Coquitlam buyer protection
Not every red flag is a dealbreaker — but each one needs a documented plan before you remove subjects. Here's the checklist I run on every file.
Basement suites, sunrooms, decks — if they're not on permit, they're not insured and they come off in a sale. I pull permit history from the City of Coquitlam on every older home.
Common in 1990s Coquitlam builds. Insurance premiums are 30–80% higher or declined outright. Re-pipe cost: $12K–$25K for a typical 2,400 sqft home.
Any pre-1970s Coquitlam detached could have a buried tank. Environmental remediation if it leaked: $25K–$80K+. Soil scan before subject removal is non-negotiable.
BC Hydro keeps records of abnormal usage. Mould remediation and framing damage can exceed $60K. Lenders may decline outright. Check the report before you write.
Still appears in pre-1960 Maillardville and Austin Heights homes. Insurance companies typically require full rewire within 12 months. Cost: $8K–$18K.
BC strata law requires a current depreciation report. Stratas that skipped it or have an out-of-date one are hiding deferred maintenance. Read the last one cover-to-cover.
Contingency Reserve Fund below 10% of operating budget signals incoming special levies. Three Coquitlam Centre buildings fit this profile right now — ask before offering.
Hairline cracks are normal in Coquitlam's clay-heavy soil. Cracks wider than a credit card or with step-pattern progression need a structural engineer, not an inspector.
A big recent levy isn't automatically bad — sometimes it means the building just fixed its biggest problem. But a levy with another one telegraphed in AGM minutes is a compound risk.
Asphalt shingle life in Coquitlam's climate is 20–25 years. A 28-year-old roof is a $12K–$22K replacement sitting in your first three years. Price it into the offer.
1965–1975 builds sometimes used aluminum. Fire-risk mitigation (pigtail connectors or full rewire) is often a pre-condition of insurance. Budget $4K–$15K.
Lots of Coquitlam homes have a suite the City doesn't officially recognize. That income doesn't qualify for mortgage purposes with most lenders, and enforcement can force removal.
If you're upsizing: My Move-Up Planner includes the full due-diligence checklist — 38 items I run before every offer on a move-up purchase. Free download, no sales pitch.
These are the signals that should stop a Coquitlam home purchase — or at minimum trigger a serious price-reduction negotiation. Some are physical (foundation, roof, drainage). Some are paperwork (depreciation reports, strata minutes). Some are catchment (the school you're paying a premium for has just had its boundary changed). Here are the 12 I see most.
Quick Answer
What is actually available in Coquitlam right now?
Coquitlam covers four broad inventory pools: detached (Burke Mountain newer builds, Westwood Plateau executive, Central Coquitlam established, Eagle Ridge value-tier), townhomes (Burke and Burquitlam newer stock, central Coquitlam mid-tier), condos (Coquitlam Centre high-rise, Burquitlam transit-adjacent), and luxury ($2M+ Anmore/Westwood/Heritage). Craig Johnston, REALTOR® V99960 — Top 1% Team Member, Greater Vancouver REALTORS® — runs daily MLS-filtered alerts customised to your timeline and non-negotiables. Free Strategy Call → written 24-hour plan.
The high-frequency questions I'm asked in almost every first client meeting, answered in 40–60 words each. Longer explanations follow in the sections below.
Per the April 2026 Greater Vancouver REALTORS® release, Coquitlam benchmark prices are: detached $1,635,700, townhouse $1,008,100, apartment $664,000. April median sale prices ran $1,600,000 / $1,125,000 / $620,000 respectively. Burke Mountain, Westwood Plateau and Heritage Mountain command the strongest detached premiums; Burquitlam leads condo activity.
For families with a 5+ year horizon and a realistic pre-approval, Coquitlam remains one of the strongest long-run markets in Greater Vancouver. SkyTrain connectivity, SD43's secondary-school track record, and contained supply support values. The short-term question is whether your specific catchment has inventory right now.
Burke Mountain is newer (mostly 2005–2020 builds), younger families, elementary-heavy. Westwood Plateau is older stock with more architectural variety, lower turnover, and an older demographic. Westwood Plateau typically trades at a premium for comparable size and age — largely because of the Dr. Charles Best secondary catchment.
BC's PTT is 1% on the first $200K, 2% from $200K to $2M, 3% from $2M to $3M, and 5% above $3M on residential. A $1.5M purchase pays about $28,000. First-time home buyers get a full exemption up to $835K and partial phase-out to $870K (current BC thresholds — verify on the BC government PTT page before relying on for your purchase).
Conditions are balanced, not frenzied. Well-priced homes in strong catchments still attract multiple offers in the March–May and September–November windows. Between those windows, single-offer transactions dominate and buyer subjects are usually respected. Market behaviour differs substantially by submarket and price tier.
Well-prepared, correctly-priced detached homes in strong catchments typically sell within the first few weeks. Over-priced or poorly-prepped listings often sit until a price reduction forces a sale. For exact days-on-market in your specific submarket and price tier, ask Craig for the live MLS® pull.
Total commission in Coquitlam commonly ranges 3.5–5% of sale price, split between listing and buyer's agent. On a $1.5M home that's roughly $52,500–$75,000 plus GST. The number is negotiable; the service level behind the number is what matters more than the headline percentage.
Westwood Plateau feeds into Scott Creek Middle and Dr. Charles Best Secondary — consistently among SD43's highest-performing schools. Port Moody's Heritage Woods Secondary draws from parts of upper Coquitlam. Burke Mountain's Gleneagle Secondary serves that catchment directly. All SD43 secondary schools post provincially competitive results.
Sources referenced on this page include the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, BCREA, CMHC, the Government of British Columbia, School District 43, and the City of Coquitlam. Last reviewed 2026-04-20.
April 2026 GVR® benchmark prices and sales-to-listings ratios. No fabricated metrics — every number sourced from the monthly Greater Vancouver REALTORS® release.
Deeper reads for where you are in the journey.
I have spent the last 5+ years helping Coquitlam move-up buyers and sellers get from where they are to where they want to be — without the panic of owning two homes at once or selling under value. I work the Tri-Cities every day: Burke Mountain, Westwood Plateau, Heritage Mountain, and the rest of Coquitlam’s move-up neighbourhoods.
If you want a straight read on your timing, pricing, or move-up strategy, the fastest next step is a short call.
The resources below go deeper on the same topic. If you’re piecing together a full picture, these are the next logical reads.
Real reviews pulled from Google. No paid placements. No curated-only-positives. Every client below closed with Craig — most sold over asking, several within a week.
“Craig sold my property in just 6 days. After receiving one offer, he quickly reconnected with all the other REALTORS® who had viewed the property, and before I knew it, we had multiple offers — all over asking price. Craig didn’t stop there; he negotiated even better terms for me.”
“We worked with Craig on three real estate transactions. In all cases he was extremely professional and efficient. In the case of the two sales, both houses were sold for over asking and within the one week of going on market. Craig analyzed the market accurately and advised on a selling price that was fair and saleable.”
“Craig recently sold my townhouse in West Vancouver in less than 6 days for over asking price. Craig is one of the most prolific and highly motivated REALTORS® I have seen in the Realty business, and I have extensive experience buying and selling properties of all sorts.”
“We consider ourselves lucky to be able to work with Craig over the last 5 years, over multiple transactions. He is a professional who is guided by integrity, honesty, and punctuality. Craig is a seasoned and well-informed realtor who will be a great asset on any real estate journey.”
“As first-time home buyers, we had a myriad of concerns. Craig immediately put us at ease by taking the time to address each of our questions thoroughly and patiently. At no point did I feel pressured or rushed into making a decision. Instead, Craig empowered us with all the facts and options.”
“One of the most dedicated and professional REALTORS® I’ve encountered. No matter the value of the property, Craig puts great care into preparing high-quality marketing content. With his in-depth knowledge of the Coquitlam area, I highly recommend Craig to anyone looking to buy or sell.”
“His creativity, top-notch communication skills, and a solid plan were instrumental in selling high and buying low. His foresight in negotiation skills, predicting outcomes before they happened, truly set him apart. A remarkable professional who exceeded expectations.”
“Craig absolutely delivered on his promise of selling my condo, exceeding my expectations. A++ communications and he kept me informed and educated every single step of the way. Rock solid performance and a very quick above asking sale, I am beyond grateful.”
“We were referred to Craig by a friend and knew from day one we were in great hands. The marketing was outstanding — we received seven offers, and Craig held firm on our priorities. When we re-listed in January, it sold in three days at the price we wanted, and he went on to find us an off-market buy in Vernon.”
More on Coquitlam Market Data
Craig writes the Tri-Cities coverage most REALTORS® won't. Every page below is built on the same ground-truth data and the same negotiation playbook Craig uses for every client.
"Coquitlam has changed more in the last five years than in the previous twenty. The playbook that worked in 2020 doesn't in 2026. Run current data or don't run it."
No pitch, no pressure. Just your numbers, your options, and the next move that's actually right for you.
Yes, for the right buyer with the right hold horizon. The under-$1.8M segment is the most interesting for 2026.
Port Coquitlam price-to-livability, Westwood for commuters, Burke for families with schools, Heritage for buy-and-hold. Different answers for different buyers.
Interview three, pick the one who can actually run your specific transaction.