Selling Your Home and Moving in Quebec: 10 Steps to Plan Before You Sell

Selling your home is only half of the plan.

You still need to figure out where you are going next, when you need to leave, whether you should buy or sell first, how the dates of both transactions will work together, and what happens if those dates do not line up.

Sometimes, an offer that looks excellent on paper can create problems you did not anticipate once your next move is taken into account.

That is why I believe the first question when preparing to sell should not simply be:

“How much can I get for my property?”

It should also be:

“What am I trying to accomplish, and what needs to happen for this move to work?”

If you are preparing to sell in Greater Montreal or the South Shore, these 10 steps can help you think through the entire transition before important decisions have to be made.

1. Start With What Needs to Happen After the Sale

Before discussing an asking price or putting your property on the market, think about what you are actually trying to accomplish.

Are you:

• Buying another home?
• Downsizing to a condo?
• Moving to another municipality?
• Relocating for work?
• Renting temporarily?
• Selling first and deciding what comes next afterward?

Your answer matters because your selling strategy should take your next move into account.

For example, someone who needs the proceeds from their current property to purchase another home may need a very different timeline from someone who has already purchased their next property.

If you're already wondering which transaction should happen first, my guide on whether you should buy or sell first explains the advantages and potential complications of both approaches.

This is why one of my first questions to a seller is not simply:

“How much do you want for your property?”

It is:

“What are you trying to accomplish by selling?”

Because once we understand where you are trying to go, we can start thinking about how the sale needs to work to help you get there.

2. Prepare Your Property Before Buyers See It

Preparing a property for sale does not necessarily mean renovating everything.

The objective is to remove unnecessary distractions and allow buyers to better understand the property, its condition and how the space could work for them.

Start with the fundamentals:

• Declutter the main rooms and storage spaces
• Complete obvious minor repairs
• Clean thoroughly
• Improve lighting where necessary
• Organize closets, garages and basements
• Address noticeable odours
• Take a critical look at the property's exterior appearance

This is also a good opportunity to start deciding what will move with you.

Keep. Donate or sell. Discard.

The work you do now can make both the selling process and your eventual move considerably easier.

If you want to go further with preparing the property for buyers, read my guide on how to make a strong first impression when selling your home. It covers the exterior, interior, lighting, minor repairs and showing environment in greater detail.

And before investing heavily in renovations solely for resale, remember that money spent on a renovation does not automatically translate into the same amount of additional market value.

3. Price Your Property According to the Market Buyers Are Seeing

What you paid for your property matters to you.

What you spent renovating it matters to you.

And what you need for your next purchase certainly matters to you.

But buyers are comparing your property with the alternatives available to them.

A pricing strategy should therefore consider factors such as:

• Recent comparable sales
• Current competing properties
• Location
• Property type
• Size and configuration
• Condition
• Renovations and improvements
• Lot characteristics
• Current market conditions

Local context matters as well.

A property in Saint-Laurent may face different competition from one in Brossard, Longueuil, Candiac, La Prairie or Saint-Constant.

Even two similar properties can require different strategies depending on what buyers are comparing at that particular moment.

The objective is not simply to choose the highest asking price that sounds appealing.

It is to position your property so buyers have a reason to act.

For more on this part of the process, my guide to determining the right sale price for your home explains how comparable sales and current market conditions factor into pricing.

4. Coordinate Your Sale, Purchase and Moving Dates Before Accepting an Offer

This is where a seemingly small detail can create a much larger problem.

Imagine receiving an excellent offer on your property.

The price works.

The conditions look reasonable.

But the buyer wants occupancy before your next property is available.

Suddenly, you may need temporary accommodation, storage, an additional move or another solution you had never planned for.

That does not automatically make the offer a bad one.

But you should understand those consequences before accepting it.

If you are purchasing another property, the two transactions should be looked at together.

Transaction dates, occupancy dates, financing requirements, conditions and your physical move can all affect one another.

A higher offer can become a less attractive offer if its timing creates significant additional costs or complications for your next move.

This is why the dates in an offer should never be treated as an afterthought.

5. Compare the Entire Offer, Not Just the Price

The highest offer is not automatically the best offer.

Price obviously matters.

But so can financing conditions, inspection conditions, deadlines, inclusions and exclusions, transaction dates, occupancy dates and other terms attached to the Promise to Purchase.

Imagine receiving two offers.

One buyer offers slightly more, but the conditions and timing create significant uncertainty or complications for your next move.

Another offers slightly less, but the overall terms fit your situation considerably better.

Which one should you accept?

There is no universal answer.

It depends on what matters most to you.

The better question is not simply:

“Which buyer is offering me the most?”

It is:

“Which offer gives me the best overall outcome for what I am trying to accomplish?”

That is why effective negotiation goes well beyond negotiating the price.

I also have a dedicated article on negotiating when selling a house in Quebec. We are updating that article as part of this site's content strategy, so its URL may eventually change, but the current destination is live.

6. Start Preparing for the Move Before Moving Day

Once your transaction is progressing and the timeline is becoming clearer, begin dealing with belongings you do not use regularly.

Packing gradually is easier than trying to organize an entire household at the last minute.

Start with seasonal decorations, books, extra dishes, stored clothing and items you rarely use.

Label boxes by both room and contents. Instead of simply writing “Kitchen,” write “Kitchen | Everyday dishes.”

You should also prepare an essentials box or bag that stays with you rather than going onto the moving truck.

Consider including:

• Identification
• Important documents
• Medication
• Chargers
• Toiletries
• Basic clothing
• Keys
• Basic cleaning supplies
• Anything children or pets may need immediately

You should also start organizing manuals, warranties, remotes, keys and information that need to remain with the property.

The objective is simple.

Reduce the number of decisions you need to make when the transaction and move are already demanding your attention.

7. Know Exactly What Stays With the Property

Before packing everything, review what was agreed upon in the transaction.

Do not assume that an appliance, fixture, window covering, outdoor structure or other item automatically stays or goes.

What is included and excluded should be clearly understood.

If something is unclear, address it before moving day rather than discovering a disagreement when one party believes an item should still be in the property.

Before leaving, walk through the property and make sure your belongings have been removed while anything that should remain is still there.

This sounds like a small detail until a seller accidentally packs something that was specifically included in the transaction.

8. Take Care of Your Address and Services Before the Move

Your furniture is not the only thing that needs to move.

Your address needs to follow you too.

The Government of Quebec's moving and change-of-address service allows residents to notify seven participating Quebec government departments and organizations through the Service québécois de changement d'adresse.

You should also review your address with organizations and providers such as:

• Hydro-Québec
• Banks and financial institutions
• Insurance providers
• Internet and telecommunications providers
• Your employer
• Schools or childcare services
• Federal government services
• Subscriptions and memberships

If you know your new address and moving date, Hydro-Québec allows residential customers to report their change of address online.

You can also use Canada Post Mail Forwarding to redirect eligible mail from your previous Canadian address. However, mail forwarding should not replace updating your address directly with important organizations. Canada Post also specifies that certain items, including parcels, are not forwarded through this service.

Taking care of these details before moving day gives you fewer administrative problems to solve while you are trying to settle into your new home.

9. Prepare for the Final Handover

Before leaving the property for the last time, complete your own walkthrough.

Check:

• Closets
• Cabinets
• Basement
• Garage
• Storage areas
• Shed
• Outdoor spaces
• Attic, if applicable

Make sure everything that belongs to you has been removed and everything included in the transaction remains.

Keep your identification, keys and important transaction documents accessible rather than packing them in the moving truck.

This is also why organizing property documents early in the selling process can make the final stages considerably easier.

My guide to the essential documents needed to sell a house covers this subject in greater detail. That article is scheduled for a Quebec-specific update, but I verified that the current page is live.

10. Build Flexibility Into the Plan

Even a carefully planned transaction can change.

A moving truck can be delayed.

A condition can take longer than expected.

Your next property may not become available precisely when you originally hoped.

Something unexpected may come up during the transaction.

You cannot eliminate every possible complication.

But you can make decisions with those possibilities in mind.

Whenever possible, build some flexibility into your timeline and understand what would happen if an important date changed.

Because the objective is not to create a plan that works only if everything goes perfectly.

It is to create one that still gives you options when it does not.

Should You Sell Your Current Home Before Buying the Next One?

There is no answer that works for every homeowner.

Selling first can give you greater certainty about the proceeds available from your current property before committing to another purchase.

The trade-off is that you could sell before finding the right next property, which may create the need for temporary accommodation or another solution.

Buying first can give you greater certainty about where you are going next.

However, it may create additional financial pressure if your existing property takes longer to sell than expected.

Before deciding, consider:

• Your financial situation
• Available equity
• Financing
• Current market conditions
• Demand for your existing property
• Availability of the type of property you want next
• Your preferred timeline
• Your ability to manage obligations associated with both properties

Your mortgage professional can help you understand the financing implications.

Your real estate broker can help you understand the market, timing and transaction strategy.

For a more detailed comparison of the two approaches, read Should You Buy or Sell First?.

The right sequence is the one that makes sense for your situation, not simply the one that worked for someone else.

The Sale, Purchase and Move Are Not Three Separate Decisions

This may be the most important thing to remember.

Your sale affects your next purchase.

Your next purchase affects your timeline.

Your timeline can affect which offer makes the most sense.

The conditions of that offer can affect the certainty of the transaction.

And all of those decisions can affect your actual move.

That is why treating the sale, purchase and move as three unrelated events can create problems that might otherwise have been anticipated.

Instead of starting with only:

“How much can I sell my property for?”

Start with:

“What am I trying to accomplish, and what needs to happen for this move to work?”

That question changes the conversation.

Because now we are not simply talking about selling a property.

We are talking about getting you from where you are today to where you actually want to go.

Planning to Sell and Move in Greater Montreal or the South Shore?

If you are considering selling in Greater Montreal or the South Shore, including Montreal, Saint-Laurent, Longueuil, Brossard, Saint-Lambert, Saint-Hubert, Candiac, La Prairie, Saint-Constant and surrounding communities, we can start by looking at your property, your timeline and what you are trying to accomplish after the sale.

You do not need to have everything figured out before starting that conversation.

In fact, that is often the reason to have it.

Before deciding when to list, what price to ask or which offer to accept, it helps to understand how those decisions could affect what comes next.

The right decision. At the right time. For the right reasons.

Jonathan Cabana
Residential & Commercial Real Estate Broker
eXp Québec
Greater Montreal | South Shore
(514) 476-0730