Selling your home

It starts with a conversation

Before anything goes on the market, we sit down and talk. Why are you moving, and by when? What has worked about living here, and what hasn’t? Every home has something a listing photo can miss — the morning light in the kitchen, the quiet street, the work you’ve put in over the years.

Deciding to sell can take a while to feel real, and that’s okay — there’s no rush here. This first conversation costs you nothing and commits you to nothing. It’s simply where a good sale begins.

Preparing your home to shine

A home that is clean, bright, and uncluttered photographs better, shows better, and sells better. Some of that work is yours, and some of it is mine.

The work can feel daunting when you’re staring at a full house — but the parts that matter most are the simple ones, and you don’t have to do it all at once. From there, I take it the rest of the way: staging and professional photography so your home is seen at its best, online and in person. That’s part of what I do for you, not something you need to budget for separately.

One small thing, before the photos: take a few pictures of the rooms exactly as you’ve lived in them, and give anyone who needs to say goodbye the chance to. The house is about to become a listing for a little while — it helps to keep a little of what it was.

Pricing it right

Price is where a sale is quietly won or lost. Set it too high and the right buyers never come through the door; set it too low and you leave value behind that you can’t get back.

I bring you a clear, well-researched read on what your home is worth in today’s market — grounded in recent comparable sales and current conditions, not guesswork — and we land on the number together. Getting this right is one of the most important things we do, and you won’t decide it alone.

Going live — the listing and the paperwork

Once we’re ready, your home goes on the market — on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and the major search sites — and a little paperwork comes with it. There’s a listing agreement that sets out how we’ll work together, a privacy and consent form, and the Property Disclosure Statement (PDS).

On the PDS you share what you know about the home, honestly and in writing. Disclosing what you know up front is both the right thing to do and the simplest way to keep a small issue from becoming a problem later. I’ll walk you through each form so nothing is a surprise.

Showings — ready every time

Once you’re live, buyers come through. Here’s the thing about showings: you might host ten that go nowhere, and then the right person or family walks in — and your home has to be ready for them. Every showing deserves your home at its best: tidy, clean, lights on, a warm first impression.

Having strangers walk through your rooms can feel strange — so you don’t have to be there. I’ll handle every showing, and you never need to be home for it. You never know which visitor is the one, so it’s worth treating each like it could be.

When the offers come in

The highest number isn’t always the best offer. Price matters, of course, but so do the terms. I’ll lay out each offer plainly, tell you what I’m seeing, and negotiate on your behalf. A few things I weigh with you:

• The deposit. How much, and how soon — a larger, prompt deposit signals a committed buyer.
• The conditions. Which “subjects” the buyer is asking for (financing, inspection, document review) and how long they need. Fewer, cleaner conditions mean more certainty.
• The dates. Whether the completion and possession dates line up with your own plans.
• The strength behind it. A solid pre-approval and a serious buyer matter as much as the headline price.

A first offer can come in lower than you hoped, and that can sting. It’s a starting point, not a verdict on your home — I’ll read each one with you, plainly, and we respond without taking it personally.

Firming up the deal

Most accepted offers come with a few conditions the buyer needs to satisfy — arranging financing, a home inspection, a review of strata documents. They usually have several business days to do this. Once those conditions are removed, the deal is firm and the deposit is committed. This is the moment most sellers finally exhale.

If you’re buying as well as selling, the timing of the two deals is its own conversation — one I’ll help you plan so you’re never caught between them. The move-up and move-down calculators can help you see both sides of that move.

Completion day

In the final stretch, a lawyer or notary handles the legal mechanics: confirming the mortgage payout, preparing the statement of adjustments, and registering the transfer. On completion day the sale funds come in, your mortgage is paid off, and the balance — your proceeds — comes to you, usually within a day. Possession typically follows a day later. Handing over the keys to a place you’ve loved is a real moment, and it’s okay for it to land. Then a new chapter begins — for whoever comes next, and for you.

A few honest things worth knowing

Most sales go smoothly. But a few moments can catch sellers off guard, and you deserve to hear about them from me ahead of time, not in the middle of them.

What comes off the top

Here’s the part people most want straight talk on, so I’ll keep it plain. A seller’s cheque isn’t simply the sale price minus the mortgage — a few things come off the top, and none of them are hidden. You’ll see every line before you sign:

And for most people selling the home they live in, there’s no capital-gains tax to worry about — the Principal Residence Exemption generally covers it. If your home was a rental or second property, or you bought it within the last couple of years, it’s worth a quick word with a CPA before listing, and I’m glad to help you think it through.