Quick Answer
What's the total cost of selling a house in BC?
Selling a $1.5M Tri-Cities home typically costs $45,000–$65,000 all-in. Breakdown: commission ~$40-55K (negotiable, plus 5% GST), legal fees $1,200-2,500, mortgage discharge fee $200-500 + potential p... Craig Johnston, Top 1% Team Member — Greater Vancouver REALTORS® and 47+ year Tri-Cities resident, can walk you through the local context. Free Strategy Call ends with a written one-page plan in 24 hours.
Quick Answer
Selling a $1.5M Tri-Cities home typically costs $45,000–$65,000 all-in. Breakdown: commission ~$40-55K (negotiable, plus 5% GST), legal fees $1,200-2,500, mortgage discharge fee $200-500 + potential prepayment penalty (if breaking a fixed term early — can be $5K-30K+), staging $1K-5K if doing it, optional pre-listing inspection $500-800, plus moving costs. Always model the all-in cost before committing to sell.
Always work with your accountant and a real estate lawyer for your specific tax situation. This is general information, not personalized advice.
Frequently asked
Selling a $1.5M Tri-Cities home typically costs $45,000–$65,000 all-in. Breakdown: commission ~$40-55K (negotiable, plus 5% GST), legal fees $1,200-2,500, mortgage discharge fee $200-500 + potential prepayment penalty (if breaking a fixed term early — can be $5K-30K+), staging $1K-5K if doing it, optional pre-listing inspection $500-800, plus moving costs. Always model the all-in cost before committing to sell.
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Selling costs follow the same categories province-wide, but the dollar figures shift by market. This is the BC-wide framework; for exact local numbers, the Coquitlam breakdown goes line by line.
Commission
Real estate commission is typically the biggest selling cost and is negotiable. What's standard varies across BC markets, so understand how it's structured and what it buys before you sign a listing agreement.
Legal
A lawyer or notary handles the sale's paperwork, title and mortgage discharge. Fees are broadly similar across the province, though they scale a little with complexity and the specific professional.
Your mortgage
Paying out your mortgage early can trigger a prepayment penalty, which varies enormously by lender and term. This is often the most overlooked cost, so ask your lender for the exact figure early.
Preparation
Getting a home market-ready — cleaning, minor repairs, staging — costs vary by home and how much work it needs. Spent well, this is often money that returns more than it costs at sale.
Taxes
Property Transfer Tax is a buyer cost, not a seller one, and GST rarely applies to a resale principal residence. Capital gains can apply to non-principal residences — confirm your situation with an accountant.
Local numbers
Costs land differently in every market. For the Coquitlam-specific figures rather than the provincial overview, see what it costs to sell a Coquitlam home.
Because rates, penalties and local norms vary across British Columbia, treat these as the categories to budget for and confirm the specific numbers for your market and lender.
Craig can give you a realistic, itemised estimate for a sale in the Tri-Cities — including the mortgage-penalty question that trips up the most sellers — so your net proceeds hold no surprises.
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