Quick answers

Quick answers about the Move-Up Planner

What's inside, who it's for, and how the Parallel Motion protocol avoids the two-closing-gap trap that breaks most move-ups.

What's inside the Move-Up Planner?

An 18-page guide covering the four move-up protocols, the Zero-Day-Gap coordination playbook, the equity-map worksheet, the $2M PTT cliff, the move-up zone scorecard for Coquitlam catchments, transition budgeting, the 90-day countdown, and how lenders underwrite buyers carrying two mortgages briefly.

What is a Coquitlam move-up?

A move-up is a sale-plus-purchase transaction executed together — typically selling a townhome or starter detached to buy a larger detached in a stronger school catchment. The difficulty is not either transaction individually; it's coordinating the two close dates so the family isn't homeless for three weeks or double-paying bridge interest.

What's the #1 reason Coquitlam move-ups fail?

Most agents treat the sale and the purchase as two separate transactions with independent timelines. That's clean for the agent and terrible for the family — the gap between closings becomes the family's coordination problem. Parallel Motion runs both transactions from week one to land close dates 7–14 days apart.

Is the Move-Up Planner free?

Yes — completely free, no gated payment, no trial expiry. Opt-in gives you the PDF plus a seven-email onboarding sequence over two weeks covering the tax cliffs, neighbourhood comparisons, and the strategy-call offer. Unsubscribe works on any email.

When should I start planning a Coquitlam move-up?

Start the equity map and pre-approval conversation 6–9 months before your target move-in month. Listing prep runs 60–90 days. Shopping for the next home happens in parallel, starting 3–4 months out. Most families underestimate how early they should begin by about 90 days.

How do you avoid paying bridge-financing interest on a move-up?

Parallel Motion lands the sale and purchase close dates 7–14 days apart, often with a short negotiated rent-back on the sold home that covers the physical move. Bridge financing becomes unnecessary when the timeline is built intentionally. Most families pay bridge interest not because the deal requires it, but because the schedule was never designed to avoid it.

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.

FREE DOWNLOAD — 18 pages

Craig Johnston · Top 2% Nationwide Team · Coquitlam

The Move-Up Planner — Coquitlam families, planned properly

An 18-page planning document for Coquitlam families moving from their first home to a bigger one. Written from experience with dozens of move-up transactions — the four protocols, the bridge-financing math, and the 90-day countdown that turns a stressful move into a calm one.

  • The four move-up protocols compared — sell first, buy first, subject-to-sale, and bridge financing — with which one fits which situation and why.
  • The zero-day-gap math — what it actually takes to time sale and purchase so you have no carrying-both weeks.
  • The IRD (Interest Rate Differential) penalty trap explained — why breaking a mortgage early can cost $8K-$40K and how to avoid it.
  • The 90-day list-ready countdown — week-by-week from 'we should move' to offer-accepted, with specific tasks each week.

No sales calls. No drip of 30 emails. One download, one monthly market update, unsubscribe any time.

Get the Move-Up Planner

Where should I send it?

Enter your email and I'll send the PDF directly. You'll also get my monthly Coquitlam market update — the same one REALTORS in my office read first.

I respect your inbox. No sales calls. Unsubscribe any time.

What's inside

Every page in the Move-Up Planner — built from real Coquitlam deals

No filler, no generic advice you've read ten times. Every section pulls from the conversations I have with clients in my office each week.

01

The four move-up protocols

Sell first (rent bridge), buy first (hold both), subject-to-sale, bridge financing — matrix of which fits you.

02

Zero-day-gap timing

How to coordinate sale and purchase completion dates so you don't carry both homes or live in a rental.

03

Equity calculation worksheet

On a $1.2M sale — remaining mortgage, prepayment penalty, selling costs, PTT on new purchase, net deployable equity.

04

The PTT cliff at $2M

Property Transfer Tax is 1% on first $200K, 2% up to $2M, 3% above. A $2.1M purchase costs $42K more than $1.99M. Pricing implications matter.

05

Move-up zone scorecard

Six neighbourhoods scored on schools, commute, home size, resale, lifestyle — helps you shortlist without six weekends of guessing.

06

Transition budget — 9 line items

Legal, PTT, bridge interest, moving, staging for current home, storage, paint/touch-ups, new-home window treatments, utility setup.

07

90-day list-ready countdown

Weeks 12-9 (prep + pricing), weeks 8-5 (staging + listing), weeks 4-2 (offers), week 1-0 (subject removal + completion).

08

Lender carrying-both scenarios

If you bridge, what does monthly look like? How long can you financially carry both homes? Worked examples at three price points.

What happens after you sign up

No pressure, no spam, no surprise calls

Here's exactly what lands in your inbox over the next week — and what doesn't.

01

Minute 1 — you get the PDF

A confirmation email arrives within a minute with a direct download link. The PDF is yours, no strings attached.

02

Day 3 — one short follow-up

A brief email asking if anything in the guide raised a question. Reply if it did. Ignore it if it didn't. That's the entire sequence.

03

First of each month — Coquitlam market update

Current inventory, pricing by neighbourhood, DOM trends, and one commentary note on what it means if you're planning your next move. Unsubscribe with one click, any time.

What you will not get

No phone calls unless you ask. No 30-day drip with urgency tactics. No list-rental or shared-with-partners. No "are you ready to buy?" emails every week. This is a signup, not a sales funnel.

Craig Johnston, REALTOR

About the author

Craig Johnston, REALTOR® — The Macnabs

I've been in the Tri-Cities since 1982 and on Burke Mountain for the last nine years. I built this guide the way I'd build a briefing for a close friend — honest numbers, genuine trade-offs, and specific streets and buildings named where naming them mattered. You don't get that from templated PDFs.

If the guide answers your questions, great. If it raises new ones, my contact details are on the last page and you're welcome to email or text. I reply personally within a business day — no assistant, no call centre.

How I actually work with you

A five-step process built around clarity, strategy, and no-surprise execution — whether you're buying your first home or selling a property you've owned for twenty years.

  1. 01

    Evaluate — where you actually stand

    We start with a real conversation about your goals, timeline, and numbers. I'll pull current comps, assess your buying power or home's true market value, and tell you exactly what the data says — not what you want to hear.

  2. 02

    Strategize — a plan built for your situation

    I build a written strategy around your priorities: target neighbourhoods, pricing strategy, timeline, financing structure, and the trade-offs at each decision point. Every recommendation comes with a reason.

  3. 03

    Prepare — listings, offers, and due diligence

    For sellers: pre-list prep, staging direction, pro photography, and a pricing framework that draws interest without leaving money on the table. For buyers: offer structure, subject clauses, and the due-diligence checklist for every property that matters.

  4. 04

    Negotiate — protecting your position

    This is where experience pays for itself. I negotiate price, terms, subjects, deposit, completion dates, and the small details that don't show up in listings but decide whether a deal closes well or falls apart.

  5. 05

    Close — and stay with you after

    From subject removal through completion and possession, I coordinate with lawyers, lenders, inspectors, and trades so nothing drops. After closing, I stay in your corner for everything from tax-assessment appeals to the next move.

Book a Strategy Call →

Frequently asked

Questions about the Move-Up Planner

Should I sell my current home first or buy the new one first? +

It depends on (a) how much liquidity you have to carry both homes, (b) how specific your target home is, and (c) how hot the inventory you want is. Sell first protects the money; buy first protects the target home. The Move-Up Planner includes a decision matrix with five factors — most Coquitlam families end up in 'subject-to-sale' territory, which is the middle path.

What's the IRD penalty trap you mention in the kit? +

If you break a fixed-rate mortgage before maturity, your lender charges either three months' interest OR the Interest Rate Differential — whichever is greater. On mortgages taken at higher rates that have since dropped, the IRD can be $8K-$40K. The kit shows you how to calculate yours and when portability makes more sense than breaking.

Is the kit useful if I'm downsizing, not upsizing? +

The sale-side content, timing protocols, and transition budget all transfer. The equity math inverts (you're releasing equity instead of redeploying it). For a pure downsizer, the 'Coquitlam Neighbourhoods for Downsizers' page on the site is a better starting point, and the Move-Up Planner is a useful companion.

How current is the data in the planner? +

Last updated April 2026 — current stress-test rates, current PTT tiers, current CMHC thresholds ($500K / $1.5M cliffs), and current Coquitlam median prices by neighbourhood. I refresh the kit every six months.

Related reading

More guides on the same topic

Coquitlam Move-Up Guide How Much House Can You Move Up To? Move-Up Protocol Move-Up Strategy Best Neighbourhoods for Move-Up Move-Up Tax Trap Guide Seller's Starter Kit First-Time Buyer Starter Kit
Craig Johnston, REALTOR® with The Macnabs — Top 2% Nationwide Team, 44+ years Tri-Cities experience
Craig Johnston · REALTOR® · The Macnabs
Top 2% Nationwide Team 44+ Years Tri-Cities Burke Mountain Resident Move-up Specialist
Who this is for

Three kinds of people get the most out of this page.

Coquitlam owners with $400K-$900K+ in equity

You've earned the move, but the numbers are complicated — capital gains, bridge financing, timing, school catchment, resale position of the current home. Craig's protocol keeps all of it synced.

Families needing more bedrooms + yard

3-bed to 4-bed, townhouse to detached, flatter lot, better school. Each upgrade has a price tag Craig knows by heart.

First-time move-up buyers (age 30-45)

You've never done this before. The move-up tax trap, the bridge loan, the overlap period — Craig runs all three so you don't trip.

Craig Johnston, Coquitlam REALTOR®
Craig's take
"Most Coquitlam move-up buyers get the tax math wrong and the sequencing right, or vice versa. Both have to be right for the same move. That's the job."
— Craig Johnston, REALTOR®, The Macnabs
The five-step protocol

Every Craig file runs on the same five steps. No exceptions, no improvisation.

Whether you're a first-time buyer at $850K or a luxury seller at $4.2M, the sequence is identical. The scale changes. The discipline doesn't.

01
Frame the file

Your numbers, your timeline, your non-negotiables, your trade-offs — written down before we pick any houses or pick any comps.

02
Run the market

Current supply, current absorption, current days-on-market, current buyer pool — per neighbourhood, per property type, not 'Metro Vancouver' averages.

03
Lock the strategy

Target neighbourhoods, target price band, target timeline, target offer structure. Written. Agreed.

04
Execute on offer / list

Whether buying or selling, the offer / listing is engineered — structure, contingencies, comps, pricing logic — not improvised.

05
Close + follow-through

Conditions, completion, possession, and the six-month check-in. Most agents stop at keys. Craig doesn't.

Ready to talk?

Twenty minutes with Craig is worth a week of internet research.

No pitch, no pressure. Just your numbers, your options, and the next move that's actually right for you.

Book a Strategy Call → Get your home evaluation
Answers Craig gives

The three questions people ask Craig most on this topic.

Should I sell before I buy or buy before I sell?

In Coquitlam's current market, most move-up buyers should sell first with a long completion, subject-to-completion when writing on the new property. But the right answer depends on your equity, your financing, and your timing tolerance. Craig solves it case by case.

What is the 'move-up tax trap'?

It's the specific combination of capital-gains timing, bridge financing cost, and overlap-period double-carry that catches unprepared move-up buyers. Craig's move-up protocol prevents all three.

How much equity do I need to move up?

Functional minimum in Coquitlam is typically 20-25% down on the new property plus moving costs, commissions, and 2-3 months of overlap reserve. Craig runs your specific number before any showing.

What to read next

Pick the next step in Craig's Coquitlam playbook.

Read next · 8-min read
Buying in Coquitlam — Craig's playbook →
Read next · 8-min read
Sell-side of the move-up →
Read next · 2-min form
Know your current home's value first →
Read next · 1-min form
Book the move-up strategy call →
Craig Johnston, licensed REALTOR® with The Macnabs — Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam specialist
Work with Craig

Every Coquitlam move runs on the same five-step protocol.

Born in the Tri-Cities. Lived on Burke Mountain for 9+ years. Top 2% Nationwide Team. Craig runs every file — move-up, first-time, seller, investor — through the same repeatable playbook so nothing gets improvised at your expense. Start with the 20-minute fit call or the equity map. No pitch, no pressure, just your numbers and your options.

Book a Strategy Call Home Eval
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