By Michael A. Jones - PREC* | Royal LePage Kelowna
The price is usually the first number a seller looks for. Fair enough. You have a lot invested in your home, and the proceeds may be funding your next one.
But an offer also asks you to agree to a timetable, a set of conditions and a list of responsibilities. Those details can change what you keep, how much uncertainty you carry and whether the move works for your life.
Before accepting an offer on your Kelowna home, put these five checks beside the price. They matter whether you have several offers or just one worth negotiating.
1. Compare what you expect to keep
Start with estimated net proceeds, not the headline price. Account for agreed credits or concessions, selling fees and applicable taxes, your mortgage payout, legal or notary costs, and relevant adjustments. Ask your lender about discharge costs and any prepayment penalty rather than guessing. BCFSA outlines the main costs that come with selling a home.
Then separate costs shared by every offer from costs that change with the terms. A repair commitment, a different moving date or an extra month of ownership may affect the comparison. Use estimates where necessary, but label them as estimates.
Here is a deliberately simple, hypothetical example:
- Offer A: $900,000 with an agreed $8,000 credit to the buyer = $892,000 before other costs.
- Offer B: $895,000 with no buyer credit = $895,000 before other costs.
Holding everything else equal, B leaves $3,000 more at this stage. These are not final net proceeds, and neither is a real offer or valuation. Different fees, dates or obligations could change the result. The lesson is to do the arithmetic, not assume the lower offer wins.
2. Understand the conditions and their deadlines
A financing condition, inspection condition or condition requiring the buyer to sell another property can create different questions for a seller. What must happen? By when? What does the actual wording require?
Read each clause with your REALTOR® and seek legal advice where needed. BCFSA explains that subject clauses should be specific and that buyers must make reasonable efforts to satisfy them. They are not simply permission to change one's mind.
I would rather understand a sensible condition and a workable deadline than make assumptions about an offer because it has fewer subjects. Buyers need appropriate due diligence. Sellers need to understand what remains unresolved.
Also distinguish contractual conditions from B.C.'s statutory Home Buyer Rescission Period. For eligible transactions, that separate right can apply even to a subject-free offer and cannot be waived. There are exclusions and specific notice, timing and fee rules. Have the applicability and deadline confirmed for your sale; do not treat "subject-free" as a promise that nothing can change.
3. Read the deposit terms, not just the amount
Check the amount, when it must be delivered and who will hold it. Ask how receipt will be confirmed and what happens if it is late. A deposit due on acceptance and one due after subject removal are different arrangements.
A larger deposit is not additional sale proceeds. It is credited toward the purchase price on completion. Nor does its size guarantee that the buyer will complete.
BCFSA's consumer guide to deposits explains trust handling and why money held by a brokerage is not automatically available to the seller if a transaction fails. Entitlement depends on the contract and circumstances; a dispute may require legal resolution. If something goes wrong, get advice rather than assuming the deposit is yours to spend.
For comparison purposes, record the deposit terms clearly. Keep them separate from your estimated proceeds.
4. Make the dates work for your next move
Completion and possession are not interchangeable. As BCFSA explains in Completing Your Sale, completion is when ownership transfers in exchange for the purchase price. Possession is when the buyer can take control of the property. They need not fall on the same day.
Put the proposed dates beside your next purchase, moving arrangements and any accommodation you may need between homes. Check the possession time too. A date can look convenient until you work out when the movers can actually unload.
For an Okanagan seller relocating out of town or downsizing, an extra move can mean storage, travel and considerable disruption. On the other hand, a later completion can mean carrying the property longer. Neither earlier nor later is automatically better.
If the plan depends on bridge financing or the proceeds of this sale arriving before another purchase completes, confirm the arrangements with your lender and conveyancing professional before committing. Do not build the move around an assumption.
5. Price the promises you are making
Look closely at inclusions, exclusions and additional obligations. Which appliances stay? Is a light fixture you intend to take clearly excluded? Does any equipment have a lease or service agreement that needs attention?
Repair promises deserve particular care. "Fix the deck" leaves important questions unanswered. What work is intended, who will do it, when must it be finished and how will completion be documented? Have appropriate professionals assess the work and help settle clear contractual wording before agreeing.
An obligation can cost money, time or both. Include it in the comparison even if it does not appear beside the purchase price. Avoid promising work you have not investigated just to keep negotiations moving.
Put the decision on one page
My approach is to compare the offers side by side: estimated proceeds, unresolved conditions, deposit arrangements, dates and responsibilities. Then we can identify what needs clarification, what might be negotiated and which terms best support your next move.
As your REALTOR®, I can help you organize that comparison and negotiate your instructions, while bringing legal, lending or technical questions to the appropriate professional. The decision remains yours.
The strongest offer for you may also be the highest. Sometimes another offer deserves a closer look. Either way, you should understand what you are accepting.
Let's talk through your selling plans before the offers arrive.
Related reading: Selling Next Spring? Start With These Fall Home Checks and BC Home Buying Process: From Offer to Completion.
Explore more seller guidance and buying and selling strategy.
General information and personal opinion, not legal, mortgage or tax advice. Examples are hypothetical; contract terms, costs and statutory rights depend on the transaction. Confirm your obligations and deadlines with the appropriate professionals. Michael A. Jones is a REALTOR® with Royal LePage Kelowna. Prepared with AI assistance; sources checked October 27, 2026.
*Personal Real Estate Corporation