Selling a Home in BC: The Conveyancing Process for Sellers
Selling your home in BC is a little like preparing for a very polite but incredibly thorough guest to visit. The conveyancing process is where lawyers like me make sure all the i’s are dotted, t’s crossed, and the money lands safely in your account.
Step 1: The Offer & Acceptance
You’ve agreed to sell (and possibly done a little happy dance). The buyer’s deposit goes to their realtor’s trust account, and the paperwork makes its way to your lawyer.
Step 2: Title Search & Document Prep
We check the title for any mortgages, liens, or mysterious claims from that fellow you sold the canoe to back in 1987. We then prepare the Transfer document, payout statements for your mortgage, and other paperwork.
Step 3: Signing
You visit my office, sign in all the right spots, and we discuss any last-minute details, like where the keys go and whether you remembered to cancel the newspaper delivery.
Step 4: Completion Day
The buyer’s lawyer sends us the money. We pay out your mortgage and any other amounts owed (property taxes, strata fees), deduct legal fees, and transfer the balance to you.
Step 5: Possession Day
The buyer gets the keys, you get the money, and everyone gets to move on.
It’s not glamorous, but it’s safe, efficient, and ensures your sale is legally airtight, so you can focus on your next adventure, whether that’s downsizing, upsizing, or moving closer to the grandkids.
Have questions? We would be happy to answer them, even if you don’t have a property listed on the market yet. Understanding the process in advance can help remove some of the stress from your transaction.
