a lender willing to bridge the down payment until your sale completes — most lenders require a firm, unconditional sale contract on the current home before they will advance bridge funds.
Sell first. You list and sell the current home before committing to the next purchase, so the proceeds are confirmed and no bridge loan is needed. The trade-off is timing: if you cannot align completion dates, you may need interim housing and a second move, or you negotiate a rent-back from the new owner of your sold home.
Your move-up, in one line
Selling your current home nets roughly $554,725, which becomes a 32.6% down payment on the $1,700,000 next home. The $1,145,275 mortgage costs about $6,991/month in principal and interest, and on these numbers it falls short of the stress test by $287,969. If you buy before you sell, budget about $4,603 for bridge financing over the 30-day gap.
Estimate only. Confirm with a licensed professional before relying on this number.
Not tax advice. Not a mortgage quote or pre-approval. Talk to a CPA and a licensed mortgage broker for your specific transaction.
Worked example — Walnut Grove townhouse up to a Fort Langley detached
A couple sells their Walnut Grove townhouse for $850,000 with a $480,000 variable-rate mortgage at 4.5%. The 3-month-interest prepayment penalty is $480,000 × 4.5% × 0.25 = $5,400 (variable, so the estimate is reliable). Bronson’s commission structure on $850,000 is $7,000 + $18,750 = $25,750, with $1,288 GST on top. Legal $800, prorated adjustments $1,200. Net proceeds: $850,000 − ($480,000 + $5,400) − ($25,750 + $1,288 + $800 + $1,200) = $335,563.
That $335,563 becomes the down payment on a $1,150,000 Fort Langley detached — a 29.2% down payment, so no CMHC insurance. The required mortgage is $1,150,000 − $335,563 = $814,438. At a 5.5% contract rate over 25 years, principal and interest run about $4,971/month.
Does it qualify? With a $210,000 household income, $5,200 annual property tax, $120/month heat and no strata, the stress test qualifies the loan at 5.5% + 2 = 7.5%. The GDS-limited maximum monthly payment is 39% × $17,500 − $553 = $6,272, and at 7.5% over 25 years that carries a maximum mortgage near $857,000. The $814,438 they need fits — roughly $43,000 of headroom.
If the next home is a $1,700,000 detached instead, the same down payment leaves a $1.36M mortgage — beyond the $857,000 the stress test allows on this income. In a move-up, the qualifying ceiling sets the budget. Bridging the $335,563 for 30 days at 9% costs about $2,482 in interest plus a $500 setup fee — roughly $2,982.
Related
Verified sources (1)· re-verified 2026-05-08Click to expand
Every claim on this page is sourced to a primary government, regulator, or industry-association URL. We re-verify quarterly; the verification dates below show when each source was last confirmed against the live government page.
- OSFIretrieved 2026-05-08Guideline B-20: Residential Mortgage Underwriting Practices and Procedureshttps://www.osfi-bsif.gc.ca/Eng/fi-if/rg-ro/gdn-ort/gl-ld/Pages/b20.aspx
osfi.b20.stress_test · v1View in Codex →