Your offer was accepted. What happens in the first seven days
Written 6 October 2026 · next review April 2027An accepted offer with subjects is the start of the work, not the end. Between acceptance and subject removal, the title, the documents and the building all get checked, and almost everything is started on day one. This is how that week runs on a house and on a condo or townhouse, and the three things we need from you.
- Almost everything starts on the day the offer is accepted, because inspectors, cities and strata documents all take time to come back.
- The inspection is booked on day one and set for about three days before subject removal, so there is time to act on what it finds.
- We need three things from you: your occupation in detail, the deposit on the day, and the name of your lawyer or notary a few days after subjects come off.
- Before subjects come off, we sit down together and go through everything that came in.
Day one, on every purchase
- Title is ordered, and the owner’s name on title is checked against the listing. If they do not match exactly, that is sorted out before anything else.
- The contract is checked against the listing, line by line.
- Every charge on title is looked into. For each covenant, easement and right of way, we find out what it restricts and what it means for you.
- The home inspection is booked.
- The listing agent is asked for the documents we need on the property.
- Your mortgage broker gets the accepted offer and the property documents.
- Every date is set out: subject removal, deposit, completion and possession.
- You get an update on what has been done so far.
What is different on a house and on a condo
| House | Condo or townhouse | |
|---|---|---|
| From the city | Two emails: one on permits, zoning, bylaw and planning matters and hazard areas such as slope, creek, flood and wildfire; one on the charges registered on title | No city permit search |
| From the listing agent | Insurance, year built, plumbing and wiring type, and anything known about asbestos or vermiculite | The strata documents, the strata’s insurance, and photos of the parking stall and storage locker |
| Inspection visit | Home inspection, oil tank search and sewer camera on the same day, so access is given once | Home inspection |
| What gets read | The property disclosure statement, read against the title and the city’s permit record | The Form B, two years of strata minutes, the depreciation or engineering report, the insurance, and the property disclosure statement read against the minutes |
| Before subjects come off | Your own insurance quote | Parking and storage photos in hand |
The inspection is booked on day one
Inspectors and oil tank companies usually need a few days’ notice, so the call is made on the first day even though the visit lands later. The visit is set for about three days before subject removal. That leaves time to get a quote, ask the seller about something, or negotiate before the deadline. When the report comes back, the time it takes is agreed at booking, because a report that arrives the day before subject removal is too late to act on.
On a house: what gets checked and why
Permits and hazard areas
We ask the city which permits are on file and whether each had a final inspection, the zoning, any bylaw or planning matters, and whether the lot is in a hazard or environmental development permit area. That last answer can limit what you can renovate, add or rebuild. Cities can be slow to reply, so we follow up until they do.
The sewer line
A camera is run down the line to the street to look for cracked pipe and roots. The part of the line on your property is yours to repair.
Plumbing and wiring
Poly-B plumbing, knob-and-tube wiring and aluminum wiring can make a house harder or more expensive to insure. We ask what the house has, and you get your own insurance quote before subjects come off.
Houses under ten years old
We check the BC Housing New Homes Registry which shows whether a new house was registered with home warranty insurance or was owner-built.
On a condo or townhouse: what gets read
Strata documents are where most of the risk sits, and the point is not to collect them but to say what they mean for you. You get one written summary, not a folder of files.
Form B
Strata fees, the contingency reserve balance, special levies passed and under discussion, your parking and locker, rental and pet rules, and any lawsuits.
Two years of minutes
Water getting in, roof or building envelope work, legal disputes, and levies that owners are discussing but have not yet voted on.
Depreciation or engineering report
What the building is expected to need, and when.
Insurance and the disclosure statement
The strata’s deductible and coverage, and whether the seller’s disclosure statement matches what the minutes say. Where it does not, that is the finding.
Subjects do not come off on a condo or townhouse until the photos of the parking stall and storage locker have arrived. They are sent to you as well.
The three things we need from you
| What | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Your occupation, in detail | Day one | Realtors keep a record of it for FINTRAC, which asks for it to be as descriptive as possible: “retail clothing store manager”, not “manager”. |
| The deposit | On the day subjects come off | Usually a bank draft, sometimes a wire. You get a reminder the day before and again that morning, and the reminder moves if the date moves. |
| Your lawyer or notary | About three days after subjects come off | They handle the completion. If you do not have one, ask and we will send you a few names. |
Your mortgage approval comes through your broker by phone or email, with your permission. You do not need to send us your approval letters.
Before subjects come off
Once everything is in, we book a meeting and go through it all with you: the title, the inspection, the documents, and anything that came back from the city or the strata. Nothing is signed before that meeting. If the inspection found something, this is when an addendum is usually prepared, such as a price adjustment, before the subjects are removed.
Your checklist for the week
- Send your occupation in detail on the first day.
- Keep the inspection date free if you want to attend.
- On a house, ask your insurer for a quote once you know the plumbing and wiring.
- Arrange the bank draft for the deposit before the subject removal date.
- Start choosing a lawyer or notary.
- Tell us straight away if your mortgage broker raises anything.
This page describes how we work, not legal advice. The dates in your own contract are the ones that count. Questions about the contract, title or completion should go to your lawyer or notary.
- FINTRAC, Record keeping requirements for real estate brokers or sales representatives. Checked 6 October 2026.
- BC Housing, New Homes Registry. Checked 6 October 2026.